Can the AI run option against you?

[Frank the Tank]

Played a game vs. GT this evening, anticipating the challenge of stopping their attack. Josh Nesbitt's stats were 16 carries for minus 42 yards. Taking out my 2 sacks, it was about 14 for minus 30. Every time they tried to run option, my outside defenders just swarmed him, and being the Miss St Bulldogs, it wasn't because of their overwhelming quality. I even had my game plan set to conservative (take the pitch man, leave the QB) all game in the hope he would be a threat, but it never even came close to happening.

I was playing AA level with the sliders leaning pretty heavily to improve the AI running game, too, I think their run block was at 75 or so, my shed run blocks around 25.

Is this typical with the experience of others?

[BlastX21]

Yep. Just played GT in my Wake Forest dynasty. GT had 20 rushes for -15 yards.

[Exonerated]

Sometimes. I lean more often to no. The QB is always in the 'protect ball' animation.

[TheCreep]

Not really. I'm using Eastern Michigan and I played a game against the Army. They didn't really have any success running the option.

I cant recall the name, but another team I played actually tore me a new one with the option. It looked funny though because the ball would shoot out from the QBs hands when he got wrapped up.

[Frank the Tank]

Actually their run blocking was on 85, my rush defense on 20. I thought that would be ample to allow a decent running game against me.

[davep]

That's disappointing to hear...I'll try a game tomorrow. They've never really gotten the option right in all these years.

[Frank the Tank]

Quote: Originally Posted by davep

That's disappointing to hear...I'll try a game tomorrow. They've never really gotten the option right in all these years.

Cool, let us know what happens. Though based on what everyone has said, I probably can guess. Though I was running the option back at them pretty well with the Bulldogs. Wasn't exactly a fair fight, however, since when you reduce GT to handoffs to the fullback and passing, they don't have much. I'll guess I'll try not to schedule those flexbone teams when I start my dynasty.

[bcruise]

I've found Heisman to be the only level where the CPU even has a chance of running the option successfully (and that's against itself). I'm no expert on this, but it seems like the problem lies in one of two places - either the QB is making a poor decision on what to do with the ball, or the OLB responsible for reacting to the play guesses right far too often. Most of the time it will be that LB making the play as he reads the QB's decision perfectly.

Even on Heisman I see total game rushing totals in the negatives occasionally - that cannot happen, no matter what team it is.