NCAA Football 2004 Strategy Guide - Option Attack

It may be football, but winning in the NCAA is a completely different beast than winning in the NFL. Drop the Madden mindset and learn how to master the option attack!

One of the designers of the reigning champ of college-football games steps up to the chalk-board to help you brush up on your offense by mastering the option attack.

The Option Attack
The option is the best offensive scheme ever invented, period. With so many choices, you can keep the defense guessing all game while you continue to rack up the rushing yards. The key to a successful option attack is good vision and smart decision-making. Here?s an inside look into what it takes to successfully run an option-oriented offense.

Homework
Never underestimate the value of good pregame preparation. Before you take the field, spend time in Practice mode getting to know your personnel and playbook inside and out, as well as your opponent?s. Choose a playbook that fits your style of play. Since I like to run an option-oriented offense, I use Texas A&M?s playbook. It offers a wide variety of Ace, I-Form, and Shotgun sets. My favorite teams to play with are Kansas State, Virginia Tech, and of course Nebraska because of their athletic quarterbacks and running backs.

Audibles
After you?ve nailed down your team and playbook, it?s time to go set up your audibles. Audibles are extremely important because you?ll want to change your play at the line quite often based on the defensive look. When choosing your audibles, it?s a good idea to pick them all from the same formation, mixing in runs and passes. This allows you to quickly audible into five different plays without having to shift. If you want to take it a step further even, pick a symmetrical formation like Ace Normal, Maryland I, or Ace Spread. This adds even more flexibility because you can now flip your audibles without a shift, giving you twice as many options.

It?s never a good idea to call one of your preset audibles at the play-call screen because you can always audible to that play at the line. Choose a different play, and then you?ll have 12 different plays you can run based on what the defense is giving you. Ace Normal is my recommendation.

Using Motion
Once you?re lined up, it?s always a good idea to use motion for a couple reasons. First, it can give you an idea of the coverage the defense is in. Second, it can cause your opponent to overload his defensive line and/or linebackers to one side or another, giving you a blocking advantage if he guesses wrong.

If the defensive back follows your receiver in motion, then they are in man coverage. If not, they are probably in a zone.

Against man coverage, you might want to take advantage of any mismatches. You should know where to find them if you?ve done your homework! If you can complete some passes, it should keep the defense from loading up the box with eight or nine guys. The option becomes very difficult to execute if there is no passing threat. As a Nebraska football fan, I can testify to that.

Against a zone, try running play-action and option passes. If the linebackers and safeties start to cheat up to defend the run, go with a good run fake and beat them deep. That will keep them honest.

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