The Freshest Show on Turf: A Coaching Dynasty (NCAA 06)

[TylerHL]

Hello OS,

I recently upgraded to a desktop PC and have gotten the PCSX2 emulator up and running. The very first thing I did was download some of the classic NCAA games. My origin to the series was NCAA Football 2002 with Chris Weinke on the cover, and while a classic, it doesn't have a lot of the dynasty features that add depth to the game.

NCAA Football 06 seems to be an all-time favorite for many, with a deep dynasty mode and good gameplay. I was trying to remember if I had played it back in the day, and as soon as the game loaded up and the EA Trax feature of the Pixies "Debaser" came on, the memories came back. Kid version of myself made history playing Race for the Heisman mode as a halfback for the Miami University Redhawks, probably rushing for over 10,000 yards and 100 touchdowns on junior varsity difficulty. It reminded me how fun NCAA can be when you play it as nothing more than a video game, avoiding the 'stuck in limbo of constantly trying to achieve perfect realism by finely tuning every aspect’ version of which I've been guilty. That being said, the style that younger me preferred isn't remotely a challenge and that's what draws me to the game nowadays. In this dynasty I’ll try to find a healthy balance between the two.

With that in mind, I'm excited to try out a coaching career in this game. I've seen that you can move on to bigger schools if you do well, or be fired if your performance isn't up to standards, so coaching contracts will be on from the start. If I get fired, I get fired. I like to keep my dynasties as challenging as possible within reason, and the way I have it set up, it’s not hard for me to lose. It should be a fun grind.

Welcome to the ‘Freshest Show on Turf’.

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Settings

Game: NCAA Football 06
Device: PCSX2 on PC
Quarters: 6 min
Difficulty: Heisman
Coach Contracts: On
Home Field Advantage: On
Injuries: On

Sliders

Offense
QBA: 30/50
PBL: 60/40
WRC: 50/50
RBA: 40/30
RBL: 40/10

Defense
AWR: 20/30
KDW: 50/50
INT: 10/10
BRK: 50/50
TKL: 50/50

Penalties
ALL at 70

I played about ten various games to test NCAA 06 out and these sliders seem to work for me and my playstyle. They're difficult, but not impossible. If I ever feel like the game is consistently and illogically too hard or too easy, I may tweak them a bit here and there.

House Rules

To start out, I'm not going to impose any sort of house rules on this dynasty. Being 'new' to the game, I'm not aware of any recruiting or gameplay cheese yet, which is awesome. If I discover any, I’ll avoid it.

In the more recent NCAA games I would always use the 'watch' feature thru super-sim on user kicking plays because they were automatic otherwise. In 06 that feature isn’t available, but on Heisman difficulty it's hard enough with the timing method that as of now I miss as many as I make.

If anything stands out in the future, I'll revise and add to this.

[TylerHL]

Reserved for User Recaps

[TylerHL]

Reserved for NCAA Recaps

[TylerHL]

Reserved for Dynasty Records

[TylerHL]

Reserved for Dynasty Hall of Fame

[TylerHL]

Since joining Division I-FBS in 1999, the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders and head coach Andy McCollum have compiled a 30-38 overall record with no bowl appearances.

The past three seasons, McCollum has been on a downward trend, posting a losing record in each for an overall record of 13-22. He was recently fired by the Middle Tennessee athletic department as the school now sits comfortably in the NCAA basement as a 1* prestige program.

The Blue Raiders have been consistently below average for long enough, and with the hiring of new head coach Joey Freshwater, they hope to be headed in the right direction.

Freshwater, a mysterious character, is somewhat of a local legend in the southeastern bar scene and has supposed ties to USC offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin.

The young head coach brings a modified Air-Coryell style offense, reminiscent of the ‘Greatest Show on Turf’ era of the St. Louis Rams. Freshwater will utilize a lot of Ace and Shotgun formations to spread the field. Receivers and backs run short to mid outs, ins, zigs, comebacks, and crossing route combinations with an emphasis on short passing to set up plenty of YAC potential.

On defense, the team will primarily run a traditional 4-3, but Freshwater has stated that they will trend towards incorporating multiple looks as the Blue Raiders evolve through recruiting.

The contract is for three years with board expectations of at least one winning season and receiving a bowl bid.

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[TylerHL]

That's all for now. I haven't been this excited to play a dynasty in a long time, if ever. It feels like I just opened a brand new game on Christmas morning going back to NCAA 06.

Shout out to everyone who posts on this site and keeps these classic sports games alive. If you've had a dynasty on these boards the past 5-7 years, there's a good chance I've clicked on it and enjoyed or were inspired by it in some way. I've always been more of a lurker than a poster, but I like checking out what everyone else gets into.

If you do feel ever so inclined to post, go for it! Comments, questions, criticism, and advice are welcome.

Roster preview and team schedule coming very soon.

[Scuzz]

Looking forward to this my guy