Way-Too-Uninformed SEC Preview
Article By: What happens when you don't know much about seven of the 16 owners in the Southeastern Conference? You guess—and hope to somehow get it right!
Welcome to the new season of NDL, both new and returning coaches! I'm your conference commissioner this season, and I'm excited to see how this new campaign plays out. We've waited so long for college football to return on the virtual gridiron, and I for one can't wait to watch you guys show why It Just Means More in the best conference in the land.
Let's start with some predictions! I'm sure these will be 100% accurate and there will need to be no second-guessing later on...and we will pretend nobody's played a game yet!
1) Georgia - Dcane
2) Missouri - BigMike
3) LSU - Bucknut
4) Florida - ftbTV
5) Alabama - usmarine7t
6) Oklahoma - BoomerSooner74
7) Texas - BigZZ916
8) Arkansas - BigStimpin
9) Ole Miss - Lambchop99
10) Texas A&M - carnellhsman
11) Auburn - mcx79
12) Tennessee - GarviNole
13) South Carolina - HurricaneFreak305
14) Kentucky - Kegr8er
15) Vanderbilt - Texasfan4444
16) Mississippi State - CJG
This league has some amazing coaches among our OGs, and I expect we will see two of them fighting it out in the SEC Championship with DCane7 and BIGmike squaring off!
Now, before we jump into a few more fun items, I want to remind everyone why we're here. The point of NDL isn't to win, but to have fun and play a simulation-style game. For our newer coaches, this can be an adjustment especially if you come from the world of Madden—where if you aren't employing the latest gimmick plays or nano-blitzes, you're going to get torched by those who do.
The enjoyment of this league comes from the friendships and rivalries we make, but also from out-thinking your opponent rather than out-glitching him. There's a reason your performance on the field accounts for the smallest amount of our 40-40-20 scoring scale, so if you follow these simple pieces of advice you'll do just fine!
1) If you saw a tutorial for it on Youtube, you probably shouldn't do it. "It" can be anything from money plays to nano-blitzes to custom zone schemes. If "it" takes advantage of a flaw in the game, or is guaranteed to work...it will be noted in your coaches report!
2) Moderation. Moderation is key. Moderation in your play calling, moderation in your blitzing, moderation in your routes. Just like a real-life coach wouldn't call the same play five times in a game, you will succeed here if you mix up your plays, call play-action when you've had success running the ball, and use the entirety of your playbook.
3) Taking off with the quarterback should be the last resort, not the second option when the primary receiver isn't open. If nothing's there or you get flushed, that's fine. But rolling out a second after the snap shouldn't be common place.
4) Respect your opponent. This community has lasted as long as it has because we respect one another, both on and off the pitch. If you have an issue with something in-game, pause and communicate with your opponent. If you're up big, don't run up the score and put in backups. We're here to have fun with one another!
If you have any questions at all, my DMs are always open. New and old coaches alike, we're all still getting used to this game and there will be a learning curve after years away from the league. Take feedback with an open mind, and don't hesitate to ask questions if you're unsure about a rule!
Now...for the fun stuff! Here are the two games I'm keeping an eye on as we kick off the season:
WEEK 1 - MIAMI (Dealer4014) vs FLORIDA (ftbtv)
Dealer is one of the better coaches in NDL history, and he's got a very strong squad in Miami. Cameron Ward is one of the top quarterbacks in the game, but there are questions about his offensive line. How will they handle visiting The Swamp and new coach ftbtv? This should be a terrific matchup with speed on both sides of the ball, and it will likely come down to how well Dealer can navigate the effects of home-field advantage and keep his quarterback upright.
WEEK 2 - MIAMI (Dealer4014) vs MISSOURI (BIGmike)
Kudos to Dealer for taking not one but TWO road games in the SEC to start his OOC schedule! This time we have him facing off with the three-time league champion BIGmike and his Missouri Tigers, one of my sleepers of the season. I'm still trying to figure out we let this man get Mizzou at 40, as he's going to be a problem with dual-threat QB Brady Cook and a slew of speedy weapons on offense. The Tigers do have some questions on defense though, and this could be an exciting shootout between two outstanding coaches.
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