NCAA 14 open thread

Submitted by Philbert on

The game has been available for 14 hours now and wanted to see what the rest of you were thinking so far. 

EA suckered me into the season ticket a few months ago so I have been playing it since the 5th and have had a pretty positive experience. I'm one of the die hards that plays on Heisman and destroys teams by 70 with the likes of Toledo and UTSA. I had always felt that the past games were a little glitchy but overall a "good" experience. So far this years game has a lot of promise but I'm seeing some glaring holes while playing the CPU. I created my own playbook filled with I-form, pistol, and shotgun with a ton of read options. It's really fun to run but its becoming almost to easy. Just for kicks I played and entire game with toledo against bama running variations of the read option. Had 650 yards rushing and won 42-10. I found that to be a joke. 

I have noticed it to be more difficult to run out of the power. Last year there was a money play out of ifrom twins where it was a power to the opposite side of the twins and if your fb lead through the lb or saftey, you were gone. That sequence is gone now but counters seem to have a little pop to them. 

Passing is still a pain but doable if you know what your looking for. Short underneath routes are high percentage still. The deep ball seems more difficult to hit this year but I haven't messed around with that very much as I have been playing with the option to much to care yet. I'm not going to comment much on this.

Defense has been a lot harder vs the CPU and I've had more then a few, "I probably shouldn't whip my controller off the ground" moments. The Blitzs don't hit home nearly as much as they use to. CPU no huddle offense gives you absolutely no time to change forms or call press coverages. The ball carrier recovery feature is cool to watch unless its when your saftey is on an island and a TE just runs through him like a Mac truck. Overall its more realistic but the hair pulling moments are going to drive me nuts for the time being. 

I have lightly skimmed over the dynasty so far and thought it looked pretty good and like the new concepts but I haven't dove in yet. I'm waiting for the Operation Sports rosters to come out before I go hard into that. 

Whats your thoughts so far? Like? Dislike? best cover are ever? (answer is yes) Whats your money play (formation and primary reads) any rosters that are worth downloading yet?

add me on psn if you would like: Poshea49

 

ixcuincle

July 9th, 2013 at 2:39 PM ^

I am in the middle of an Ultimate Team game right now. You basically are given cards with former NCAA players and you go out there and play ball. Up 7-0 on Arkansas State at the half. 

So far this game seems pretty good. 

ixcuincle

July 9th, 2013 at 2:54 PM ^

Yeah, this is my first time trying this out. It's kind of fun, you get weekly challenges to do. I am about to play Miami in a "weekly challenge", but it's a stacked Miami team with Edgerrin James. 

I guess, with all the rosters not available yet, this is one of the modes which has all names, so I decided to give it a shot until the rosters with names come out. 

Wolverines Dominate

July 9th, 2013 at 2:42 PM ^

I didn't buy the game yet, but will eventually. I have a feeling this will be my last NCAA Football game because I just don't play it as much as I used to. If it were not for Denard's being on the cover, I likely would have just kept my '13 version, but I already traded that to an exchange store because I know I will get the '14 version by year's end. I'm just going to wait until it's about $30 or less.

mgobaran

July 9th, 2013 at 2:42 PM ^

If you like to download shared rosters, the username PASTAPADRE does a pretty good job. Might take a few days/weeks to get up though. 

Philbert

July 9th, 2013 at 3:04 PM ^

I'm liar? That's intense but ok. I mean I can screen shot all of my games if you want. if your member over at wolverine nation you could ask the guys over there what I use to do to them on NCAA 12 (Xbox tag was philbert05 but made the switch to Psn). I probably should have noted that I play religiously like 30+ years of online dynasty per game with my buddies.

SMJenkins3

July 9th, 2013 at 3:45 PM ^

He won every season he was invovled in the league (all NCAA 2012 on xbox ) and never lost a game.  He and I never played through a couple of flukes (so I don't have first hand knowledge- only being in the same league with him) but he pretty handly beat every human he played and always beat the computer by 40+ and sometimes 100+ if he wanted to.  (As a baseline, I probably played 40-ish human games on 2013 and only lost once.  I am certainly beatable, but not a scrub.  I view him as MUCH better than I)

 

Edit- it was all played on heisman difficulty so he wasn't smoking the computer (or humans) on All American level. 

Basically take my word for it or not.  It doesn't really matter, but he is very very good. 

M_Jason_M

July 9th, 2013 at 9:27 PM ^

The computer sucks. It falls for the same strategies no matter what difficulty you're on, you just have to run plays smarter and more precisely. I did the same thing in last year's game with EMU. I beat bama on heisman like 49-7 and the seven was because I felt like sending nine guys after Mccarron to see if i could injure him.

Philbert

July 9th, 2013 at 11:44 PM ^

You sound like you play very similar style that I do. I won't lie, I took advantage of glaring holes in all the past NCAAs.. Power running, short over the middle routes, and retarded option defenses.. Defense was a joke. I got in nickle and would just send the front 4 and the 2 linebackers. Be one of the ends and line up out side the tackle and then kill the qb. That game had holes. I haven't found much on this one yet other then the really poor option defenses.

MichiganMan1999

July 10th, 2013 at 6:26 PM ^

I was just wondering how you and your buddies set up your OD? Curious what is the best way for a long term one to start in terms of starting team stars, coordinator vs head coach, users in same conference vs different conference, if in different conferences do you play user games, do you stay with same program or bounce around jobs, and if you bounce jobs do you stay in same conference as other users? My buddies and I are starting one and I was just curious what a good, long term dynasty like yours had done

DK81

July 9th, 2013 at 3:14 PM ^

I've been playing ultimate team all day, probably will continue to untill the community roster are finished. I like the new running game however.

Philbert

July 9th, 2013 at 3:22 PM ^

What's everyone think of the new recruiting. I was a fan of last year. Not sure how much I'm going to like this leveling up thing. It will be interesting.

Toledo_Wolverine

July 10th, 2013 at 1:06 AM ^

Last years recruiting was super easy if you put a little bit of time in. So far this years recruiting is very difficult to get a lot of top talent. If you dont want to put a lot of time into it then it's probably better this year. I finished right behind ohio in third place in recruiting rankings and only had 3 players above a 73 ovr.

Sllepy81

July 9th, 2013 at 3:28 PM ^

has its glitches but its more fun then the past few years. I've been playing a few days already. wish there was a complete ps3 roster out by now but close enough for now. AUScott7 has about 70% done for names only.

Philbert

July 9th, 2013 at 3:32 PM ^

Yeah I saw that over at operation sports. From what I gathered its just names. He hasn't messed with numbers and attrition. I don't think he's done much with the coaches either. From what I have been reading the official OS rosters should be up Friday or Saturday.

Blarvey

July 9th, 2013 at 3:30 PM ^

I haven't bought a copy for several years but picked one up today (360). I haven't seen any sites with rosters up yet, but can I start a dynasty and then upload a roster or once I start it do I have to stick with the fake names?

Philbert

July 9th, 2013 at 11:48 PM ^

There are variations of the option and the one that you can give to your hb on the first read, then pitch to your wr is just unstoppable. Terrance Owens just ran through the secondary most plays. I had 4 or 5 plays of 60 plus. Also had some stupid fumbles.

Sllepy81

July 9th, 2013 at 4:04 PM ^

Hope these are not spoilers but who have you seen?

Charles Woodson, Chad Henne, Tim Jamison, Braylon Edwards, Jake Long 

Thats all I can confirm, anyone else?

trueblue262

July 9th, 2013 at 4:05 PM ^

good news is I'm Michigan and winning by 3........bad news is I'm playing 2 players and I'm the only one with a controller! Watch out guys Urban & crew are going to be scary good!

 

/s

denardogasm

July 9th, 2013 at 4:05 PM ^

Rather than playing NCAA 14 in an indoor kiddy pool like I'd prefer, I'm currently in a traffic jam on the freeway with a broken AC and an hour to go. It's hotter than Spike Albrecht in March in here. If I expire before I get home, I wanted my last words to be Go Blue, Beat Ohio.

Oscar Goldman

July 9th, 2013 at 6:01 PM ^

just got ps3 version - played M vs. Wash, both teams had grey cages.  Silly complaint really, just don't know how something like that gets screwed up?

CR7

July 9th, 2013 at 6:10 PM ^

are caca. Rawls is faster than Fitz and Green. In fact, Fitz is Michigan's lowest rated tailback. Kalis is only a 75 (I guess, having not played a down yet, that could be fair). James Ross is still slow as hell. Norfleet is still on defense. Brink, Jones, Robinson and Ringer(?) are still on the roster. Shipwreck as far as UM is concerned, m'afraid.

JHendo

July 9th, 2013 at 8:25 PM ^

Add you on psn? After hearing how good you are, why would any one want to that and thus subject themselves to the possibility of such a massive virtual ego bruising?