[Husker] Anybody playing NCAA Football 11?

[Nick Chevance]

On Thu, Jan 20, 2011 at 9:52 AM, Lawson, Scott R.
<SLawson at uamail.albany.edu> wrote:
> I've been thinking of taking the PS3 plunge myself, for the college football as well as golf and hockey. Not much into the war games and stuff, but I like the sports games.
>
> Good to know I can go through a Huskers season. Have you blown up at any refs yet? ;-)
>
> Scott in NY
> From: husker-bounces at tssi.com [mailto:husker-bounces at tssi.com] On Behalf Of Mark Landin
> Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2011 10:41 AM
> To: huskers
> Subject: [Husker] Anybody playing NCAA Football 11?
>
> I got this game fro Christmas on my PS3, and of course immediately started
> playing a Husker dynasty without really knowing what i was doing :) I was
> clever enough to find updated rosters for all the FBS teams with actual
> player names ... I certainly enjoy the game more that way.

OK Mark, you have hit a nerve in me.  For several years I've been
playing NCAA Football 2004 on the GameCube, but I tend to go through
controllers quickly (you know, you want the back to cut to the left,
but he doesn't go left enough, so you really L-E-A-N on the joystick,
hoping to get a bit more response).  Let's just say that GameCube
controllers are getting harder to find (and controllers not built by
Nintendo last a couple of weeks tops).  So for Xmas, my wife let me
get a PS3 and the NCAA Football 11.

I'm in my second dynasty.  Nebraska won the National Championship the
first year, but lost by one point on a last second field goal to Texas
the second year (you can move your team into any conference you want,
but only at the start of a dynasty, not after you start one).  Then
the recruiting aspect of the game really went downhill (after winning
the NC, and 11 weeks into the next season, I only had three commits -
all other teams had between 8 and 14) so I quit that one and started
over.

I love the game.  However, in order to maintain contact with the rest
of the family, I'm not allowed to play it every night.  If not for
that, I'd probably be years into a dynasty by now.  And divorced.

A couple of things for me.  One, just like our QB's I have difficulty
making that read on the QB option with Martinez.  Depending on whose
roster you downloaded, Martinez is accurately quick and fast, which
helps, but in reading the rush end, he's almost too quick.  The back
is almost gone before the end makes his move.  Since I can't make that
read option, I tried to rely on passing.  And my offensive line is as
porous as a sieve.  I can count on one or more of my offensive lineman
getting burned anytime I do a fake hand off before I pass.  So since I
can't do a read option consistently, and a pass oriented offense tends
to reap lots of negative yardage, I've gone to a power running game.
Burkhead just ran for 338 yards on 40 carries against Washington.
He's a monster.

On defense, instead of running the nickel, I modified my dime package,
with David at MLB and Gomes and Hagg at OLB's, and run lots of
man-on-man formations.  I've stopped just about every spread or air
raid offense I've faced, except when the computer determines the other
team needs to score.  But I do use that 46 defense with some
effectiveness against teams that switch in and out of the I-formation
or pistol.  I agree how accurate the game appears to be.  I've really
gotten a better understanding on how defenses work, and how bad it can
be if someone gets out of position in a basic man coverage.  Or if
your MLB can't keep up with a TE.

I'm gonna practice some more before I do an online dynasty, but at
some point, I gotta try my hand against a real person.  Great game,
lots of fun, burns time like nothing else.

Nick
-- 
"For every person with a spark of genius, there are hundreds with an
ignition problem"
         Coffee News(6/9/10)