NCAA Football 13 Demo Available Now on XBL & PS3

[Rudy]

Like gschwendt mentioned the Spread Option is ridiculously easy for fast QB's (80+ Spd) and still viable for average speed QB's (around 65 Spd). I know Heisman level will be harder like all other versions of NCAA, but it needs to be a much bigger jump up in difficulty this year from Varsity to Heisman or it won't be a challenge at all to dominate using the Spread Option(Play #1 in Demo- call read option, yawn, run through huge hole with RB. Play #2 call read option, yawn, QB keeper for huge gain, yawn. Rinse and repeat for domination). I know it is just a demo but my goodness it is laughable the ease of executing the Shotgun Option. Hopefully it won't be a joke to run it in the retail version. The only good thing about the wide open running lanes using the Spread Option is I have used it to perfect the 1 on 1 juke move (love it- huge improvement over 12'). I have had a bunch of long highlight TD runs so far thanks to the juke and the stronger break tackle ability of the RB's.

I would rather see the read-option overly effective than under-effective like in the past. Maybe the cpu will be able to run it better.

I'd still love to see a shotgun run blocking slider so you could fine-tune this ourselves for offline gameplay. The shotgun running game and option game is huge in college football and has always been poorly tuned compared to running out of pro-style sets. I don't care if the dev team can't find the balance but give me a slider so I can find the right balance for me.

[JeffHCross]

I know Jeff it happened twice in the demo and both times in my favor, but still I don't see why they can't get the spot placement correct everytime. I mean if I pick it up or if one of my CPU defenders picks it up the ball it is spotted correctly, but not if it is kicked forward SMH.

As far as I'm aware, there's no technical reason why they couldn't handle it. But, the why doesn't really matter, it's still a bug.

Sometimes. From what I can tell, if the EMOL is completely outside the tackle, he'll go unblocked. However, if his shoulder is lined up on the outside shoulder of the tackle (or he's further inside), he'll be blocked. So even against 3-man fronts, if the DL is spread, he'll go unblocked.

Interesting assessment. I saw something similar, but I honestly thought it was just coincidence. That at least suggests that it's not regarding him as EMOL, but is instead just looking for the nearest man, like zone blocking.

I did notice that all of the special pre-play art for the offensive line is missing, they just look like they're doing pure forward blocking. I'll be intrigued to see if that's a demo-only thing. If the logic is there, I don't really mind (though it sucks if the logic is there and just can't be viewed anymore). I know last year there were some issues with it, but I'd hate to see it totally removed.

in the real world you can move your players around without being considered cheating, but putting your best in the slot in this game tends to give an advantage. At least most dont like it.

slot receiver = 3rd or 4th on depth chart usually. Plenty of great slot receivers but still not best on their teams for the most part.

Have you heard of Wes Welker?

But your greater point, about it being borderline cheese, is on spot. In an uber-competitive OD, people will at least look at you funny for the first glance if they see your Impact WR in the slot. If he's purely a possession guy (i.e. no SPD), then maybe you can pass it off, but otherwise it's a difficult move to make. Or at least excuse.

[Rudy]

There have been some really good slot WRs but they are clearly in the minority. The majority of teams best WRs play on the outside and a lot of those guys don't move to the slot on 3rd downs. Smaller guys like Welker are built for inside but Calvin Johnson, Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson and most bigger WRs stay on the outside. I think Jaymo's point is that the lack of timing in the routes has made it much harder to get it to your best receivers on the outside while throwing to the slot has been too easy. It could be better this year.

[JeffHCross]

Thanks, Jaymo76 for posting this. I have been debating on buying a 42" or 46" wide screen but if you can't see your outside receivers w/ a 50" then I'll save the money! Much appreciated!

I'm pretty sure that the default camera is set in such a way that no matter what size screen you get (as long as what you're placing is a widescreen), the view is going to be the same. It scales up. As far as I know it doesn't zoom out with a bigger screen or cut off certain parts of the screen with a smaller size. The widescreen view is the same for every widescreen, as far as I'm aware.

I think Jaymo's point is that the lack of timing in the routes has made it much harder to get it to your best receivers on the outside while throwing to the slot has been too easy. It could be better this year.

It's not just timing. It's also that the default camera view makes it very difficult to see streaks before ~10 yards, and out routes beyond a certain point. Especially if the CB is in close coverage and so you can't see him either. I can get the ball easily to my outside receivers, they just have to either be running an inside route, or I have to move the pocket.

[baseballplyrmvp]

There have been some really good slot WRs but they are clearly in the minority. The majority of teams best WRs play on the outside and a lot of those guys don't move to the slot on 3rd downs. Smaller guys like Welker are built for inside but Calvin Johnson, Fitzgerald, Andre Johnson and most bigger WRs stay on the outside. I think Jaymo's point is that the lack of timing in the routes has made it much harder to get it to your best receivers on the outside while throwing to the slot has been too easy. It could be better this year.

part of it can be blamed on the camera. with the limited view that you're given, your attention is going to be on what you see on the screen. since the slot receivers are almost always visible on the screen, people are gonna see that they're open way before they can see if the outside wr's are open. combine that with how most slot receivers, on the default plays, are running some sort of crossing route over the middle, they're naturally gonna be looked at first, since it takes a little bit longer for the outside guys to enter the screen.

in this site's 360 od, i had both extremes in my games while playing as . i remember several games where the bulk of my receptions went to the outside guys (22 receptions out of 34 total), another game where the bulk of my receptions went to the slot wr's (25 receptions out of 39), and one game where all 4 wr's had an equal distribution (2 receivers each had 10 catches, and the other two had 9 each). the key thing though, is that if you want your outside wr's to get receptions, you have to make the effort to get them the ball. that means, that you have to look outside or have them running routes over the middle.

[xGRIDIRONxGURUx]

does anybody else on this forum switch to the center and switch back every play so that every playt he camera is zoomed out at the snap, and for passes it stays zoomed out so you can see all the routes?

i do it every single play all game long so i can pick up blitzes from CB's for the gun triple... i always assumed that was a common practice

[Big Blue]

in the real world you can move your players around without being considered cheating, but putting your best in the slot in this game tends to give an advantage. At least most dont like it.

I don't know how it would be cheating to put your fast/quick and small receivers in the slot. That's just playing realistically even if they are your best receiver. That's why there are formation subs. You don't have to put them at third on the depth chart just move them around.

[ram29jackson]

Have you heard of Wes Welker?

But your greater point, about it being borderline cheese, is on spot. In an uber-competitive OD, people will at least look at you funny for the first glance if they see your Impact WR in the slot. If he's purely a possession guy (i.e. no SPD), then maybe you can pass it off, but otherwise it's a difficult move to make. Or at least excuse.

yeah, he's short and lost the Super Bowl

of course I thought of him ...and Jordy Nelson is my new favorite player.

If this game has finally started putting best on best and correcting alignment, it shouldnt matter anymore. But in the past , putting you best or fastest in the slot meant he was covered by a LB or safety or a weak CB. You could theoretically throw to him all day for success.

[ram29jackson]

does anybody else on this forum switch to the center and switch back every play so that every playt he camera is zoomed out at the snap, and for passes it stays zoomed out so you can see all the routes?

i do it every single play all game long so i can pick up blitzes from CB's for the gun triple... i always assumed that was a common practice

what ? explain please ?

[jaymo76]

After practise I have finally got some big gains through the HB screen. Due to the pressure I was using bullet but since switching to a high, slow lob I have been able to scorch the D, especially Kansas.

[WolverineJay]

what ? explain please ?

I think he is just referring to the ability to see the whole field pre and post snap using the R2 button (right trigger) and then switching players with the circle button. It works, I do it all the time.

[xGRIDIRONxGURUx]

pre-snap... hit your R2 or corresponding button... quick zoom out... then hit circle and up to swap to your Center really quick and circle and down to come back to QB... screen stays zoomed out at snap until you hand off...

[Rudy]

I do agree with you guys. The camera can make it hard/scary to get the ball to your outside WRs.

And Ram - Welker did not cost the Patriots the Superbowl. I know you are joking to a degree but I was annoyed while watching everyone criticize him for that "drop". While he had a chance to make that catch it was hardly routine. That was a tough play. If that was a baseball play 100 out of 100 scorers would have never ruled that an error.

[ram29jackson]

I do agree with you guys. The camera can make it hard/scary to get the ball to your outside WRs.

And Ram - Welker did not cost the Patriots the Superbowl. I know you are joking to a degree but I was annoyed while watching everyone criticize him for that "drop". While he had a chance to make that catch it was hardly routine. That was a tough play. If that was a baseball play 100 out of 100 scorers would have never ruled that an error.

thats why I brought up his hight ...anyone watching can tell that was a rediculous pass to try and catch from that position and angle

[prime9]

I do agree with you guys. The camera can make it hard/scary to get the ball to your outside WRs.

And Ram - Welker did not cost the Patriots the Superbowl. I know you are joking to a degree but I was annoyed while watching everyone criticize him for that "drop". While he had a chance to make that catch it was hardly routine. That was a tough play. If that was a baseball play 100 out of 100 scorers would have never ruled that an error.

That isn't routine? The ball hit both of his palms. If you're in the NFL, that's a catch 99 out of 100 times.

[souljahbill]

He jumped AND fell backwards after having to do a 180 spin just to get into position. The only way he makes that catch is if he had Megatron/Randy Moss/T.O. type of height. For his height, that was a tough catch.

[JSmith03]

Growing up playing receiver, I was always taught, "If you get your hands on it, catch it." No matter if it was high, low, or anywhere in between, if I could get a hand on it, I was expected to catch it, as was the other receivers. He got BOTH hands on it, it was totally catchable. Yes, it was difficult, but it's his job to catch it, and if he expects a new contract like he does now, then he has to come up with those types of catches. Therefore, he should have caught it.

[souljahbill]

Growing up playing receiver, I was always taught, "If you get your hands on it, catch it." No matter if it was high, low, or anywhere in between, if I could get a hand on it, I was expected to catch it, as was the other receivers. He got BOTH hands on it, it was totally catchable. Yes, it was difficult, but it's his job to catch it, and if he expects a new contract like he does now, then he has to come up with those types of catches. Therefore, he should have caught it.

You never dropped a pass? You caught every single pass you touched?

[Dr Death]

You never dropped a pass? You caught every single pass you touched?

I was taught the exact same thing JSmith was and it's funny, because at one practice we were working on our passing game and all of us - WR's, TE's, RB's - ALL of us were dropping passes left and right. It was just one of those days where nobody could catch a cold in Alaska! So our coach gets extremely irritated and tells us that the next dropped pass is going to result in the entire group of receivers running laps. Now we had a huge area where we practiced - not just 100 yards - and "laps" meant we would be running - in full gear - for roughly an hour or so!

So the first play he calls after making this statement is a pass for me! Great, I think... no pressure here. I run a corner route and the QB lays it right in my hands, but, w/ the day being what it was, sure enough the ball goes right through my hands, ricochets off the top of my helmet and all I could think was: Start running your laps now! You have about a 25-30 yard head start!!!

So as I turn to begin my "lap" running, the ball, having bounced off my helmet is just floating in the air and I reach my hands out and catch it!!! And as I was running to the end zone - something we always did too - I was laughing my ass off because I know my coach is going to be mad that I didn't catch it clean but also because of the way I caught it!

When I finally get back to the team the coach tells me that I am the "luckiest son-of-a-bitch alive" and practice continues. And for whatever reason, that funny moment loosened everyone up and nobody dropped another pass. But yes, JSmith and I were taught the exact same thing. I think, deep down, coaches knew we wouldn't catch every single pass, but they wanted that mentality in our heads.

[SmoothPancakes]

I was taught the exact same thing JSmith was and it's funny, because at one practice we were working on our passing game and all of us - WR's, TE's, RB's - ALL of us were dropping passes left and right. It was just one of those days where nobody could catch a cold in Alaska! So our coach gets extremely irritated and tells us that the next dropped pass is going to result in the entire group of receivers running laps. Now we had a huge area where we practiced - not just 100 yards - and "laps" meant we would be running - in full gear - for roughly an hour or so!

So the first play he calls after making this statement is a pass for me! Great, I think... no pressure here. I run a corner route and the QB lays it right in my hands, but, w/ the day being what it was, sure enough the ball goes right through my hands, ricochets off the top of my helmet and all I could think was: Start running your laps now! You have about a 25-30 yard head start!!!

So as I turn to begin my "lap" running, the ball, having bounced off my helmet is just floating in the air and I reach my hands out and catch it!!! And as I was running to the end zone - something we always did too - I was laughing my ass off because I know my coach is going to be mad that I didn't catch it clean but also because of the way I caught it!

When I finally get back to the team the coach tells me that I am the "luckiest son-of-a-bitch alive" and practice continues. And for whatever reason, that funny moment loosened everyone up and nobody dropped another pass. But yes, JSmith and I were taught the exact same thing. I think, deep down, coaches knew we wouldn't catch every single pass, but they wanted that mentality in our heads.

Now that's a funny story. That would have been a great moment to be a spectator.

And yeah, coaches pound that mentality into your head, but no receiver alive is ever going to catch every pass they touch. If a receiver was supposed to catch every single pass he ever touches, the dropped passes statistic wouldn't even exist today. It'd be incomplete passes from the QB throwing bad passes and missing the receivers and that would be it. Coaches like to and want to pound that "if you get your hands on it, catch it, no reason for you to drop it" mentality into every receiver, but they all know every single receiver is going to drop a pass at some point. It's a fact of life in football.