Chapter 6 - Online Tips

Playing NCAA Football 07 online is unpredictable. You may have picked up on tendencies of the CPU but anything goes against another human opponent (and that's not always a good thing). You may battle against a quality opponent that attempts to emulate realistic play or face off against the guy who calls the same play every single down. In this section, we've compiled some tips for competing against your online friends and foes.

• If your alma mater is the Rice Owls, you may find online play an uphill battle. You should play prearranged games or unranked for comparable competition. Otherwise you'll likely run into the gangs of players using Ohio State, Texas, or USC. The highest ranked teams are certainly fun (and there's no denying they're good) but these NCAA powerhouses overpower the smaller schools. Watch your team selection and avoid getting rolled over by the guy who only wants to play as the #1 ranked Buckeyes.



• Quarterback rollout passing seems pretty effective again this year (in last year's version, it was Vince Young rolling out play after play and connecting on deep receivers). "I only call one play every time!" players are out there and while you will suffer some of their big gains, these types of players are beatable. Make sure you get pressure on the quarterback. You can't allow these players to run around in the backfield and wait for the open man. Mix up your blitzes. If he's rolling out, call a corner blitz. Play some containment defenses. Force the quarterback to throw earlier to hopefully snag an interception and build the momentum. Manage the clock effectively to keep his defense on the field.



• Utilizing your impact players is the same whether offline or online. These are your good to guys, both on offense and defense. While on offense, use your impact receivers or running back, especially when they're in the zone. But avoid running toward at an impact defender's area. Or perhaps avoid testing an impact defensive back. You could also use offensive impact players as decoys. If you notice an opponent concentrating heavily on your in the zone impact receiver, mix up your play call and get other receivers into the mix.



• Momentum is the biggest new feature in NCAA Football 07. The team that has the momentum receives a boost to overall statistics. Build momentum on offense by consistent play, long gains, and, of course, scoring (get the first TD for a nice momentum bar chunk). With momentum established, you could call higher percentage plays to keep it in your favor or take chances with the added player boost provided by the new feature. If you're on the momentum short stick, you could call safer plays to help build it or take risks to get it back in one big shift.



• Defensively you can build momentum through sacks, big hits, turnovers, and defensive scores. Just like offense, you could play the momentum meter two ways. With momentum in your favor, you could take fewer chances to avoid losing the edge. Then again you could take advantage of the edge and call more blitzes. If you lack momentum, you may need a big play to shift it back into your favor; that means more blitzes and bigger chances on defense to try and pick off a pass.



• While on offense, mix up your play calling to keep your opponent's defense off guard. Most players will wait until you choose an offensive play to select their defense. This is because offensive personnel are revealed to the player on defense. The player on defense will see how many receivers, tight ends, and running backs are in the formation. Your opponent can use that information to call the defense. So it pays off to run out of pass-oriented formations (3+ WR sets) and pass out of run-oriented formations (multiple TE or 1 WR sets).



• While on defense, wait for the player on offense to pick their play before you choose your defensive formation. Use the information provided by the offensive personnel to make your decision. Try to gauge your opponent's tendencies. Does he always run out of 2 WR, 1 RB sets? Does your opponent like to mix it up on 4 WR sets? Against an unpredictable opponent, you may have to avoid calling strictly pass or run defenses and instead call defenses that offer a little bit of both. Against a 4 WR set, you may call a Dime defense but with blitzing to try and disrupt a run play.



• The clock can be your best friend or your worst enemy. With the lead, it's in your best interest to keep the clock moving. In a close game that's nearing its end, don't accidentally run out of bounds. Force your opponent to burn time outs. Take your time getting to the line and don't snap the ball until the play clock gets very low. Don't wait until "1 second" every time, though; if you do, your opponent could just use jump snap at 1 second and may get a big stop. Mix it up. Hike at 3 seconds, 4 seconds, etc.



• If you're trying to make a comeback, realize the clock stops briefly with each first down. If you get a first down you can probably save your timeout and instead hurry to the line with a hurry up offense. Work the sidelines and try to get out of bounds but if your opponent is protecting the edge, take the open middle 10 or more yards downfield and utilize the brief stoppage of clock to get up to the line for the next play. Consider burning a timeout if your entire offense is exhausted after several hurry up plays.