STOP Making These 12 Mistakes In College Football 26!

TL;DR - The 12 Mistakes Killing Your CFB 26 Game

You're losing games because of these basic mistakes. Not talent. Not skill. Just bad habits.

The Big 12:

1. Ignoring the Defense, Not reading defensive fronts before the snap
2. Default Pass Protection, Letting the game set your protection automatically
3. Ignoring Your Halfback, Blocking him for no reason instead of using routes
4. Bad User Choices, Using defensive linemen or blitzing with your user
5. Predetermining Throws, Deciding where to throw before making reads
6. Self-Defeating Route Combos, Routes running into each other
7. Wasting Routes, Streaks with no purpose
8. Wasting Pre-Snap Time, Not using your adjustment window
9. Scrambling Mistakes, Rolling out wrong direction, tapping turbo
10. Not Clicking On, Letting CPU control catches
11. Clock Management, Bad timing decisions losing games
12. Having No Scheme, Calling random plays instead of a system

Fix these. Win more games. It's that simple.

Why Does Reading the Defense Before the Snap Matter So Much?

Defense can destroy your play before the ball is ever snapped. It's because you're not paying attention at all to what the defensive front looks like.

Before every single snap on offense, ask yourself:

• What do I think they're doing?
• Do I need to change anything about my play?

RPO Bubble Example

You call an RPO bubble. Should you throw to B?

NO.

Why? B has someone right over him. When you snap this ball, you already know not to throw it. You should audible and change plays.

High Safety Blitz

See that high safety coming down? If you're trying to pass and they're running a blitz, you need to either:

• Be ready to pass the ball really quickly, OR
• Untarget this user defender

That's the difference between getting sacked and scoring a touchdown. That's the difference between winning and losing.

Reading Defensive Fronts

Look at the defensive front. What do you notice?

It's not symmetrical. They're overloaded on the right side.

• Left side: One person around the tackle box: just the left defensive end
• Right side: User, linebacker, defensive end, outside linebacker

What should you do? Slide your line to the right. Use the right stick, click it one time to the right.

Same idea for running. Should you run to the right with all those defenders? Or flip and go left where it's weaker?

Easy peasy.

How Do You Stop Blitzes From Ruining Every Pass Play?

Honest mistake most of you are making every single play. Relying on the game to just set up pass protection for you.

Your offensive line looks like they've never seen a blitz before, even though your opponent has spammed it for 50 plays. Here's how to fix it.

Step 1: Change Your Auto Base Protection

At the beginning of every single game:

1. Click the right stick in on offense
2. Go down to auto base protection
3. Go to empty

This sets every play to empty protection. Those little dotted lines on the offensive line. This is the best base protection in the game.

This does a great job versus stunts. This helps against different blitzes.

This will NOT stop blitzes by itself, though.

Step 2: Look at the Defense Every Play

See the flame icons? Ask yourself. Do I think the flame icons are blitzing?

If yes, change your protection.

Example adjustment:

• There's a user hovering
• Go up on the right stick and put a flame icon over that user
• Flick the right stick to the right for a slide to the right

Just like that, we stop very good pressure that otherwise would ruin our chances.

The System

Take pass protection into your own hands.

It's a combination of:

1. Setting auto protection to empty
2. Looking at the defense every single play
3. Seeing if there are flame icons
4. If there are. Do we think they're blitzing?
5. If we do. Making the needed adjustments

Why Are You Blocking Your Halfback Every Play?

Your halfback is one of your best weapons on offense. Yet so many people treat him like an afterthought.

He can attack the flat. He can go across the field on an in route. Over the middle, these Texas routes are dang near unguardable. If you need to beat man, match, or zone, your halfback's usually the guy.

Stop Blocking Your Halfback For No Reason

If you're blocking the halfback, ask yourself:

• Is he NECESSARY to block whatever the defense is sending?
• Not just a nice add-on, but NECESSARY?

If that's true - awesome. Block him. But if not, you need to take advantage of your halfback going on routes like:

• Streaks
• Flats
• In routes
• Texases
• Speed ins

Your Offensive Line Should Handle Most Pressure

Our goal is that our halfback doesn't have to block. We want our offensive line to ideally block whatever pressure with just five linemen.

Think about it. We could only have five total receivers on routes. If we block our halfback, we're down to just four. That's a huge deal.

This is one free tip on offense. Members get the full offensive scheme with 15+ more plays and setups, updated weekly. → civil.gg/become-a-member

Your Halfback Forces Defensive Adjustments

Your halfback is going to be one of the best players when it comes to making the defense defend underneath.

Putting him on flat routes, in routes. That forces a defense to respect us and adjust to us.

This guy isn't just a random checkdown. He's essential to everything.

If your halfback is catching the ball a ton, that means your offense is likely really high-powered because:

1. Either they never defend your halfback = easy yards consistently
2. Or they overcommit to your halfback and give up things over top like post routes, corner routes

Get your halfback involved. Don't waste him. Don't treat him like a checkdown. Don't block him for no reason.

What Player Should You User on Defense?

You're usering the player that matters the least, and it's letting the offense get easy completions on you.

I see this one of two ways:

• Way #1: Using a defensive lineman
• Way #2: Using a linebacker but then just blitzing with him

Both are terrible. Don't try to find a workaround of user blitzing your linebacker. That's bad.

Why This Is Something We Want To Avoid

There are routes in this game that are very hard to stop. Take a crosser for example. This crosser is very tough.

If you user a defensive lineman, maybe you sack the quarterback, but most likely not. There's not much you can do as a defensive lineman that your CPU defensive lineman can't already do.

But if you user a yellow zone? You can actually see the dangerous route being ran and go user that route and take it away. There's no way to do this if you're on a defensive lineman.

What You CAN Do With Proper Usering

• Stop RPOs, This is how we slow down RPOs
• Get more involved in the run game, If you're on the left defensive lineman and they run right, there's no opportunity to make a play
• Defend RPO routes, Can't defend an RPO bubble or RPO slant from the D-line

If you user a linebacker, ideally in a yellow zone or manned up on the halfback. You can actually make a play and get an interception.

Your user is your number one player to:

• Force turnovers
• Force incompletions
• Stop the run

This guy is important. You have to have him on a yellow zone or somebody manned up on the halfback.

Why Do You Decide Where to Throw Before Reading the Defense?

The Problem: You look at a play and think "I really like this tight end route going over the middle. I'm gonna throw it to him because I think he'll be open."

Even if you complete that pass. You've already made a mistake.

We cannot predetermine where we're going to throw.

You CAN think about where you're going to throw before the snap. That's okay.

But we cannot throw the ball until we actually make the read.

Look at the First Throwable Area First

Where is the first area on the field that can actually get thrown?

Example: You have:

• A crosser from the tight end
• A drag from the right slot

Which one should you look for first?

The drag. Why? Because he's going to get into a throwable area of the field first.

Then make the determination, is he open or not? If not, work to your next area.

You're making a high-low read:

1. Look for the drag quick
2. If he's not there, work above to the tight end crosser

But you only throw that tight end crosser AFTER you make that first read to the drag.

Multiple Read Progression

First throwable area could be:

• Right flat
• Right seam to the tight end streak

Pick one to read first. Let's say tight end first, then flat, then back to the drag on the left.

In your mind, you're already mapping this out:

• Looking at the areas of the field they're attacking
• Know where your eyes are going to go

Ball snaps. Don't like the first read. Don't like the second. Go to the drag.

We never want to say we're throwing this route before the ball is snapped and throw it regardless.

We ALWAYS want to be making reads based on:

• Who's the first throwable receiver?
• Who's next?
• Who's next after that?

Why Do Your Routes Keep Running Into Each Other?

Your offense falls apart if your route combos are bad. A lot of times, people run route concepts that completely destroy themselves.

The Problem: Routes Running Into Each Other

Example play that looks good but isn't:

• Deep in route
• Streak pushing everything deep
• Drag route
• Nice little high low concept

But here's the issue: When you snap the ball, that drag and the zig almost run into each other. They get incredibly close. When you want to throw, they're almost on top of each other completely.

The Rule: Proper Route Separation

For High-Low Reads: 15 Yards of Separation

Example, high low on the left sideline with:

• 5-yard curl route
• Flat route

That defender is defending both on the left side. To make sure the defender has no chance to defend both, we want to go 15 yards.

Now when we snap:

• That defender goes low, we go high
• If that defender went high, we go low

For Horizontal Route Concepts: 5 Yards of Separation

Instead of 15 yards of separation, we want about 5 yards of separation.

If we go to a flat instead of a zig route. That pushes everything to the sideline, opening up this HUGE pocket in the middle.

Notice the massive difference in that pocket. Just a massive, massive difference.

We want to make as much separation between our routes while still attacking similar areas of the field as possible. This makes it where the defense cannot do anything to take it away.

What Routes Are You Wasting on Meaningless Streaks?

Got a clip from a member who was struggling passing. Even when he completed passes, it didn't feel like many things were open.

When I saw this route combo, I got really upset.

The Route Combo That Made Me Mad

From Bunch Tight End:

• B streak on the left
• Tight end streak on the right
• Drag route

Why was I upset?

Problem #1: They're not blitzing and we're blocking our halfback. No reason.

Problem #2: Streaks are usually going to be a clear out route. That B streak on the left? That's a clear out route for deep halves and could be a potential seam throw.

But this tight end streak. What is he clearing out?

Nothing. There's no route attacking underneath him.

What Does This Route Beat?

What is this tight end streak meant to beat? Let's work through it:

Cover 4: Does this guy get open? Very obviously no.

Tampa 2: Is he open? Not really. That's a pretty tight throw begging for someone underneath to jump up.

Cover 3: Nope. That's an interception waiting to happen.

Man Coverage: Do you think this tight end streak beats man? Absolutely no.

There was a wasted route on this play.

This tight end streak is only open if they blow coverage. That's bad.

The Rule: Don't Waste Routes

Don't waste receivers on meaningless routes.

Think about it:

• What is the drag route going to beat? Almost everything
• What did the streak route beat? Nothing

The drag route they have to actually adjust for. That's the key.

Better options:

• Return route. Can get open against a lot
• Any route that has actual purpose

Every single route should have some sort of purpose. If you don't know what the purpose is, that's a bad thing.

How Much Time Do You Actually Have Before the Snap?

This applies to both offense and defense. A lot of people don't realize you have a TON of time before the ball is snapped to make your adjustments.

Defense. You Have More Time Than You Think

I'm going to snap as fast as possible. One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi, four Mississippi.

You have at least four Mississippi to begin making your adjustments on defense.

That means if you want to pinch your defensive line, contain and shade your coverage underneath. You can do ALL of that before the offense can ever snap.

Master These Three Defensive Adjustments:

1. Pinch your defensive line, Left on the D-pad, down on the left stick
2. Contain, Right bumper and left bumper
3. Shade coverage underneath. Y/Triangle, down on the right stick

It's only those three things and you will be done. You'll be set.

Offense. Stop Taking Delay of Games

Obviously you have a ton of time because YOU control when the ball snaps.

But a lot of people take too long to begin making their adjustments.

If you've ever struggled with taking delay of games. It's probably because you don't start making adjustments until too late.

Your first hot route should happen as you break the huddle.

Let's go. First one. Bang. Put the tight end on a streak. Wait a second. Then make the next one. Bang.

You should have a good idea of what hot route you want to make as you call your play. Your plays have setups that you're already familiar with.

Break the huddle and immediately make quick adjustments. Bang, bang. That's two adjustments just like that.

We have to take advantage of the time the game gives us.

Why Does Rolling Out Kill Your Pass Plays?

Everything right, but you roll outside of the pocket for no reason.

There's two main issues I see with people using the turbo button while playing quarterback.

Issue #1: Turbo Creates Faster Sheds

Turbo (right trigger) is going to create sheds faster.

This is a terrible habit:

• We're here
• We press turbo for a sec, we stop
• We press turbo, we stop

It's just going to get you shedded faster. It's going to ruin your pocket. Don't tap turbo at all.

If you ARE going to use turbo, actually hold it and do a consistent roll out all the way to the sideline. Then make your read or throw the ball while on the run.

Issue #2: Rolling Away From Your Routes

Let's take a route combo attacking the middle and the left. Like very obviously this route combo's packed to the left.

A lot of times I'll see people drop back and then roll out to the right.

We don't want to do that unless we have to. If we're going to roll out, we want to roll out the way that our play is going.

Play is going left? Roll left so we can hit people in stride.

When you do scramble, you will a lot of times eliminate the entire other half of the field. If we scramble to the right, it's really hard to throw left. Even if someone's wide open, it gives a defense a ton of time to react and get an interception.

Why Are You Letting the CPU Control Your Catches?

One of the biggest things we can't allow is for the CPU to control one of the most important parts of the game, simply catching the ball.

The difference between catching and not catching is a completion and an incompletion. That often is the difference in touchdowns and not scoring touchdowns.

We want full control over catching the ball because honestly, we're just better at catching than the CPU is.

Control the Catch Point

If a pass is more than 10 yards down the field:

Tap B or Circle while the ball is in air and take control of that receiver

You'll see the reticle light up underneath him when you take control. This lets you come back to the ball.

Select Your Catch Type

Once you've clicked on, choose your catch:

• A or X (PlayStation) = Possession Catch, Just want to get down and avoid contact
• X = RAC Catch, Only if you have clear RAC potential
• Y = Aggressive Catch. Use this a lot if coming back to the ball deep or trying to attack the ball

When you click on to attack the ball, just press the left stick in the direction you want to catch it.

Clicking on isn't always some drastic dramatic thing. It just allows more control. Make sure you catch the ball in stride.

If you've ever had your players jump up while catching on their own, that's because you're not clicking on.

Do not leave this to the CPU. The CPU doesn't know the best catch types. You do.

This is a massive skill gap thing. A great catch is the difference between a drop and a completion. That's winning and losing.

How Do You Control the Clock to Win Close Games?

Games get won and lost because of bad clock management.

Picture this: Opponent gets ball at half. We're down seven with four minutes to go in the second quarter. We're at the 45 yard line. First and 10.

What should be the play call?

The play call every single time is a run because our goal is that he is not able to get the ball back before the half.

First Down: Run to Control Clock

Call a basic run play. Read option. Get a few yards. Second and short is wonderful.

Now we're at 3:37. What's the next play call?

You have more flexibility on second down. Ideally though, go for some sort of short pass. Since second is short and I'm going for it on fourth if needed, I'll go run play again.

Key Rule: Run the Play Clock Down

Do we snap the ball immediately? NO.

Take this play clock ALL THE WAY DOWN. You can:

• Audible around, make it seem like you're doing different things
• Or just sit here and wait

Take this play clock down to underneath 6 seconds. Then snap it. You don't want them to time the snap perfectly.

RPO is a great one. Just something that's going to make sure the play clock keeps going.

Two-Minute Warning Strategy

This play should take us to the two-minute timeout. We need to run this underneath 2:40.

On second and 11, it's important to get first down. Go for a normal pass play. Just don't go for a bomb.

Ideally, get the first or make it a short distance. That drag is fine.

The Goal: Score With 25 Seconds Left

The goal is to score with under about 25 seconds. The closer to zero you can get, the better.

It's just unlikely someone's going to drive the ball all the way down in less than that.

On defense, after this play, you should be calling a timeout. Like 100% timeout right here. CPU won't do it, but you should.

At this point, play offense. Go hurry up. Use your timeouts. Try punching into the end zone.

Why Do You Need an Actual Scheme Instead of Random Plays?

This connects to pretty much every mistake we've talked about. To be successful in any offense or defense. You need to have an offensive and a defensive scheme.

Stop Calling Random Plays

We should NEVER just be calling plays out of coach suggestions.

We never know how good a play is going to be unless:

• We practice it
• We test it
• We're comfortable with it

Same thing an actual quarterback would do in real life. They know the plays. They know the concepts. They know the timing. That comes with reps.

Build Your Core Scheme

Have 3-4 formations with 3-4 plays inside of them that you feel really good about.

One of my favorites is Gun Trips Titan Offset Weak.

We should NEVER be flipping to random formation and going "huh, let's see."

No. We need our scheme already built out to where we're ready to go.

Applies to Both Sides of the Ball

This applies to offense AND defense.

If you want to know some of the best plays you can use that you can apply to your scheme, check out the most unstoppable plays inside of College Football 26.