Chapter 2: Top 25 Profiles

This section provides team profiles of the top 25 college football teams, as rated by NCAA 08. Each profile includes statistics for impact players, 2006 on the field statistics, and analysis. Also, note that all teams possess Goal Line and Hail Mary offensive formations in their offensive playbooks.

Players are rated in several different categories—there are even more ratings in NCAA Football 08 than previous seasons (such as Hit Power, Press, and Release). The list below reveals the statistics and their descriptions.

• Overall (OVR) - The overall rating for the player. The higher the better!
• Speed (SPD) - How fast the player can run.
• Strength (STR) - The player's strength, which affects his ability to break tackles.
• Agility (AGI) - The player's agility, enhancing his ability to switch directions.
• Acceleration (ACC) - How fast a player reaches full speed. Great for sprinting through open holes in your line.
• Awareness (AWR) - A player's ability to react and adjust. High awareness generally comes with more experience.
• Break Tackle (BTK) - The player's ability to break tackles.
• Trucking (TRK) - Player's ability with the truck stick.
• Elusiveness (ELU) - Likely the ability to escape tackles (or perhaps sacks). This is a key statistic for running backs, receivers, and quarterbacks.
• BC Vision (BCV) - Ball carrying vision: ability to spot the open field. This is a key statistic for running backs.
• Stiff Arm (SFA) - Player's ability with the stiff arm maneuver.
• Spin Move (SPM) - Player's ability with the spin maneuver.
• Juke Move (JKM) - Player's ability with the juke move.
• Carrying (CAR) - How well the player holds onto the football. A higher rating means the less chance of a fumble.
• Catching (CTH) - How well the player can catch. A higher rating means fewer drops.
• Spectacular Catch (SPC) - A player's ability to make a spectacular catch.
• Catch in Traffic (CIT) - How well the player can catch the ball and maintain possession in tight coverage.
• Route Running Rating (RTE) - How well the player runs the play's passing route.
• Jumping (JMP) - The player's ability to jump, such as for grabbing high passes.
• Throw Power (THP) - How far a player can throw the ball.
• Throw Accuracy (THA) - How accurate a player throws.
• Tackle (TAK) - A player's ability to tackle.
• Hit Power (POW) - The strength of the player's hit, which can determine the success of a tackle or the possibility of a fumble.
• Power Moves (PMV) - Look for high power moves in defensive linemen. Power Moves is the ability to power through the block.
• Finesse Moves (FMV) - Similar to power moves but it's the ability to spin or swim around blocks.
• Block Shedding (BSH) - How well the player can shed a block.
• Pursuit (PUR) - Skill in finding and pursuing the ball carrier—likely laterally. For instance: a linebacker moving down the line to cut off the ball carrier.
• Play Recognition (PRC) - The ability to recognize plays. This is a defensive player skill that would seem to be tied into play action passing as well as recognizing the same play calls.
• Man Coverage (MCV) - Skill of the defender in man coverage.
• Zone Coverage (ZCV) - Skill of the defender in zone coverage.
• Press Rating (PRS) - Ability of defender in press coverage.
• Release Rating (RLS) - Ability of receiver to release from press coverage.
• Pass Block (PBK) - How well a player pass blocks.
• Run Block (RBK) - How well a player run blocks.
• Impact Blocking (IBL) - Would seem to be the blockers ability to make a leveling "impact" style block.
• Run Block Strength (RBS) - How well the player run blocks.
• Run Block Footwork (RBF) - How well the player maintains footing during a run block.
• Pass Block Strength (PBS) - How well the player pass blocks.
• Pass Block Footwork (PBF) - How well the player maintains footing during a pass block.
• Kick Power (KPW) - A kicker's power. Higher power means longer kicks.
• Kick Accuracy (KAC) - A kicker's accuracy.
• Return (RET) - Skill of the player as a punt or kick returner.
• Stamina (STA) - The player's stamina level. The higher the rating, the more the player can be in the game before he becomes fatigued.
• Injury (INJ) - The likelihood of an injury. The higher the rating, the less likely a player will get injured.
• Importance (IMP) - The player's importance to his team.

#1 - USC Trojans

• '06 Record: 11-2 (Beat Michigan in Rose Bowl)
• Conference: Pac-10 (7-2, 1st)
• '06 Offensive Passing Stats: 14th (263.9 yards per game)
• '06 Offensive Rushing Stats: 68th (128.0 yards per game)
• '06 Defensive Passing Stats: 64th (204.8 yards allowed per game)
• '06 Defensive Rushing Stats: 9th (91.1 yards allowed per game)
• Offensive Playbook: Ace Big, Ace Big Twin WR, Ace Twin TE WR, Ace Normal Slot, Ace Slot Strong, Ace Trips Bunch, Ace Spread, Empty 5WR, I-Form Normal, I-Form Twin WR, I-Form Big, Split Backs Normal, Strong I Normal, Strong I Twin WR, Weak I Normal, Weak I Close
• Defensive Playbook: 4-3

Impact Players

Impact defender ROLB #55 leads the USC defense, arguably the strongest in NCAA Football 08.

The 2006 USC Trojans looked to be headed to another BCS Championship game until the squad suffered a devastating 13-9 upset loss to bitter rival UCLA. The then two loss Trojans were on the outside looking in as Florida was given the chance to compete for the title. But last year's painful defeats could be turned into this year's success: the USC Trojans are stacked with 15 returning starters led by one of the top QBs in NCAA 08.

The team ratings speak volumes: a collection of A+ and 99 grades propel USC (and adjacent Michigan) to a clear step above the other top 25. Defensively, the Trojans are fiercely stout; impact players ROLB #55 and LE #96 are two of the best in the game. If there's a team weakness, albeit a small one, it will be the Trojans replacing a WR tandem that left for the NFL. It's a small one. This team is tops in the game.

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