NCAA Football 10 Guide

All I can say is, it's about darn time.

Most of us at IGN are rabid sports fans, but football has a special place in this guide writer's heart, regardless of level. The NFL has excitement from the draft, trades, and multi-million-dollar contracts, but the NCAA has excitement from the purity of the sport and the passion of the players. Fight songs and school-specific cheers and mascots give the NCAA atmosphere that, simply put, will never be found in the professionals.

This atmosphere is brought very well to NCAA Football 10, but you must remember not to lose sight of the rules of the game. Besides, nothing gets the crowd hotter than a few big plays and their school's name in a January game!

In NCAA Football 10, you have many roles to play: you can be a head coach, worrying about who to scout and recruit to make your school (and your job!) secure for years. You can be the on-field coach and all players as you have since football videogames came into existence. You can be a single player, starting in some no-name school and rising through the ranks of a college to become a Heisman Trophy winner with a high GPA. And, for the first time in the series, you can be an athletic director as you craft a school, complete with its own colors, logo, and stadium. No matter what hat or helmet you're wearing, IGN is here to give you tips and ideas to help you succeed!

In this NCAA Football 10 strategy guide, you'll find:

• BASICS // Tips on other modes in the game, from Dynasty to Team Builder, plus info on when you should go for a two-point conversion.
• OFFENSE // Everyone is more comfortable when the ball is in their hands. Check this section out for some basic offense tips.
• DEFENSE // Just because the opponents control the tempo of the game doesn't mean you can rest easy. Defense is arguably tougher than offense, so check out this section for some ideas and formations tips.
• SPECIAL TEAMS // Even though we all want to believe we'll never have to punt or kick field goals, the truth is that using our kickers and punters is often a smart play. We'll give you some tips here on using them effectively.
• THE END GAME // When the game is on the line and there are only a few minutes left, what do you do? Check this section out for some help.
• TEAM RANKINGS // Check out the top 25 teams based on a variety of categories, in case you don't want to bother building up a team and just want to jump straight into some online matches!

Guide by: Jon "PyroFalkon" Habib