MINNing For Gold | Minnesota Golden Gophers (NCAA Football)

[mattynokes]

MINNing For Gold

Game: NCAA 12

Platform: PS3

Quarter Length: 10 Minutes

Difficulty: Heisman

Rosters: luvtotha9s

Sliders: SECElit3's Zero Based

After a hiatus, I’m back to playing football, but can’t get into my Western Colorado dynasty on PS2 like I was in the past, so I’ve moved back to the PS3. As shown above, I’m still on NCAA 12. I know many people have found issues with the game, but I’ve found with SECElit3’s Heisman Sliders and my own house rules (below), it makes for an enjoyable and realistic game.

Before I went back to PS2 late 2013, I had been playing a Washington State dynasty on NCAA 12. Due to prestige being able to be easily raised by mid-major schools, I’ve found the real rebuilding challenge lies in low prestige BCS/Power 5 conference schools. As I have done for awhile, I sim out five years, only recruiting, and then start playing once all of the real players are out of the game (2016 in this case) and play each game myself. I was back-and-forth on whether I should post this dynasty or not, but after reading through LopaKa’s dynasty, I think I’ve found what I want. I love playing each game myself, but get bogged down with posting results of every game. I like the season preview/review idea and think this can be very exciting to see how the rebuild of Minnesota turns out.

[mattynokes]

HOUSE RULES

1) Adjust depth chart for CPU pre-game.

2) No switching players on offense or defense after the snap.
- Screens and option plays are excluded

3) Option run plays must be ended (dive, run out of bounds) when you see the DB/LB glitch.

4) Whenever you suspect the CPU will attempt a ridiculous FG...

Spoiler

- Pause and switch teams
- Click to super sim, but cancel super sim
- This should automatically have a FG called, but you being in control of the CPU team. Wait for delay of game, offsides, or false start.
- Pick appropriate play. Punt for them or lock on the Center and do nothing if going for it.

5) Rolling the clock is not allowed until there's under 4 minutes in the 4th quarter.
- If you are up by 25+ points, you may roll clock during the 4th quarter as long as you stay up by at least 25 points.

6) "Aggressive" Strip is not allowed, except for onside kicks.

7) If facing an option team, switch their playbook to the generic "Run Balanced", and switch it back after the game.

8) Players being changed from DB to LB (or LB to DB) will receive the following:
-2 Str, -2 Tak, -2 Pow, -2 Bsh, -2 Mcv, -2 Zcv, -2 Prs

9) K --> P or P --> K position changes will receive the following:
-2 Kpw, -2 Kac

10) Suspension/Injury Rolls
- Use www.random.org/ to see if a player gets a suspension or (for OL/DL only) an injury.

Spoiler

Suspensions

Step 1

Infraction or None?
1 = Infraction
2 = None
3 = None
4 = Infraction
5 = None

Step 2

Team Rules, Academics, or NCAA Rules?
1 = Team Rules
2 = Academics
3 = NCAA Rules

Academic suspension rolls are only valid before Week 1 and Bowl Week (simulating summer semester and end of fall semester). If #2 is rolled any other week, they are considered “None”.

Players with 75+ AWR are exempt from Team Rule violations and players with 85+ AWR are also exempt from Academic violations.

Step 3

Team Rules
1 = 1 Game
2 = 2 Games
3 = 3 Games
4 = 1^st Quarter
5 = 5 Games

Academics
If Week 1 = Regular Season + Conf Championship
If Bowl Week = Bowl Game

NCAA Rules
1 = 1 Game
2 = 2 Games
3 = 3 Games
4 = 5 Games
5 = 1 Game
6 = 2 Games
7 = Season

Step 4

Enter -5 to 105 in random number generator to figure out which player is in violation. If unused number turns up, keep rolling until used number is rolled. Even if the player is injured or redshirting, they will be suspended. -5 and 105 are used so jersey numbers 1 and 99 are not the extreme ends of the number roll.

Step 5 (Academics Only)
A player must be cleared to return from an academics suspension. He will have as many tries as there are semesters left before the next football season starts. i.e. if he’s suspended for the bowl game, he would have spring and summer semester to become eligible once again. If the player fails to return, he is to be cut in the off-season (if he’s suspended for the regular season, he would have 3 chances to return).

Player Returns?
1 = Yes
2 = No

Injuries – Rolled after every game, only for OL/DL

Step 1

Injury or None?
1 = None
2 = Injury
3 = None

Step 2

Injury Length
1 = 1 Week
2 = 2-3 Weeks
3 = 4-5 Weeks
4 = 6+ Weeks (Max of Season Ending)
5 = 1 Week
6 = 2-3 Week
7 = 4-5 Week
8 = Season Ending
9 = 1 Week

Step 3

Enter -5 to 105 in random number generator to figure out which player is in violation. If unused number turns up, keep rolling until used number is rolled. If the player is redshirted, he cannot be injured. If the player is already injured, it will add-on to his existing injury. -5 and 105 are used so jersey numbers 1 and 99 are not the extreme ends of the number roll.

Step 4

Player Returns?
1 = Yes
2 = No

i.e. #3 is rolled

The player will be injured a minimum of four weeks. Then a roll will determine if he returns or not before the fifth week. After he is injured five weeks, he is set to return without needing a roll to clear him.

RECRUITING RULES

1) Can’t cut scholarship players.
- Walk-ons and transfers can be cut

2) Can’t talk anyone rated 90+ from leaving early.

3) Recruiting restrictions:

Spoiler

- Anyone in-state
- Anyone interested
- Anyone one star above prestige
- Must be four star prestige to recruit uninterested, out-of-state four star prospects
- Can only attempt to sway Average and Above Average topics
- Cannot attempt to sway any topics on visit weeks for that prospect

[mattynokes]

Minnesota Golden Gophers Season Records

Year	Rating	Rank	Record	Conference	Bowl Game	Opponent	Outcome
2011	81	NR	6-7	2-6	Military Bowl	Western Michigan	L 27-48
2012	83	NR	4-8	2-6	No Bowl Game
2013	84	NR	3-9	1-7	No Bowl Game
2014	81	NR	7-6	4-4	Texas Bowl	Kansas	L 24-35
2015	83	NR	4-8	1-7	No Bowl Game
2016	84	18	9-4	6-2	Gator Bowl	Florida	L 35-43 (3 OT)
2017	86	NR	8-5	5-3	Gator Bowl	Mississippi	L 20-38
2018	84	NR	8-5	5-3	Insight Bowl	Iowa State	W 45-10
2019	83	NR	11-2	7-1	Fiesta Bowl	Oklahoma	L 21-26

2011-2015 were simmed, only recruiting during those years
The year links to first post of the season

[mattynokes]

Reserved #2

[mattynokes]

Recruiting Classes

2012 Minnesota Golden Gophers Recruiting Class (#89) - [13]
Position	Rating	Rank	Overall	Player	Hometown
CB		42	565	Andy Copeland	Castro Valley, CA
TE		44	760	Marlon Nichols	Zephyrhills, FL
FS		28	832	Antoine Robinson	Coon Rapids, MN
CB		73	877	Jeff Harvey	Duncanville, TX
DE		91	950	Sawyer Johnson	Beloit, WI
T		45	1009	Todd Tremblay	Shenandoah, IA
T		46	1022	Jason Parham	Roseville, MN
OLB		80	1179	Michael Thornburg	Rochester, MN
SS		45	1199	Mike Irvin	Aspen Hill, MD
G		73	1206	Graham Connor	Columbia Heights, MN
DE		116	1215	Randy Mayes	Grand Forks, ND
DT		93	1285	Blake Rice	Clearwater, FL
TE		76	1466	Kevin Jensen	Mason City, IA
2013 Minnesota Golden Gophers Recruiting Class (#94) - [12]
Position	Rating	Rank	Overall	Player	Hometown
TE		24	544	Patrick Simmons	Oakes, ND
CB		45	570	Mike Henley	Beaumont, TX
DT		38	603	Evan Robertson	Oak Park, MI
TB		88	762	Jeremy Jamison	Charleston, IL
QB		44	771	Ryan Allen	Wharton, TX
DE		80	802	Kevin Peoples	Lakeville, MN
FS		25	814	Brian Mitchell	Alliance, NE
OLB		57	815	Dan Edwards	Pierre, SD
G		74	1199	Dustin Alexander	Princeton, IN
OLB		104	1329	Marcus Keyes	Peterborough, ON, CN
TE		55	1504	Eric Jordan	South Sioux City, NE
P		17	1936	Clint Cooper	Katy, TX
2014 Minnesota Golden Gophers Recruiting Class (#84) - [17]
Position	Rating	Rank	Overall	Player	Hometown
WR		55	339	Eric Gardner	Butte, MT
WR		79	450	Mike Freeman	Cadillac, MI
DT		47	672	Clayton Evans	Sheboygan, WI
CB		55	736	Ricky Kiniry	South St. Paul, MN
K		6	763	Ron Goff	Port Arthur, TX
QB		56	825	Elgin Baker	Allouez, WI
G		49	869	Evan Jude	Winnipeg, MB, CN
SS		32	954	Tyler Smith	Terrell, TX
CB		104	1093	Todd Edwaeds	Beloit, KS
MLB		49	1119	David Harris	Lisbon, ND
OLB		96	1248	Cedric Jackson	Brookfield, WI
OLB		147	1637	Mark Dawson (So)	North Fort Myers, FL
OLB		167	1789	Donny Hawkins	Port Lavaca, TX
T		110	1847	Tamati Pelu	Arden-Arcade, CA
P		16	1926	Christian Lane	Springfield, IL
FB		9	2360	Travis Norman	Joliet, IL
FB		24	2478	Willie Hardy	East Lansing, MI
2015 Minnesota Golden Gophers Recruiting Class (#72) - [16]
Position	Rating	Rank	Overall	Player	Hometown
TB		41	288	George Hill	South St. Paul, MN
WR		66	336	Brian Roberts	Roseville, MN
WR		71	350	Kyle Smith	Vidor, TX
DE		32	396	Maurice Cox	Mandeville, LA
CB		47	558	Alex Arnold	Boca Grande, FL
CB		77	888	Sam Romero	Silas, AL
QB		64	989	Matt Treangen	Wichita Falls, TX
MLB		53	1023	Jason Jones	Farmington, MI
TB		114	1101	Johnny Berry	Denton, TX
DT		83	1250	Lawrence Richardson	Fort Worth, TX
DE		118	1256	Matt Walker	Converse, TX
CB		119	1263	Derrick Walker	Waxahachie, TX
G		77	1378	Sean White	Titusville, FL
TE		57	1476	Eric Johnson	Watertown, WI
T		81	1478	George Smith	Menasha, WI
T		116	1785	Patrick Lewis	Paris, TX
P	TR	Jr	N/A	David White	Greater Northdale, FL / Indiana
2016 Minnesota Golden Gophers Recruiting Class (#99) - [11]
Position	Rating	Rank	Overall	Player	Hometown
CB		25	343	Jermaine McBride	San Jose, CA
TB		40	382	Brandon Sanders	Brooklyn Center, MN
WR		117	675	Nick Culp	Fair Plain, MI
TE		50	928	Kyle Odom	Bethel, AK
DT		73	943	Dave Hawkins	Brookfield, WI
MLB		70	949	Josh Cabral	Muskego, WI
SS		35	1066	Don Cannon	Shields, MI
ATH		78	1226	Steve Walker (So)	Hastings, MN
OLB		123	1635	Steve May	Hastings, MN (Walk-On)
G		123	1843	David McGee	Brooklyn Center, MN
T		122	1897	Ben Reid (So)	East St. Louis, IL
OLB	TR	Sr	N/A	Johnny Golden	Buena Vista, MI / Michigan State

[mattynokes]

ESPN College Football Preseason Preview

Rk Team Rk Team Rk Team Rk Team Rk Team 1 Auburn 6 Michigan 11 Alabama 16 Stanford 21 North Carolina 2 Oregon 7 Florida State 12 Boise State 17 Washington 22 Southern California 3 Penn State 8 Oklahoma 13 Oklahoma State 18 Notre Dame 23 Iowa 4 Georgia 9 Louisiana State 14 Texas Christian 19 Maryland 24 Mississippi 5 Florida 10 Texas A&M 15 Texas 20 Miami 25 North Carolina State 5

Rank	EAST	OVR		Rank		WEST	OVR
1		99		1			92
2		92		2			95
3		99		3			94
4		92		4			86
5		84		5			84
6		84		6			84

[mattynokes]

2016 PREVIEW
OVERALL: 84 -- PRESTIGE:

QUARTERBACKS

After three years in the program, Allen gets a chance to shine. He has a good arm and is mobile enough to make something happen when the pocket breaks down. Baker and Treangen are run first signal callers who will play the waiting game behind Allen.

RUNNINGBACKS

Many thought George Hill would have an early impact after being labeled a four-star prospect. However, so far his development has come along slowly and the Golden Gophers will feature a three-headed attack. Jamison is a shifty, elusive back who looks to get the bulk of the carries. Norman, a former fullback, is a power runner who looks to get third down duties. H-Back Nichols should see plenty of carries as he’s the best short yardage runner.

RECEIVERS

The receiving corps is mostly stock full off possession receivers and it all starts with Patrick Simmons, who returns as the go-to target. Jensen probably has the best hands on the team and will have a lot of plays designed for him. Sophomores Gardner and Freeman will battle it out for the #2 WR spot, still neither are deep threats. The deep threat comes from even more youth, redshirt freshman Roberts.

OFFENSIVE LINE

The line is pretty experienced, returning four starters, three of them seniors. This is a high quality unit who should guide a wide open running game. Pelu will also see plenty of action at right tackle on spread formations.

Minnesota Offense (82)
Multiple: Pistol - Shotgun - I Form
Pos.	Player	Year	Rating
QB	Ryan Allen	Jr	80
QB	Elgin Baker	So	74
QB	Matt Treangen	R-Fr	67
TB	Jeremy Jamison	Jr	80
TB	Travis Norman	So	77
TB	George Hill	R-Fr	69
TB	Johnny Berry	R-Fr	67
TB	Brandon Sanders	Fr	63
TB	Christian Lane	So	67
H-B	Marlon Nichols	Sr	77
H-B	Willie Hardy	So	73
H-B	Kyle Odom	Fr	66
WR	Patrick Simmons	Jr	82
WR	Eric Gardner	So	76
WR	Mike Freeman	So	76
WR	Brian Roberts	R-Fr	74
WR	Kyle Smith	R-Fr	71
WR	Nick Culp	Fr	65
TE	Kevin Jensen	Sr	78
TE	Eric Jordan	Jr	75
TE	Eric Johnson	R-Fr	62
LT	Evan Jude	So	77
LT	David McGee	Fr	58
LG	Todd Tremblay	Sr	88
LG	George Smith	R-Fr	68
C	Graham Connor	Sr	89
C	Ben Reid	So	67
C	Sean White	R-Fr	66
RG	Dustin Alexander	Jr	83
RG	Patrick Lewis	R-Fr	66
RT	Jason Parham	Sr	85
RT	Tamati Pelu	So	70
K	Ron Goff	Jr	91

DEFENSIVE LINE

The front four are probably Minnesota’s deepest unit from top to bottom. They have a good mix of youth and veteran experience. Edwards and Mayes are the top two pass rushers while upperclassmen Johnson and Robertson add fantastic depth.

LINEBACKERS

This unit is pretty underrated. Thornburg may be the best overall linebacker with his ability to play in any variety of situations. Dawson is a great linebacker is his own right, however he isn’t as consistent as you’d like to see in run support. The depth will not miss a beat with Michigan State transfer, Johnny Golden. His transfer also sparked the decision to Etienne Sabino Harris, so that he should be projected for one year of starting

SECONDARY

There are a lot of bodies fighting for time at corner, but that will likely have to wait until 2017 and the duo of Harvey and Copeland are very good. The two shutdown corners has resulted in Coach Nokes opting for more Man-to-Man coverages rather than his usual Cover 3

SPECIAL TEAMS

Thanks to Indiana transfer David White, Minnesota features some of the best kicking specialists in the nation. Both he and Goff feature strong, accurate legs. Cooper doesn’t have the placement of the other two, but does have a good leg and is set to be the kickoff specialist. In the return game former high school punter Christian Lane (yes, that is not a typo) will share kick return duties with George Hill. It took Lane a couple of seasons, but he’s finally learning how to use his 4.3 speed on the football field. In the punt return game, many figured speedster Brian Roberts would take the honors, but Brian Mitchell has shined and will get first dibs.

Minnesota Defense (85)
Scheme: 4-3
Pos.	Player	Year	Rating
LE	Dan Edwards	Jr	81
LE	Maurice Cox	R-Fr	71
RE	Kevin Peoples	Jr	81
RE	Sawyer Johnson	Sr	80
RE	Matt Walker	R-Fr	67
DT	Randy Mayes	Sr	84
DT	Blake Rice	Sr	82
DT	Evan Robertson	Jr	81
DT	Clayton Evans	So	77
DT	Lawrence Richardson	R-Fr	67
DT	Dave Hawkins	Fr	66
SLB	Marcus Keyes	Jr	79
SLB	Donny Hawkins	So	70
SLB	Josh Cabral	Fr	67
MLB	Mark Dawson	Sr	82
MLB	Cedric Jackson	So	75
MLB	Jason Jones	R-Fr	68
WLB	Johnny Golden	Sr	84
WLB	Michael Thornburg	Sr	81
WLB	David Harris	Jr	73
CB	Jeff Harvey	Sr	86
CB	Andy Copeland	Sr	85
CB	Mike Henley	Jr	81
CB	Ricky Kiniry	So	77
CB	Todd Edwards	So	75
CB	Sam Romero	R-Fr	71
CB	Jermaine McBride	Fr	71
CB	Derrick Walker	R-Fr	69
CB	Steven Walker	So	69
FS	Antoine Robinson	Sr	83
FS	Brian Mitchell	Jr	80
FS	Alex Arnold	R-Fr	73
SS	Mike Irvin	Sr	82
SS	Tyler Smith	So	76
SS	Don Cannon	Fr	67
P	David White	Jr	94
P	Clint Cooper	Jr	83

2016 Schedule

Week 2	Vs	86
Week 3	At	70
Week 4	Vs	75
Week 5	Vs	99
Week 6	Vs	59
Week 7	At	84
Week 8	At	95
Week 9	Vs	94
Week 10	At	92
Week 11	Vs	86
Week 12	At	92
Week 13	Vs	86

[Gronk4M13]

Definitely following, great so far.