NCAA Football '06

[sdgukhsdgl]

Zonald, it all depends on what you are more comfortable with and what you are used to. I too enjoy the ps2 because the controler is slimmer. The x-box is too bulky.

just wait til november and get a Xbox360... that will blow away both

[Big_V]

I got it yesterday and tried starting a USF dynasty on Heisman difficulty.  Bad move.  I got blasted by Penn State 55-10.  So I'm starting over tonight in the All-American mode.

This game is sooo deep.  Someone mentioned the Race for the Heisman mode.  That takes up to four years to complete, the dynasty mode is still awesome.  Then you have create-a-team which I never got around to using in the last NCAA game I had (2003).

Julmiste as an impact player...that's funny.  I hope that comes to fruition this season.

[tbbulls]

zonald,  MatRatUSF is right i would wait for xbox 360 it will be alot better but if you must have on now the ps2 is thinner so its better for travel but if you have a high defenition tv (expecially a big screen) the xbox has better graphics it high defenition capable so it will look a  lot better.  the controller size doesnt matter as the xbox has a small controller aswell. besides you can join other bulls and bullhaters on xbox live play anyone online.

[Apis Bull]

zonald,  MatRatUSF is right i would wait for xbox 360 it will be alot better but if you must have on now the ps2 is thinner so its better for travel but if you have a high defenition tv (expecially a big screen) the xbox has better graphics it high defenition capable so it will look a  lot better.  the controller size doesnt matter as the xbox has a small controller aswell. besides you can join other bulls and bullhaters on xbox live play anyone online.

Playstation 3 is coming out next year.  I'm not sure about X-box, but the new playstation will be backward compatible.

Personally, I'd buy a PS2 now and wait a couple of years for a PS3 after the prices come down.

[BULLfreak]

Did they include Rocky in this version?

Yep He is the game too.

[Guest USFPDIDDYguest]

Define "improved." I played NCAA '05 last night and PJ had to throw like 55 passes, against freaking Vanderbilt, to get to 360 yards passing. It seemed like the DB's coverage last year was a little too good, especially when they would unleash a 40-inch vertical to deflect a pass. Then the ball would float in the air forever until someone picked it off.

EA has never had 80 or 90-person rosters so that's why it's not that deep. On the flip side, when were you ever going to use the #8 and #9 WRs on the depth chart?

And how's the Big East thing working out? It will be nice to know I can lose a couple of games and still get into a BCS bowl, instead of having to kill myself OOC and run the table to have a chance. Should also make it a lot easier to build the program in Dynasty mode.

Jeez, uninformed players galore!  I just got 2006 today and will be taking my game online the second my roomates are done watching a rental on my ps2.

Why should you care?  I was the #38 player on the top 100 ps2 ladder for a while, and im still in the top 200  ;D ;D ;D.

I've gotten to 300 yards+ passing with less than 10 passes, though its usually closer to 15-20.  Vs the computer, I need around 25 unless I'm just BSing the ball around to a mismatched receiver (devin hester for UM vs a crappy team comes to mind)

The passing game was kinda off last year, but not how you're thinking.  While the underneath routes would get inexplicably dropped, if you used a deep ball into single coverage and controlled your receiver (very easy to do if you're a top or even ok online player with a decent running game), you could catch 30+ yard fly routes at about 80%.  With USF receivers.  Against teams like alabama, UL, and Washington.  How often to receivers catch fly routes in real life?  NOWHERE NEAR 80%, i can promise you that.  But the DB's would be retarded and either not swat the ball, or somehow the WR would catch it anyway.  There were two ways to beat that: 1. heavy pressure so that you forced the opponent to throw it before the corner even got turned, meaning a jumped route. 2. put your coverage back, so that the corners or safeties were almost as deep as the qb could throw it when he does throw it, so they can close.  Opponents would try to sneak a route underneath when I did this, and I'd let them for a play or two, then suddenly call or audible a play with a linebacker in the zone they were throwing...USER PICK.

And then, because you didnt have enough time to control your receivers and make that asinine "user catch" on things like slant routes,  they'd just drop it uncovered.  Even if you were playing as Miami or were throwing it to mike williams, if you gunned it, dropped about 30% of the time.  I bet the real mike williams wouldnt drop an open slant route 30% of the time, no matter how hard most college QB's put it there (provided it was in front of him at all)

The running game has been made easier?  I hope you guys just weren't used to it yet!  I was routinely getting 100 yard+ rushers online, and more like 160 vs the computer on all american with a balanced offense (i run a lot of i form and ace slot, but have play action and release routes for the people that like loading up...which is most people.).  

(heisman is a really poor mode on 2005, because it gives the other team at least +5 speed to all players, maybe more if its a computer.  When a wideout got run down from behind by a LB, i quit even when i was winning and turned it back)

Once I get used to the new controls, I can talk a little more about ncaa football 2006.  I still need to figure out this impact player business, and the qb rollouts and sprinting looks different too according to the book.  Oh and the jukes!  Once I get that down, we'll see how this game plays.

[S p e n c e]

Why doesnt someone simulate the 2005 season to see how we are projected to play?  It only takes a few minutes to simulate a season.  

Then you could post our win loss record and the scores, and any misc' info, such as All-Americans, Awards or whatever.  I know for the most part EA is fairly accurate with thier rating of teams.  I remember doing this last season on my own and it was extremely accurate when comparing what my simulation was like in comparison to the actual results.

We could even make it an annual tradition, simulate the season at the beginning of the year and compare how accurate EA Sports is at the end of the year.  Or you could even evaluate the accuracy on a week by week basis throughout the season.  

What do ya'll think?  Is there any interest.  I would do it on my own, but I probably won't be purchasing the game for another week or two.

[MatRatUSF]

i'll do it tomorrow, i got nothing better to do.

[Guest USFPDIDDYguest]

Why doesnt someone simulate the 2005 season to see how we are projected to play?  It only takes a few minutes to simulate a season.  

Then you could post our win loss record and the scores, and any misc' info, such as All-Americans, Awards or whatever.  I know for the most part EA is fairly accurate with thier rating of teams.  I remember doing this last season on my own and it was extremely accurate when comparing what my simulation was like in comparison to the actual results.

We could even make it an annual tradition, simulate the season at the beginning of the year and compare how accurate EA Sports is at the end of the year.  Or you could even evaluate the accuracy on a week by week basis throughout the season.  

What do ya'll think?  Is there any interest.  I would do it on my own, but I probably won't be purchasing the game for another week or two.

If you did it many times, you'd get quite a few different results, ranging from just L's at miami and psu to losing all but 2 games.  Most of the time, it'd be between that.

I got the game and played as promised.  Race for the heisman is a very fun mode, and the game takes you into it right away.  I used that and some spring drills to get used to the new controls...

Then to online play, where i managed a 4-0 record so far (including a win over UAB as USF).

Previous comments were correct, the running game has been vastly improved.  No longer can you just go nickel or dime and expect to stop i form.  If you're the type of player that has a good eye, you can do some ridiculous things with a good back.  Andre Hall in my USF game, for example, rushed for nearly 300 yards by himself!  An impact player "in the zone" is hardly something the poor UAB SS wanted to deal with one on one...and I had the holes for it.  LONG touchdown runs are very possible if you're good now.

Also, watch out for the QB's, more of them have high speed and they can really screw you, I've been on both ends of it already.  If you play USF, Denson's (im assuming, though hes listed as a soph, either way QB #1)  87 speed can go the distance for a touchdown, so press that o and put in the backup QB package if you expect to scramble.

User catches have only been weakened (or "nerfed") slightly.  They are still powerful and they still typically dominate one on one coverage (more like 70% of the time as opposed to 80% now).  More annoying now, however, is trying to stop a good thrower because the wr's really can catch routes over the middle alot.  Defense is much weaker in 06, so you have to mix it up even more to be effective.

I am EXTREMELY annoyed that they switched the spring button and change player button on D (used to be the opposite of the o, but now the O button switches players instead of sprinting)

Overall, the graphics are a little better and the game plays a LOT better.

They made USF too crappy relative to other teams...UAB, Uconn, Rutgers, and many others have better stats.  What they dont have is both an impact QB and RB, which evens it out a bit.  Impact linebackers are a lot of fun too...actually if you play texas u get a LB and a DB, which can do much to slow down running games and pressure the QB with more coverage.

One last suggestion to you competitive onliners:  Many more players run man coverage than they used to.  If you have an impact receiver, they'll double him.  If you see that safety cheating over to do so, go ahead and audible the receiver on a comeback, and send the halfback, TE, or fast FB deep (whichever a LB is manned on).

Halfbacks completely burn LB's, especially on play action.  Whenever you see this take advantage, its funny.

[Guest USFPDIDDYguest]

Edit: I meant DT not DB for texas.  Very strong online team.  Don't go va tech like everyone and their mom (2 of my opponents).  Marcus vick running is nice, but they're just an average B+ team otherwise.  Good schemes can shut down the scrambling QBs forcing players to run or throw well to be effective!