FAQ/Guide For NCAA FOOTBALL 07 NCAA FOOTBALL 07 is perhaps one of the greatest football games of all time. This guide will help those who wish to become better at this game and those who want to become the best. The system used for this guide is the Sony Playstation 2 system. My name is Bo, also known as The Franchise. This guide was started on Feb. 8th, 2007. Please feel free to contact me with any concerns or comments @ bomitsu808@yahoo.com. Thank you for reading this guide! Now lets get down to business!!! Contents: A. Controls B. Top 25 C. Momentum Meter D. Home Field Advantage E. Top 25 Places to Play F. Offensive Playcalling G. Defensive Playcalling H. Campus Legend I. Dynasty J. Legal A. Controls Controls are the first thing any gamer must master in the game. Although provided in your instruction manual, here is a layout of the controls used during the game. Offense/Defense D-Button/Analog stick - move player Sprint - X Dive - [] Jump/Intercept/Catch - /\ Spin/Switch Player - O Call timeout - Select Pause - Start Offense - Before Snap Fake Snap - O Send man in motion - D-Pad down + D-pad left/right Coach Cam - R2 Quiet the crowd - L2 Slide Protection - L1 + D-pad Snap Ball - X *Hot Routes Hot routes are one of the best ways to control a game. Notice a mismatch? Do you see a linebacker on a receiver or running back? Send him deep with just a couple of button presses. To execute a hot route, First press triangle, then the player icon followed by: Fly Pattern - Up Quick Hitch - Down In/out - Left/Right Slant - L2/R2 Pass Block(RBs/TEs) - L2/R2 In/Out Flare(RB) - Left, Right *Matchup Stick The Matchup Stick shows the composure of the player on the field. This is usually based on the experience of the player, along with the rating of the player, with seniors being the most composed and freshman being the worst. To view the matchup stick, press R2, followed by left, down, or right on the right analog stick. This shows the matchup between Receivers and the Secondary, the O-Line and D-Line, and the Backfield (RB's, FB's, and QB's and the Linebackers) *Audibles Call an audible by pressing [] + O, X, [], L1, R1. Press /\ while in the audible menu to audible back to the original play. Pressing L2 flips the play, while R2 resets the original play. Offense - Running with the ball Stiff Arm - L2 Juke - Right analog stick Cover Ball - Triangle Small Juke - L1/R1 Offense - On the Option Pitch ball/Fake pitch - R2/L2 Hand to fullback - X Slide - [] Offense - Passing/Receiving Throw ball away/Pump fake - L2/R2 Catch - /\ Pass - /\, O, [], X, R1, L1 (hold for bullet, tap for lob) Defense - Before the snap Switch player - O Pump Crown - L2 Adjust line/linebackers - L1/R1 + D-pad *Hot Routes The first year being implemented, they follow the same as hot routes. The player you are currently in control of is the one affected. Simply pressing the right analog stick in any direction will call a hot route. Up- Zone Down- Blitz Left- Flat Zone Right- QB Spy *Defensive Audibles To call different defensive plays, follow the same button combinations as for offensive audibles. *Coverage audibles See something in the defense you don't like? Quickly change the way your defense is aligned by pressing triangle and and corresponding directional button. Up- Back defensive backs from the line of scrimmage Down- Bring the DB's up to the line for bump and run coverage Left- Reset Right- Shift backs into man coverage Right Analog Stick: Left- Shade defenses left Right-Shade defenses right * Linebackers and Defensive Line Audibles L1- Defensive line audibles: Left and Right- move line to the corresponding direction Up- spread line Down- pinch line Square- Spy with right DE Circle- Spy with left DE Right analog stick: Left- Crash left side of O-Line Right- Crash right side of D-Line Down- Jam the middle Up- Rush outside R1- Linebacker audibles: Left and Right- move LB's to the corresponding direction Up- Spread linebackers Down- Pinch linebacers Right analog stick: Left- left LB blitz Right- right LB blitz Down- blitz all LBs Up- call off blitz R1 Defense - After the snap Jump the snap - X Switch to player closest to ball - O Swat ball - L1 Big Hit - R analog stick in direction of player Strafe/Strip ball - R1/R2 Swim/Spin - L1/R1 (with linemen) Kicking Adjust height - Left analog stick up/down Adjust Power - Right analog stick down, then up Abandon Kick/Punt - L2 Returning Kicks Fair Catch - /\ Kneel it - Stay in endzone B. Top 25 These are the teams that start every Campus Legend and Dynasty Mode as the Top 25. Included are capsules for the top 5 teams. 1. Ohio State Buckeyes One of the best all around team in football, a combination of an explosive offense led by senior sensation and Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr, and Antonio Pittman, and an awesome and speedy defense makes this team number one. 2. Texas Longhorns The defending National Champions were hurt by the departure of Vince Young to the NFL. Replacing him is Colt McCoy. With a good running game and solid core of receivers, this transition is made much easier. Texas also has one of the best defenses in the nation, led by a Thorpe award winner at CB. 3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish A big play offense, led by Brady Quinn will put points on the scoreboard. However, a lackluster defense will also let the other team do so as well. 4. Southern Cal Trojans Perhaps sporting the best two receiver combo in the nation in Dwayne Jarret and Steve Smith, the transition from Heisman trophy winner Matt Leinart to John David Booty is much easier. The running game is not as good as last year, but the defense is much better, being faster and better tacklers. 5. LSU Tigers The LSU Tigers were led to the Sugar Bowl by junior quarterback JaMarcus Russell. He is surrounded by playmakers in receivers and a solid running game. The defense is typical of an SEC team, being fast and physical. 6. Florida Gators 7. Auburn Tigers 8. Oklahoma Sooners 9. West Virginia Mountaineers 10. Louisville Cardinals 11. Miami Hurricanes 12. Florida State Seminoles 13. Penn State Nittany Lions 14. Michigan Wolverines 15. California Golden Bears 16. Georgia Bulldogs 17. Iowa Hawkeyes 18. Tennessee Volunteers 19. Arizona State Sun Devils 20. Nebraska Cornhuskers 21. Virginia Tech Hokies 22. Texas Tech Red Raiders 23. Clemson Tigers 24. Alabama Crimson Tide 25. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets C. Momentum Meter Ah, the newest addition to the NCAA Football games. This is a meter on the top of the screen that changes with big plays. A TD, fumble, INT, among other things will swing momentum in your favor. Momentum in your favor gives a boost to your stats and a decrease in you oppositions. D. Home Field Advantage Home field advantage plays a big roll in the game. For a visiting team, it causes them to have a hard time calling audibles and hot routes, also causing younger players to be rattled and less composed. E. Top 25 Toughest Places to Play: 1. Ben Hill Griffen Stadium aka the Swamp (UF) 2. Ohio Stadium (Bucks) 3. Tiger Stadium aka Death Valley (LSU) 4. Beaver Stadium aka Happy Valley(PSU) 5. Lane Stadium (VT) 6. Neyland Stadium (Tenn) 7. USC Stadium (USC) 8. DKR - Texas Memorial Stadium (Texas) 9. Kinnick Stadium (Iowa) 10. Doak Campbell Stadium (FSU) 11. Kyle Field (TAMU) 12. Sanford Stadium (UGA) 13. Autzen Stadium aka the Autzen Zoo(Oregon) 14. Notre Dame (ND) 15. Mountaineer Field (WVU) 16. Memorial Stadium aka the Sea of Red(Neb) 17. Bryant-Denny Stadium (Bama) 18. Gaylord-Oklahoma Memorial (OU) 19. Camp Randall Stadium (Wisc) 20. Jordan-Hare Stadium (Aub) 21. Michigan Stadium aka The Big House(Mich) 22. Miami Stadium (Miami) 23. Clemson Memorial Stadium aka Death Valley(Clem) 24. Papa John's Cardinal Stadium (Louis) 25. Williams-Brice Stadium (S Car) F. Offensive Playcalling: Ah, offense, the most fun part of football to watch. In NCAA Football, the most important thing that determines the offense you run is your own players. Generally speaking, a team with a good pocket QB and a solid core of WR's should run a spread, high passing offense. A team with a scrambling QB and a good RB should run an option style offense. Another factor determining your offense is the type of playbook you choose. Choose a playbook that you are comfortable with. This will come with playing, as everyone's tastes are different. Now comes the question what play to call. The following is a general down and distance playcalling scheme. This may differ depending on your offense. First Down- This depends on the strengths of your team. A good running team should run the ball, a passing team should pass. Second and Long- A pass would be good in this situation, however, a draw or screen play might work, depending on the defensive alignment. Second and Short- Ah, every offensive player's dream! This is a situation where the whole playbook opens up. You can run or pass, I suggest going with the strength of your team. Another good call is any type of play action. Third and Long- This comes down to passing. Depending on distance, I'd say from 3rd and 6 to 3rd and 4, a draw might also be an option. Third and Short- Again this depends on the strength of your team. Pretty much the same as second and short. 4th down- Unless your trying to catch up or down by one score with less then two minutes remaining, either punt or take the field goal. Of course, this depends on a player's style and the length of yardage. G.Defensive playcalling: As the old saying goes, offense wins games defense wins championships, as proven in the NCAA National Championship with Ohio State and Florida. The type of defense is based on the strength of your players. Got good LB's? Go with a 3-4. Solid D-Line? Go with a 4-3. There are 4 different distinct playbooks: 4-3, 3-4, 4-2-5, and the 3-3-5. 4-3: Pros: A very balanced defense that is good with both stopping the run and the pass. An ideal playbook for the beginner. This is a good playbook for a team that both runs and passes, like USC or Texas. You can stop 3rd and short as well as 3rd and long. Cons: Very weak against passing teams. As most of the time when you run a man coverage, a LB will be lined up to cover a RB or WR, it is a mismatch. 3-4: Pros: This is a good defense to run with a solid core of LB's. It puts more speed on the field, as obviously LBs are faster then DL. It covers the middle of the field well, making your opponent have to go to the outside, where the sideline can act as an extra defender. Cons: Good running teams will almost always gain positive yards on this defense, because the lack of another DT. There is also the same problem with the 4-3 concerning the mismatch between LBs and WRs/RBs. 4-2-5: Pros: This is good with a team that passes a lot, as the extra DB helps with the pass defense. It also provides decent run stopping and a pass rush with the 4 DL men. Cons: Against good running teams, this defense can have some trouble. If the RB can get pass the first level (the DL) then it'll usually be a big gain. 3-3-5: Pros: Provides good pass coverage with all the DB's and LBs. Good over the middle of the field, as well as deep. Man coverage is also good, with DB's usually being matched up with WRs. Cons: Run defense in this formation is weak, much like the 3-4. It is also hard to bring pressure on the QB with the lack of another DT. Other: There are also several formations that are in every playbook, the 5-2, Dime, Nickel, Quarter, 4-4, and Goal Line. The Dime, Nickel, and Quarter are used for stopping the pass. These defenses are good when a team is trying to play catch up late in the game. The 5-2 is a run stopping defense, good for short yardage situations. The Goal Line is obviously for goal line situations. The 4-4 is my favorite defense. It provides good pass and run defense. H. Campus Legend: This personally is my favorite mode of the game. You start this by creating your player. Create his position, appearance, height, weight, hometown, etc. You will then be placed in the calendar screen. Here your first task is the spring drills. Now every drill will give u attribute points depending on your success, with the max being 16, except for QB which is 12. The drills are pretty much easy to do and succeed in. After your finished with spring drills, your next task is to assign your points. Assign your points based on how you want your player to be. I suggest putting a lot of points in your awareness, because this increases your overall ranking and skill of your player the most. If you did well and attributed the points properly, then you should be a 5-star prospect, giving you the choice of any school in the nation. Pick your favorite school or the school you want to play at. AS soon as your done with this, you will be moved into your dorm room. There are several aspects to your room, as follows: Calender: moves the season along, going from one week to the next and day to day Closet: allows you to customize your attributes, appearance, and equipment Computer: used to display season statistics, as well as the top 25, and heisman trophy race Newspaper: a brief article about the prior week's events Trophy Case: shows trophies you have gained over the years Fan Mail: self explanatory Progress Report: shows your popularity level and g.p.a. As you go to the calendar, your next event will be picking your major. They range from easy to hard. I suggest the easier ones, as you will be able to upgrade your player quickly, rather then spending time studying. There are 3-parts to every day, morning, afternoon, and night. The morning will always be filled with classes, except for saturday and Sunday. The afternoon is always practice. Now I really don't see the need for practice, so I usually just sim them. Now the most important events happen at night. There are 4 things to choose from, Study, Meet with tutor, Position Drills, and Social Activity. Studying helps keep your g.p.a up if you are in the harder majors. Tutoring helps you to gain a boost in your g.p.a. Social activities help to boost your popularity. If you chose an easy major, I suggest doing the position drills. Completing these drills allows you to gain points to assign to your player, improving his ratings. They are pretty much the same as spring drills, except that you will be playing against much better players. Now the most points you can get is 3 for a QB and 4 for everyone else. It may not seem like much, but if you do it twice a week, during all weeks of the season, its alota points. This is the same for every week, with games on Saturday. As you continue on throughout the season and do well, your popularity will slowly rise, along with your heisman hype (if you're a skill player, its very hard to get hype as anything else). The process pretty much repeats itself throughout the years. At the end of your junior year, you will be given the option to leave for the NFL draft (and export your player into madden 07) or continue to your senior season. If you stay your senior year, then at the end you will be given the option to go pro or coach. Selecting coach will take you to dynasty mode. I. Dynasty Mode Every football fans dream is fulfilled in this mode, as you are the coach of a college football team. You control everything! From the recruiting to the spring drills. You first begin dynasty by choosing a school you want to coach. Following this, you will be brought to the dynasty main menu. Here you are given several options: Preseason options: This allows you to change your schedule and redshirt players. Only avalible before the start of the season. Play Week: Allows you to play your teams game that week. Practice: Practice In-Season Recruting: This allows you to recruit people in season. You pick players based on position and team needs. After targeting your selected players, you will then assign points to them. The more points you assign, the more their interest goes up. Continue this throughout the season to land several high recruits. Obviously, you must be a good team to get the best recruits, if not, then you'll have to settle for the more mediocre ones. The key to recruiting is to look at the players stats. Students from a certain state are more likely to go to the school in that state. ESPN the Mag: Similar to the Newspaper in Campus Legend mode, a breakdown of the notable events in the prior week. Stat Book: General stats of the season, similar to the Computer in Campus Legend mode. Coach Options: Allows you to adjust your strategy, what playbook to use, and preferences on offense and defense. Rosters: Allows you to edit rosters and depth chart changes as well as playbook changes. My NCAA: Similar to the one found in the main menu. As you progress to the end of the season and enter into the offseason, you enter the offseason menu. The first order of business is to set you school budgets. You have 100 points to divide your time between recruiting, training and discipline. Training is training your players to improve their rating and discipline is to help your players to not get game bans. I suggest at least putting 40 points on recruiting and splitting the other two in half. The reason is because this will allow you to recruit better, therefore improving your team and keeping them talented. You next task is players leaving. This consists of trying to keep your non-seniors to stay and showing your senior graduates. You have a set amount of points toward all of your players. The more points you apply, the more you try and convince him to stay. However, choose wisely, as certain players have reasonable backups. The next part is the main part of the offseason, recruiting. This is pretty much the same as in-season recruiting, except with much more players. After players recruiting, you then go to position changes, which is self- explanatory. The spring game is a game between your own team, basically to see who your players are. Following that, you get to see the results of your training. Improvement is based on the amount of points given to that category at the beginning of the off season. Your next thing is to cut players, obviously cut the weaker players. You then set your depth chart and start the new season. If you do well, you'll get the option to extend your contract or leave the school for another one. You can continue to play for 30 years, at which u will then retire. Well there you go. A guide to NCAA Football 07. I hope this helps you with your game and good luck. Till my next guide, take care and aloha! J. Legal Information This FAQ is copyright (c) 2007 bomitsu808. All rights reserved. Copying and/or distributing this FAQ with out permission of the author is illegal. It may not be distributed publicly with out permission from the author. Use of the guide on any website besides GameFAQs.com with out my consent is prohibited and is a direct copyright violation. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. This document is for personal use only.