Beating Alabama

[themick074]

Any strategies for how to stop their run? Attack them on defense?

[nyqua]

Re: Beating Alabama

Don't be scared of their ratings. I beat them 40-10 and 48-10 as PSU in my dynasty in back-to-back years.

Hope for lots of turnovers, that's mainly how I won that big.

[Eagles931]

Re: Beating Alabama

Don't be scared of their ratings. I beat them 40-10 and 48-10 as PSU in my dynasty in back-to-back years.

Hope for lots of turnovers, that's mainly how I won that big.

Well thats no surprise, look who you beat them with lol

[Icefist]

Re: Beating Alabama

If you mean offline, just use an aggressive defense, I think the best defense is the 4-2-5 if you have a good safety to stop the deep pass, and try to win the time of possession battle. If you mean online, you pretty much just need to be better than your opponent or get some lucky turnovers. Once again, I think a 4-2-5 would help a little. A good person playing with Bama is pretty hard to beat without abusing the game.

[Trichgator]

Re: Beating Alabama

bama was very tough for me to beat on all-american with the gators. usually ran a 4-3 or 4-2-5 on defense.

was down 10-0 at halftime (the crowd level was ridiculous at the start). came back to win 17-16.

ingram and richardson are tough to stop, especially if you have to leave julio jones 1-1 with your cb.

[pdiehm]

Re: Beating Alabama

Bama beat me 17-14. I couldn't run the ball one iota against their D.

Their LB's have superhuman powers. 3 jumped up, with their backs to the QB and all got 1 handed no look interceptions...and the DB who was toasted by 15 yards, managed to close 15 yards to the WR, and miraculosly snag a 1 handed interception.

More on the DB...they were playing press...he missed the Jam on #7 for PSU. the instant I saw that, I lofted a pass deep down field. The safety rotated over to the other side of the field for double coverage. So, it was nothing...literally. 40 yards down the field, had a 15 yard cushion, and the DB managed to get that back, and pick it off with 1 hand.

Nope. CPU doesn't have any cheats or speed bursts in this game!

[mbmonk]

Re: Beating Alabama

Any strategies for how to stop their run? Attack them on defense?

The general answer to stopping the running game is 1) defensive gap integrity + knowing your assignments 2) bringing another safety down into the box or 3) run blitzing

If you are unfamiliar with defensive gap assignments then google and read up on it.

1) I like running the 4-3 because the defensive lineman are only responsible for 1 gap. So it's pretty easy to see what gaps the lineman are responsible and then the linebackers are responsible for the other gaps. So for example the right defensive end lines up just outside the offensive tackle his job is to attempt to stop any run outside the offensive tackle, he is not responsible for a run to the inside of the offensive tackle. So knowing and executing the assignment for the D Line will go a long way to stopping the run.

You might have to move the player manually to get him in the correct gap before the snap. One example of this is your nose tackle. The computer, in a 4-3 under, will sometimes line up the NT over the center, but the NT is really responsible for the gap to the right of the center. So I will manually move his fat *** over there because normally the center will block him before the NT can get to his assigned gap. If fat boy doesn't get to his assigned gap you have a hole for the RB to go through. So gap integrety (covering your gaps) is huge when stopping the run. Also on goalline defense I will manaully move people to their gaps because FB gut runs are very fast to develope and you defenders need to be in their gaps from the get go.

2) So what if you are doing everything you can to maintain defensive gap integrety and they are still just whipping you butt running the ball. Well at that point you have to bring another safety down into the box. So you are going to start calling Cover 3 and cheating your safety down or call Cover 1 and creep your safety down into the box. There are numerous versions of cover 1 so I won't go over them here.

3) Run blitzes. This all comes down to personal preference but I will call run blitzes. In general I will call a zone blitz that sends both corners to stop or force any outside run back to the inside. Since the outside runs are going to be the corners responsibility the D line will pinch ( cover the inside gaps ) to help stop any runs to the inside. I will also use the corner blitzes for other things but you get the general idea.

Hope that helps

Note 1: I personally use the 4-3 Under formation because I know it the best. I know who is supposed to cover a particular gap and I know how to adjust the defense to handle many of the offensive formations.

Note 2: If you run a 3-4 it can be harder to tell what gaps the lineman are responsible for. Some 3-4 schemes have the lineman accountable for 2 gaps. So for example the NT is responsible for the gap to the left AND right of the center. It is a little harder for me to read that. So I like the 4-3 because it's simple. THIS guy is responsible for THIS gap, bottom line end of story. So for me it's just simpler to understand and thus simple to execute.

[TDTGodfather]

Re: Beating Alabama

aggressive 4-2-5 is the way to go.

didn't stop them from 3 count 'em 3 TD's with richardson breaking away from 3+man gang tackle to bust out long scores.

complete BS.

beat 'em 27-24.....with LSU.

[TheLeviticalLawKid3]

Re: Beating Alabama

Although some of their fanbase and the ratings say differently, 'Bama is in fact a human team. They're not perfect on the game by any means. Get pressure on McElroy, and Ingram usually bounces to the outside...tear him to pieces with a LB.

I dominated them in the first half until their defense came out of nowhere in the third quarter and stepped up. Still, ball control and keeping it away from the offense while getting chunks of yardage is the way to go.

I have beaten them twice now...with Auburn.

[Husker88Chief]

Re: Beating Alabama

How I beat them 38-24 on AA:

Using Nebraska, I put my Safety at OLB (Nebraska's Peso Package) and used a combination of 4-3, Nickel Blitzes and 4-4. I would slide my line one direction, and take the DE and patrol the other side of the line.

Offensively, it's all ball control. Establish the run. Use formation subs to cycle in 3 HBs in different sets.

[bigdee33]

Re: Beating Alabama

I beat Alabama on All American with my Teambuilder team 35-28. The game was registered as a classic game. My teambuilder team's overall rating is about at 90. They run a run and shoot offense and 3-3-5 defense. I blitz the heck out of McElroy on defense and scorched their defense with the deep ball. It can be done

[bigmixx]

Re: Beating Alabama

I beat em 29-27 on All American with Miss. State. I couldn't run the ball at all. Think I ended up -12 rushing yards but I was able to pass the ball fairly easy. Defensively I used a combination of 4-3 and nickel. I blitzed the heck out of them and doubled Julio in every passing situation. I turned it over 5 times. They took 3 ints to the house and 2 fumbles led to FGs. I held them to 66 yards rushing and 148 yards passing.

[themick074]

Re: Beating Alabama

The general answer to stopping the running game is 1) defensive gap integrity + knowing your assignments 2) bringing another safety down into the box or 3) run blitzing

If you are unfamiliar with defensive gap assignments then google and read up on it.

1) I like running the 4-3 because the defensive lineman are only responsible for 1 gap. So it's pretty easy to see what gaps the lineman are responsible and then the linebackers are responsible for the other gaps. So for example the right defensive end lines up just outside the offensive tackle his job is to attempt to stop any run outside the offensive tackle, he is not responsible for a run to the inside of the offensive tackle. So knowing and executing the assignment for the D Line will go a long way to stopping the run.

You might have to move the player manually to get him in the correct gap before the snap. One example of this is your nose tackle. The computer, in a 4-3 under, will sometimes line up the NT over the center, but the NT is really responsible for the gap to the right of the center. So I will manually move his fat *** over there because normally the center will block him before the NT can get to his assigned gap. If fat boy doesn't get to his assigned gap you have a hole for the RB to go through. So gap integrety (covering your gaps) is huge when stopping the run. Also on goalline defense I will manaully move people to their gaps because FB gut runs are very fast to develope and you defenders need to be in their gaps from the get go.

2) So what if you are doing everything you can to maintain defensive gap integrety and they are still just whipping you butt running the ball. Well at that point you have to bring another safety down into the box. So you are going to start calling Cover 3 and cheating your safety down or call Cover 1 and creep your safety down into the box. There are numerous versions of cover 1 so I won't go over them here.

3) Run blitzes. This all comes down to personal preference but I will call run blitzes. In general I will call a zone blitz that sends both corners to stop or force any outside run back to the inside. Since the outside runs are going to be the corners responsibility the D line will pinch ( cover the inside gaps ) to help stop any runs to the inside. I will also use the corner blitzes for other things but you get the general idea.

Hope that helps

Note 1: I personally use the 4-3 Under formation because I know it the best. I know who is supposed to cover a particular gap and I know how to adjust the defense to handle many of the offensive formations.

Note 2: If you run a 3-4 it can be harder to tell what gaps the lineman are responsible for. Some 3-4 schemes have the lineman accountable for 2 gaps. So for example the NT is responsible for the gap to the left AND right of the center. It is a little harder for me to read that. So I like the 4-3 because it's simple. THIS guy is responsible for THIS gap, bottom line end of story. So for me it's just simpler to understand and thus simple to execute.

excellent. i play on heisman, and have quickly realized that it really is all about clogging the gaps. thanks.

[Toysrme]

Re: Beating Alabama

Bama beat me 17-14. I couldn't run the ball one iota against their D.

Their LB's have superhuman powers. 3 jumped up, with their backs to the QB and all got 1 handed no look interceptions...and the DB who was toasted by 15 yards, managed to close 15 yards to the WR, and miraculosly snag a 1 handed interception.!

All LB's do that, not just Bama's. For that matter every LB since 08 has done that. It's dodgy game code that allows the jump & warp INT's from LB's. Basically that's what you get for throwing around the LB's since 2008.


Online the key is stopping the pass. Most people don't run very well with them & while the speed disparigy is very, very little this year. Undertsand their backs are quite slow. Let the CPU tackle inside the box while you play LB or safety & take away the flats/outside runs by cutting them off. The running game collapses.

If anyone is not good at stopping Bama's running game. You simply don't understand basic defense. Learn to stop the counter, stretch/pitch, ACE-zone (not read), dive, sprint. I-formation ISO. Not very complicated! BAMA lives off the counter. They'll lull you to sleep stopping regular plays & then go 10+ with a good counter.

[Senator Palmer]

Re: Beating Alabama

Note 1: I personally use the 4-3 Under formation because I know it the best. I know who is supposed to cover a particular gap and I know how to adjust the defense to handle many of the offensive formations.

Note 2: If you run a 3-4 it can be harder to tell what gaps the lineman are responsible for. Some 3-4 schemes have the lineman accountable for 2 gaps. So for example the NT is responsible for the gap to the left AND right of the center. It is a little harder for me to read that. So I like the 4-3 because it's simple. THIS guy is responsible for THIS gap, bottom line end of story. So for me it's just simpler to understand and thus simple to execute.

Pete Carroll, is that you?

Seriously, though, good stuff. What position do you manually control on defense?