EA Sports NCAA Football 2005 Thread

Coffee and TV · January 15, 2005

Hints, Cheats, Dynasty stories, great plays, advice, whoever's got this game just chat and we can spread around some helpful info.

Anyone brought a I-AA team into a Dynasty only to have their NCAA interest really high? Now maybe it was just a glitch, or maybe it was the school, but it seemed kinda unfair. I recently brought up Montana and by the 4th year the NCAA interest was nearly full, but didn't get any violations. I upped the discipline budget (like 45%) and the very next year it was nearly completely full so I got screwed. 25 less suspensions for 3 years, no bowl games or TV games for 2. Good thing my contract was up and I got an offer from maryland!

Edited January 15, 2005 by Coffee and TV

Coach · January 15, 2005

It's my favorite game. I love running dynasties and though I like playing the games, building teams and simming is usually what I do.

In my dynasty right now, with UAB, I have a guy I recruited as an ATH, who only has 80 throw power as my quarterback. He has 95 speed and 90's in agility and acceleration though. I switched to the option run playbook and he is putting up great stats. He is still only a 72 overall (as a JR) because his passing ratings are so low, so I don't think he will make the cut for the Madden draft.

The most dominating CPU generated player I have ever had was a linebacker with SDSU. I tried to start a NCAA '05

Hall of Fame because I wanted to brag about him, but it didn't catch on.

Here is my strategy when recruiting each position.

The first and biggest rule is to not recruit any player with poor discipline no matter what, so I can keep my recruiting budget low and spend those points somewhere else.

QB - I look at throw power and speed. Accuracy can be improved much eaiser than power.

HB - I offer only fastest that are interested in my school. I want playmakers here.

FB - I never recruit FBs. I move players here from other positions (TE) or ATHs. I like to get big guys here.

WR - Hands and speed are equally important to me. I don't worry about size. If there is an A+ hands, I offer.

TE - This is a unique position for me because speed isn't the first priority. I look for big guys with good hands.

OT-OG - Size and squat numbers here. I don't care about mobility, I want road graters.

C - I look for awareness at center, and if there are no prospects with high AWR, I move a T or G inside.

DE - I never recruit DEs. I recruit a ton of OLBs and move the slower ones here, to be great pass rushers.

DT - I look for size, strength, and size. I want huge guys that can take up blockers and stuff the run.

OLB - The faster the better here, and I offer several more than I need to use at DE.

MLB - Once again, speed is first and foremost, though the occasional 260 pounder is nice too.

CB - I only look at speed here. I also offer more than I need to move to safety.

FS - Unless there is a speed burner, I don't offer one and move a CB here to get more speed on the field.

SS - I look at speed here first, but strength matters too. If there isn't anyone, I move a CB here.

K-P - I have found that you only need one good guy at a time at these positions, and it has to be the kicker. If you have noticed in the depth charts, good kickers are decent punters, but even the best punters are horrible kickers. What I do is sign one guy that has an A in both power and accuracy, and move him to K even if he is a P in the switch positions stage. Then he will serve as both as well as KOS. Before his SR year, I sign his replacement and RS him one year. This means I only have to use one ship every 3-4 years for three positions.

I highly recommend editing your own rosters, you will find underrated and overrated players on every team, even guys left off the game (Erasmus James is a big one, for NT, Brandon Monroe).

This is a great topic, as if I needed to say I feel that way after this post.

Coffee and TV · January 15, 2005

It's my favorite game. I love running dynasties and though I like playing the games, building teams and simming is usually what I do.

Yeah same, playing is great but its no fun if you can't accomplish anything when you win.

The first and biggest rule is to not recruit any player with poor discipline no matter what, so I can keep my recruiting budget low and spend those points somewhere else.

see I'd like to do that but I never have enough points to scout. I hardly scout any of my players. When you use the recruiting points to scout you save them on discipline, but what you save on scouting you can use for discipline. So, its a catch-22.

I moved to Maryland after leaving Montana to a 5-6 ACC team. My job security after one year and a 7-5 record with a bowl loss was a D. I thought that was pretty lame seeing as how they weren't eligible the year before. The 2nd year we won the Gator Bowl with a 9-4 record. Now I'm in the offseason.

Anyone ever gotten fired or had their team kicked out of a conference? I brought up Rhode Island into CUSA and got kicked out after 2 years. No chance to build nothing! Kinda like Ty Willingham.

Coach · January 16, 2005

At first I thought scouting was a waste of 5 points too, but not only does it reveal the discipline rating, other athletic measurables may be changed. I have seen 40 times go up and down by .3 before, which makes a big difference when that is transferred into a speed rating.

Coffee and TV · January 16, 2005

At first I thought scouting was a waste of 5 points too, but not only does it reveal the discipline rating, other athletic measurables may be changed. I have seen 40 times go up and down by .3 before, which makes a big difference when that is transferred into a speed rating.

not a waste, but its also hard if you're with a school in a small state and you have to do a lot of out-of-state recruiting. It can be 15 and 25 points sometimes if you got a kid interested but far off. I just got fired from my Maryland job after a 7-6 season and a Tire Bowl title. On to UNM!

Coach · January 16, 2005

I understand what it's like when you have a small budget and no in-state prospects. You can't spend the points until you earn them, but when you can, spending some on scouting is more than worth the price. It gives you more accurate info on the player, and when you avoid poor discipline guys, you can spend less on that, and in turn, have more for recruiting. I guess that's one aspect of the game that is pretty realistic, the rich get richer. The unrealistic aspect is there is no coalition holding down half the schools from the chance to become rich.

Monkeypox · January 16, 2005

Anyone ever gotten fired or had their team kicked out of a conference? I brought up Rhode Island into CUSA and got kicked out after 2 years. No chance to build nothing! Kinda like Ty Willingham.

Def. my favorite game.

I took Rhode Island as a I-A independent, and eventually got moved into the MAC. Two years later I got an offer for the ACC and politely declined, because I would've gotten myself handled there.

Right now I've got Texas State as an Independent. Hopefully I'll get an offer from an actual conference after this 1st year.

Edited January 16, 2005 by Monkeypox

Coffee and TV · January 17, 2005

See even if I go BCS, I can never get an independent invited into a conference. I've been invited into other conferences, but never from an independent into a conference. I just quit the Maryland/Montana dynasty and started a new one with SMU. I know if there's such a thing as a hell for Mean Green fans I'll go, but I figured what the hell, they've got a nice stadium. After the 0-12 2003 season I revived them to a 6-6, 5-7, and a 8-4 bowl-less season. I forget their 2007 record, but I saved it before playing in the Hawaii Bowl against Tulane.

Monkeypox · January 17, 2005

See even if I go BCS, I can never get an independent invited into a conference. I've been invited into other conferences, but never from an independent into a conference.

It's a 50-50 shot it seems, from the dynasty. In that, I mean, each dynasty seems to have a 50-50 chance of getting an invite. Sometimes it just won't happen, and it seems random as hell. I just won a Nat'l Championship with Texas State. Got ridiculously lucky with a bunch of top teams losing 3 games. That, and I'm able to beat some pretty stout defenses with a weird option attack. I only threw for 40+- yards in the championship game (went like 4-17 with a senior QB... yeah).

Still no conference invite, but I finally got an actual awesome recruiting class.

EDIT: My 2nd Nat'l title got me an invite to the Big 12.

Edited January 19, 2005 by Monkeypox

Greeneagle87 · January 20, 2005

The game is simply fantastic, however,if you dont play it on XBOX, you have to wait 3 hours to get through week one of recruiting

I too tried to make Montana 1A, however, by the second year, I was voted out by the MAC, and then put on probation, if that happens, I quit, and get dissapointed in myself

I would say I spend about 4 hours a day playing the game. and In the summer about 6

I love the game....is their any other game as good as this one?

Coach · January 20, 2005

I would say I spend about 4 hours a day playing the game. and In the summer about 6

!!!!

I'm dead serious. I love NCAA as much as anyone, but that is a waste of time. Study, do homework, WORK OUT FOR FOOTBALL, go out for the track team, help your dad at work....you can do better.

Monkeypox · January 20, 2005

Def. XBox only. My cousins play it on PS2, and I feel myself growing older to it.

Coffee and TV · January 20, 2005

The game is simply fantastic, however,if you dont play it on XBOX, you have to wait 3 hours to get through week one of recruiting
I too tried to make Montana 1A, however, by the second year, I was voted out by the MAC, and then put on probation, if that happens, I quit, and get dissapointed in myself
I would say I spend about 4 hours a day playing the game. and In the summer about 6
I love the game....is their any other game as good as this one?

Ouch. I took Montana into the Mountain West and eventually got invited into the Big 12. I rejected it however, then they got on probation. I think I didn't even win a Mountain West game the first year too.

Yeah on days I'm off work but the wife isn't, I'd spend around 5 or so hours on it. Between jobs (seriously, I wasn't fired I just had a 3 week gap between leaving and starting my new one) I'd say I averaged a good 8 hours when I had 2004. I'll go a 3-4 days without playing sometimes, but when I do I get hooked and usually have a few hours on it. I can't just play one game or sim one season and be done with it.

Monkeypox · January 20, 2005

I'll go a 3-4 days without playing sometimes, but when I do I get hooked and usually have a few hours on it. I can't just play one game or sim one season and be done with it.

Exactly. Before I know it I'm three more seasons in, thinking "Wasn't there something I was supposed to accomplish, like eating, sleeping, going to work?"

Greeneagle87 · January 23, 2005

!!!!
I'm dead serious. I love NCAA as much as anyone, but that is a waste of time. Study, do homework, WORK OUT FOR FOOTBALL, go out for the track team, help your dad at work....you can do better.

I work out everyday, two hours a day, I get home from school at 430, get on the comp, or pitch in the backyard, then at about six, its dark, and I have nothing to do, so I play the game,when its dark, I cant do anything outside.

Yes, I do waste alot of time on video games, but I think its better than spending time watching TV, this way, I am moving my hands alot.

Im way too slow for the track team(I play d-line) and i am currently tryingt o get back to baseball first andd foremost.

track starts in 20 days for us, I only have 20 Powerlifting days left, then track/baseball.

Yes, the amount of time I spend playing that game is pathetic, but I love football, and thats the best ever created game for football up to jan 23,2005, so I will continue to play it that way.

PS:I retried the Montana Dynasty, this time, I started in the independents, not the MAC, ater my fourth year, I got an invite to the WAC, won with a 6-2 record, and in this season I am 6-0, #5 in the nation, and on myay to a BCS bowl

PS again:after my first season(7-4) I had serveral five stars looking at me, and I got the 7th best recruiting class, however, last season I went 9-2(6-2) in conference play,won the MPC computers bowl 66-14 against EMU, and had seven 3stars looking at us, can anyone explain this?

Coach · January 23, 2005

I play the game what I thought was a lot before I read this, usually about 30-45 minutes on school days and maybe on a Saturday or during the breaks, 2 hours one day.

You are never too slow for track. You can compete in anything and even if you bring in the rear on JV, you are improving yourself for football. If you are stronger, there is always the throws, but I would recommend getting involved with any track event, even if you don't think you can do anything. You are probably faster than you think and if you can earn one point for your team, that's one point. Another thing to look at is that if you go out and bust your butt every day for track, that will send a message to your coaches about your commitment to yourself and the team no matter if you don't win a medal all year.

Coffee and TV · January 23, 2005

So I'm doing an NIU dynasty. I just finished the regular season with a MAC championship, and a 13-0 record with a cupcake schedule. I'm #4 in the country but was still left out of the BCS bowls behind 4-loss Miami, and 3 loss somebody...I think Clemson.

Also, this is the first year of a two year probation. If you made the NCAA interest on a scale from 1-10 I had a 2.5 maybe, and got a 10 scholarship a year hack. Meh. This game always screws me.