Someone please help and explain to me

[learning2fly]

First of all. I am a huge college football fan. I was as excited as hell when I saw this game and read most of your reviews about it. As hard as I'm trying to love it....I don't. Maybe it's just me but the game seems to lack any elements of realism. Yesterday while playing a game as Ohio state against the Cornhuskers we traded td scores of more then 60 yards with less than 1:50 to go in the first half 3 times. I can understand it fluking out and happening once..but three times? On 3rd and 13+ the cpu is 7-10 against my dime deeps zone in converting 1st downs. Also maybe I'm doing not something right but how is it in recruiting the guys who list you as their TOP 1 always end up going somewhere else. After going 12-1 and losing in the NC game the best recruiting class I was able to land in 4 or 5 tries was 14th in the country? What am I missing. Can someone explain this stuff to me?

[Tim Plum]

Moved to proper forum.

[Cooleyvol]

Well, the listing of you as 'Number One' by recruits has A LOT to do with the recruiting service you are using. The quality of your service will determine whether or not you get good information about recruits. You're griping about having the 14th best recruiting class in America? By 'trading three times' do you mean 6 scoring drives, or three? That's possible, and most likely, HAS happened in real life. Now if it happened EVERYTIME, that'd be an issue, but the randomness of college football, and this game, are real life facts of life.

[Dirk9827]

II endorse the statements of Cooleyvol, statistical probability is the key element in this discussion. While it may improbable that two defensive-minded teams exchange three long scores in a single contest, it is not impossible. Look at major league baseball. A triple play is an extremely rare event. A triple play that isn't a fluke -- i.e. a base running gaffe or hard line drive directly at an infielder on a hit-and-run -- is even more rare, since it requires a ground ball hit hard at an infielder with men on base. Yet, on July 17, 1990 at Boston's Fenway Park the Minnesota Twins turned two (2) triple plays in a single game. Both times there ball was hit hard to the third baseman, who stepped on the bag for the first out, threw to second for the second and the relay to first got the batter. And here's the capper, the Twins lost the game, 1-0! Here is the box and recap from that game: [url]http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/B07170BOS1990.htm[/url] Turning to football, In the 1994 Texas High School Class 5A semifinals, John Tyler led Plano East 41-17 with 2:38 remaining in the contest. Plano East would erase the 24-point deficit with 27 consecutive points in the final 2:38 (they successfully onsides kicked three times in a row, if memory serves correct. Certainly someone on this board has all the facts of that game) to take a 44-41 lead with 22 second remaining. Following the score, Plano East kicked the ball deep and it was returned 93 yards for the score by John Tyler's Roderick Dunn. Game over, 48-44 for John Tyler. Now what is the probability of this taking place in state semifinal between two of the finest high school teams in the country? If such a thing happened in a computer game you'd scream, "That would never happen!" It was arguably the greatest high school football game of all time. Finally, the 14th best recruiting class is a terrific achievement. The margins between the 14th best recruiting class and the top recruiting class isn't huge by any means. Certainly, the difference between No. 5 and No. 14 would be inconsequential. Look at major college football, UCLA has top classes consistently and still doesn't always mean on-field success. Dirk

[learning2fly]

Really confused Ok...I agree on the not impossible thing. But it's not impossible to get struck by lightning either however I haven't seen it happen to anybody. You found it in a high school game and that's great....I would love to see how many times it's happened in a major college football game. Bare in mind the longest kick return on this series of scores was like 24 yards..... All three drives went the length of the field. 2ndly- Like I said 14th isn't that bad, and I agree 5-14th won't show much of a difference. However, when you go 12-1 and lose in the NC...and you are a recruiting power like Ohio State is....and it takes 4 or 5 trieds to land in the top 25 I find that to be rediculous. I'm not asking for someone to make excuses for the game. I'm asking someone to explain to me if I missing something.

[Cooleyvol]

You're not missing anything.

[starca]

[QUOTE=Cooleyvol]You're not missing anything.[/QUOTE] LOL! Well stated Mark!

[btmlltt]

[QUOTE=learning2fly]But it's not impossible to get struck by lightning either however I haven't seen it happen to anybody.[/QUOTE]I have. Seriously.

[Miral]

I'll address a few of these. Firstly, the recruiting rankings are somewhat imprecise, its really a judgement call. More importantly you have to take two factors into account: 1. How experienced at recruiting are you? That's not a knock on you, its a serious point. This is a very complicated part of the game, with a ton of guess work and a lot of luck. (The Top One item you mention is a part of this, it only means you are [B]one[/B] of the top ones as far as I can tell). 2. How many of the top recruits you were going after were in your region, versus say the west or southeast? You always stand a better chance of landing guys closer to home, even as a big power. As far as the long pass things go, I think there's too much of an opportunity still for the offense to drive down the field in the closing minutes, but its not out of the realm of possibility. Look at the Rutgers/Arizona State bowl game last year with them tossing bombs all game long, and more particularly, look at the Cowboys loss to the Redskins on two late game deep balls, that game alone is why everyone was saying Dallas needed free safety help in this year's draft..

[GeoWar]

Some coaches recruit top talent - Others recruit talent to fit their system. That is what separates college and pro ball. The offenses and defenes of the college game are great. The coaches must adjust from the Veer, Wing-T, Flexibone, I-pro, I-Power, I-option, West Coast, Strong and weak, The Spreads and tight formations... The Wishbone Speed option will return with athletic RB's (possibly HS QB's) passing on sweeps. But some TOP college programs do not have top rated recruiting classes. So 14th is great if the pieces fit and you can win some games. If they don't then "look for another coaching job". .