Syracuse Playbook

[jspray34]

Im loving this playbook! anyone who used the NO Saints Pb in madden 2010 give it a look as it is almost a play for play carbon copy.

[georgiafan]

what is making this playbook so great? whats some of the formations?

[King10Sooted]

I started a dynasty with Cuse. I like Penn States playbook better, but that is probably just cause I use them a lot. I dont see anything extremely awesome about Syracuse's playbook though.

[Glenn33]

Quote: Originally Posted by georgiafan

what is making this playbook so great? whats some of the formations?

It's a Pro Style playbook and pretty varied. If you run Pro style offense this PB is the most versatile.

[jspray34]

Quote: Originally Posted by georgiafan

what is making this playbook so great? whats some of the formations?

Gun Tight
Ace Bunch
Strong Close - Hb off tackle
ace tight slots
gun 5 wide
gun spread
gun split offset

[deaduck]

I'm now using it in season 2 of my Teambuilder dynasty and I like it alot.

Much more of a power running game with scapel passes. Fits my personel/philosophy much better than the couple of others I tried last year.

I can chew the clock up when I get a lead and force the CPU teams to moving into a come from behind attempt at a passing game agianst my stingy 3-3-5 D.

[Pogo27]

Syracuse's playbook had been my favorite for a while, but I've just changed over to Tulane's playbook.

Here are the formations.
Syracuse Formations
Tulane Formations
Both playbooks

Ace Big
Ace Big Twins
Ace Bunch
Ace Slot
Ace Slot Flex
Ace Tight Slots
Ace Twin TE Slot
Ace Y-Trips

I-Form Normal
I-Form Tight
I-Form Twins
I-Form Y-Trips

Shotgun H-Wide
Shotgun Normal
Shotgun Normal HB Wk
Shotgun Normal Y-Flex
Shotgun Split Offset
Shotgun Spread
Shotgun Tight
Shotgun Trey Open
Shotgun Trio HB Wk
Shotgun Wildcat (Wild Stallion/Wild Wave)
Shotgun Wing Trio Wk
Shotgun Y-Trips

Split Normal

Strong-I Close
Strong-I Normal
Strong-I Slot
Strong-I Twins

Weak-I Normal
Weak-I Twins



The difference on the strong/weak formations for Syracuse and Tulane is hardly anything. There's not a lot of difference between Twins and Slot, Close and Normal, just spacing. Close is probably a better outside run form than normal, while normal is better for the inside run game. The difference between Weak-I normal/twins only affects the passing game.

As for the regular I-Form, the formations are all the same, except Tulane has one additional playbook.

The Ace formations aren't really your power run formations, and I have a tendency to stay out of Ace-Form except for on 3rd and medium, where I'm either passing or running a draw. I'm not really running out of these forms (other than the draw). And when I am passing, I'm going with high percentage passes. The wide receivers are on the roster for those times I take a shot down the field with play action. Other than that, I don't generally have more than two WRs on the field. I prefer having a TE and a FB, and am completely satisfied completing a pass to either of these for a little 7 yard gain.

Syracuse has a lot more shotgun options, but to me, all shotgun formations are basically the same. I will run shotgun in 3rd and long situations or if I'm having a particular problem with pass protection, but you can't run very effectively out of the shotgun, so I don't feel you have enough balance here.

Both playbooks have a Wildcat formation, which if you do intensive formation subs for, is one of the absolute best running formations in the game. Depending on your personnel, this is either a power run or a speed run formation. Syracuse's Wild Stallion formation has 5 plays. Tulane's Wild Wave formation has the same 5 plays, plus a 6th one. The extra play Tulane has (QB Screen) is easily significantly better than the other 5. It's not a run play, but falls under the category of high percentage completions...and is capable of breaking off a huge run after the catch.


The deal break for me though is the Split formation. The split formation may be the absolute most balanced formation in all of football. Basically, for those that don't know, take a normal I-Form, with the one WR, one TE, fullback and halfback. Now, take the halfback, keep him the same distance back from the line of scrimmage, but line him up behind the left tackle. Now move the fullback back to this distance and line him up behind the right tackle. The tight end lines up on the fullback side.

This formation is an excellent way to make use of a talented, athletic fullback. Now, you're lacking some of the up-the-middle power run game, but don't be fooled, you can still run it up the middle. And the Power-O just outside the tackle works well. In fact, Power-O arguably works better out of this formation because your FB is closer to the edge and can pick up a blitzing DB or LB getting around the edge, not to mention the TE is over here helping. There are also a couple plays designed to hand off to the FB. You can do a lot of damage on the ground with this formation, though as I said, it's not quite as powerful as the various I-Forms in terms of pure power running.

But the split formation gets its power from it's balanced. What the split formation lacks in power, it makes up for in the passing game. The split formation (and various different WR/TE combos and alignments that go with the split backs) is extremely popular in West Coast offenses that implement running backs who are good receivers. By lining up where they do, the backs put themselves approximately 3 yards closer to the edge. When they come out of the backfield on pass plays, they're 3 yards ahead of where they would've been had you lined up in straight I.


For me, I'm taking Tulane over Syracuse for the one extra I-Form, the one extra Wildcat play, and the Splitback set.

[Joshua1207]

I gotta say, USC's playbook is the best pro-style.