TL;DR. Here's how to win more games in College Football 27. Win the run game by usering your high safety on the WEAK SIDE and flowing over top. Throw High Balls (LB/L1) to fit tight windows over the middle seam. Shade your coverage aggressive on short downs. Run the 4-2-5 Man Pressure playbook. Stop RPOs with zone and the right defender assignments. Use Stunts to blow up the run. Cut Stick ball carriers to wear them down. And cut every low-percentage play out of your playbook. That's the whole game. Simple stuff you can actually do.
Below is the full breakdown. Every tip stands on its own. Read the one you need.
How Do I Stop The Run In College Football 27?
The run game this year is better than ever. So run defense is critical. Here's the biggest tip.
User the high safety on the WEAK SIDE of the formation. In the demo, this is against a Gun Power Eye Tight look.
Your job is simple. Flow over top to the run.
- Go over the top first
- Then shoot the gap
- You'll either eat a block and free somebody else up. Or YOU make the tackle
Both outcomes are good.
Why The Weak Side Safety?
Most teams have more numbers to one side. That's the strong side. They usually run toward their numbers. So you want to get the weak side guy involved more. He's sitting about 10 yards off. Then flow to the ball.
Best Coverage To Run This From
Cover Four. You're already on that high safety. Good run defense has simple pass defense behind it. You're not blitzing everybody. It's clean.
One Thing To Avoid
Don't get caught in what I call THE MUSH. That mess right in the middle. Stay free flowing. If you have to overshoot one way, float over top and force them back inside. A lot of big runs happen inside.
As you learn your opponent's favorite runs, your path gets better. Say he runs a Draw. You know how it runs. You go down, eat the block from number two, your backer makes the tackle. That's PERFECT.
And yeah. Sometimes they get six or seven yards. But ask yourself: what happens if your user ISN'T there? That's probably a touchdown.
What Is A High Ball And How Do I Throw One?
One of my favorite throws in this game is the middle seam. Post routes, seam streaks. That middle area is somewhere the defense struggles. And if they do defend it? They have to give up something underneath. Easy make-them-choose against zone.
The problem: if you don't throw it right, you're putting the ball close to defenders. That's where the High Ball comes in. All the best passers use them for fitting the ball into tight windows.
What Is A High Ball?
A High Ball gets the ball up above the defender. Where only YOUR guy can get his hands on it. Without it, the ball goes chest level and the defender makes an easy play. (The game will High Ball randomly. Don't rely on that.) With it, your receiver jumps above the coverage to make the catch.
How To Throw A High Ball
Hold LB (Xbox) or L1 (PlayStation). Then throw your pass. That's it.
What To Know Before You Use It
- High Balls are MORE inaccurate than a normal pass, it's a tougher throw
- Your receiver leaves his feet, if he gets hit, he can drop it
- In a tight window, a High Ball can be the difference between an interception and a catch
How I Throw It
Always combine the High Ball with a bullet pass. Hold down the receiver icon, don't tap it.
- Use possession catch when there's a safety above bearing down on your receiver
- Use a standard tap when you have space to work with
The chains keep moving. The defense that was stopping you gets beat. Just by using the High Ball.
How Does Shading Coverage Work In College Football 27?
Picture a standard Cover Three defense. Nothing fancy. You're running a pass play against it. A few things are open right away:
- The flat route, easy completion, easy yards
- The post on the left (X), step up, throw it, it's there
- The Texas route. Not great, but workable
How To Shade Coverage
Hold Left Trigger + Down on the Right Stick to shade underneath. Little icons pop up over every defender. Here's what each shade does:
Shade Underneath:
- Any underneath defender → Ultra Aggressive
- Any deep zone defender → Regular Aggressive
- Result: Everyone plays up, attacks short routes
Shade Over Top:
- Any underneath defender → Ultra Conservative
- Any deep zone defender → Regular Conservative
- Result: Everyone plays back, protects deep
What Shading Actually Does To Routes
Shade Underneath against that same play:
- The post route. Almost an interception now. Dangerous throw
- The flat route. Not a throw anymore. The hook curl defender is right there to pick it
- The Texas route. Actually gets a little more open based on the cut
Shade Over Top against that same play:
- The post route - gone. Underneath zones drop so far back you can't fit that throw
- The flat route - wide open. Conservative gives that up
One Thing To Know
Zone drops will override shading. Even on Ultra Aggressive, if your hook is set to drop 30 yards, he's dropping 30 yards. No matter what shade you're on.
What To Actually Do With This
Leave your zone drops and zone strategy at default most of the time. But don't be afraid to go aggressive here:
- 3rd and 2
- 3rd and 3
- Red zone
Aggressive shade kills those short, annoying underneath throws. And if someone is still moving the ball on you. That's okay, let them. Eventually you're going to get that interception.
What Is The Best Defensive Playbook In College Football 27?
The playbook: 4-2-5 Man Pressure. Here's why this is the one you want. Formation by formation.
4-3 Even 6-1
- Lines up aggressively
- Great pressure
- Every year, the 4-3 6-1 is one of the better formations. This year is no different
- Base run defense comes out of here
4-2-5-3 High
- Brand new formation this year
- Incredibly unique look
- Hot Blitz 3 is pretty good
- Double Cloud, Double Sky, Cover Four Quarters. Some nice options
Nickel 3-3 Cub
- Double Mug
- Load Mug / Load Double Mug (not really run)
- Nickel Over, your traditional base nickel set, 4-2 five look
- Single Mug
- Wide, whenever you get a Wide Nine front, you get really good pass rush
Dime
- Dime Normal
- Dime 3-2
Why This Playbook
You've got a large variety of formations covered:
- Packed-in fronts like the 6-1
- Dimes
- Nickels
- The 4-2-5-3 High, low hybrid
That's why this is the playbook you should be running. Want to see every formation in this playbook: and every other playbook in the game? Go to civil.gg/playbooks.
How Do I Stop RPOs In College Football 27?
RPOs put the defense in a conflict. That's the whole point. But there are ways to slow them down.
The Go-To Method
Run some sort of zone defense. You have more flexibility in zone, and it's the foundation. From there, put someone over the top of the RPO receiver. Bubble, screen, or slant:
- Tap A on the defender you want to assign
- Tap the icon of the RPO receiver
That mans them up and gets them played well. One thing to watch. Leverage. If you assign a defender coming down from the wrong angle, it can still work, but it won't be as clean. Watch where your defender lines up.
Why Your Defender Sometimes Won't Play The RPO
Sometimes the guy you assigned just.. doesn't react. Here's why: the read key defender can never play the RPO. That's just how it works.
You can't see the read key icon on defense. But you can almost always figure out who it is:
- It's the first guy outside the tackle on the halfback side
- OR the first guy outside the tight end on the halfback side
That defender, the R icon, will never chase the RPO. Ever.
The Fix
Make sure the defender you're asking to cover the RPO is NOT that first guy outside the tackle or tight end.
- Move someone else there
- Or assign a different defender to play it
Do that, and you'll be good to go.
How Do I Fix RPO Blocking So My Guys Aren't Unblocked?
Ever run an RPO and watch your guys leave someone completely unblocked: someone they obviously should've handled? Here's how to fix it.
Before you snap, hold Left Trigger to see where your blockers are going. This example is a basic tight end releasing to the flat, but this works for any RPO.
You'll spot the problem fast. A slot corner sitting in a hard flat getting left completely unblocked.
The Fix
- Go up on the Right Stick. That opens the untarget menu
- Use the Left Stick to select whoever you want to remove from the blocking assignment
- Untarget the high safety (a defender you don't care about). Now your line shifts and picks up the corner who was getting ignored
Even if that corner comes down and makes a solid play, at least now you've got hands on him. Where before, you didn't touch him.
How To Read It
- If the outside corner is going to bail deep. Untarget him instead. Don't waste a blocker on someone running away from the play
- If a corner is sitting in a hard flat, you NEED a hat on him, or it's a pick
Football is football, you can miss a block or have a bad block. But the difference between getting hands on a defender and leaving him free is a couple yards gained versus a turnover. This applies to every RPO in the game.
This is one free tip on RPO blocking. Members get the full Fresno State Offensive Scheme with dozens more plays, updated weekly. → civil.gg/become-a-member
What's The Best Screen Pass In College Football 27?
One of my favorite gotcha plays. You can get your opponent with this about once per game. This comes straight from our Fresno State offensive scheme. Every play in that scheme is less than one hot route, and it was labbed with Western Michigan and Hawaii on Heisman against Texas and Ohio State.
How To Find It
- Go into your play type
- Go into Pass
- Go into Screen Pass
The Play: Motion Halfback Swing
As long as you can make the block, they're kind of really good.
One adjustment to make:
- If there's a safety on that side, go up on the right stick and untarget that safety, so you don't ignore that person
- This helps make sure your guys block correctly
Fresno State against Bama. That's as easy of eight yards as you can get. If you have a back who can make someone miss, these screens can have huge results.
Important Note
There's absolutely a thing with slip screens and angle screens, call them too much and the defense catches on. But that doesn't seem to happen with something like a Halfback Swing Screen. So if you can add these to your arsenal, please do.
How Do I Use Stunts To Stop The Run?
Stunts were incredibly good at getting a pass rush last year. This year. Stunts are one of the best ways to stop the run, especially inside runs. You can select stunts on the field or at the play call screen.
How To Call Stunts On The Field
- Flick left on the right stick
- Press right bumper to open stunts
- Use the D-pad to navigate (left one time to get the Texas Fourman)
Stopping Inside Runs. Texas Fourman
Use the Texas Fourman stunt. This gets both edges to loop in. Here's how to read the stunt angles:
- Red angle = fires out first
- Orange/yellow angle = loops behind him
So you end up with two loopers and two fireers. The loopers do a great job getting inside and clogging the hole on the interior.
Stopping Outside Runs. El Paso Fourman
Switch to the El Paso Fourman stunt. These guys loop OUTSIDE. A few things to know:
- Alignment matters here
- If your guy is all the way in, he won't loop very well
- Put him in a normal spot, maybe a three-tech, and he'll try to loop outside and get there
How To Call Stunts At The Play Call Screen
- Hold down the stunt icon
- Your macros pop up first if you set any. Scroll down
- Find and select your stunt (Texas Fourman, El Paso Fourman, etc.)
Example: With Texas Fourman, spread your defensive line and snap against inside zone. The interior gets tough, so they try to go outside. Use stunts to blow up the run.
Should I Cut Stick The Ball Carrier?
Watch my halfback here. No wear and tear on him at all. Here's the thing: if you Cut Stick somebody with the ball, they gain wear and tear at a very increased rate.
The Proof
After one tackle he already had a little wear and tear. One bar gone. Set up the tackle again, Cut Stick him once more, and he goes super worn and torn. Two tackles. From no wear and tear to very worn and torn.
How To Cut Stick
Flick down on the right stick. That's how you get a cut.
Why This Matters
If you get a one-on-one tackle with somebody, it's not a bad idea. You'll really hurt them. Wear and tear somebody and they could be hurt the rest of the game. Losing five, six, seven, eight, nine speed. Quarterbacks lose speed and throw power or throw accuracy and get kind of knocked out of the game.
Which Plays Should I Cut From My Playbook?
One of the biggest tips I can give you. Cut bad plays from your playbook.
What is a bad play? It's a low-percentage play. Low chance it gets positive yards.
Examples Of Bad Plays
- Halfback Toss Split Zone. No pulling guards. Any halfback toss with no pulling guards, don't call it.
- Halfback Zone Toss. Bad play.
- Pitch Wide Receiver Reverse - low-percentage. Best result we got was one yard.
- Fullback Fake Halfback Flip. Classic play, been around for years. But look at the blocking. Leaves a lot of guys unblocked. High percentage? No.
- Every type of halfback counter. Instantly flags my radar. Really slow handoff. Do you want a slow handoff or just better plays?
- Tight End screens. Low play action. Couldn't even throw until way too late. Terrible play. Never call it again.
The Actual Tip
It isn't about these specific plays. It's about identifying the plays that are low percentage FOR YOU. And not forcing them. Just cut them out.
Because for every play you call, you're saying no to calling other plays. You cannot afford to waste a first, second, or third down in this game.
Putting It All Together
None of this is as hard as people make it. Stop the run by usering the weak side safety. Throw High Balls to move the chains. Shade aggressive on short downs. Run the 4-2-5 Man Pressure book. Man up RPO receivers with the right defender. Fix your RPO blocking. Add the Motion Halfback Swing screen. Blow up runs with Stunts. Cut Stick to wear people down. And cut the bad plays.
Simple stuff you can actually do. Go do it.