ok let me show you what i dont know. how do you use a RB for running plays and then make sure he is out for pass plays. where and how do you do that?

Posted by CoachSpud on 6/5/2025 12:44:00 PM (view original):

Posted by katzphang88 on 6/5/2025 4:25:00 AM (view original):

Posted by rudyrude9 on 6/3/2025 4:02:00 PM (view original):
Also set your fatigue levels at 90% for most positions. The worse coaches in this game are always playing guys while they are tired.

Your studs can drop to 85% in a must win situation.

My experience in many divisions at many teams is that stamina is only used in this game for substitutions and does not affect attributes.

If that is true, then the best substitution strategy is to start your best lineup and set everyone to 60%. If that is true, you have a scoop!

(Edited to read 60%)

I ran a team at Clemson. Had 30 + recruits in one class so could pack a bunch of FR together and concentrate on the best with a bunch of sims. Used only one QB for SG so he was in for all passes and running. I charted him and my best WR's as they were all set at 60%. The QB would typically play into the 50% range for fatigue. Ran for over 1200 yards and threw every other down as a senior and won the Heisman. Best WR also played into the 60%. Charts indicated NO differences in effectiveness in 1st/3rd qtr stats to 2nd/4th qtr stats.
I didn't care about building underclassmen attributes, didn't care about whiney seniors in the small classes. Played for success every four years for about 5 cycles. I noted this lack of depreciation of attributes each cycle.

I'm going to give you some "alternate" advice on one item and reinforce some advice on others:
1. WE: In your situation, forget about it. Or at minimum, change your requirement to something like 25.
2. Potential: Same thing...don't worry about it too much. Take some L or even VL guys who have solid core attributes.
3. For each position: Focus on only 2 or 3 attributes. Example: OL: STR, BLK RB: STR, SPD, ELU

You can change this approach as you learn and get better, but at the moment (especially with WE at 50) you are by-passing a bunch of guys who are already really good and the players you do recruit won't get to that level in 3 or even 4 years.

In the end, the PLAYERS matter much more than the PLAYS. You cannot out gameplan an opponent who is vastly superior in talent.

NOTE: Use the GUESS formulas and reports as your best measure of successful recruiting and roster building. With that in mind there are certain break points in talent that you need to understand:
TEAM GUESS Rankings of:
1-5: These are the teams most likely to play for a NC.
6-10: Certainly good teams, and can win a NC if luck falls their way.
11-20: Second tier and have no chance at a NC. Probably will get smoked by the top 1-5 teams. On a given day can beat a 6-10 team.
21 and beyond: You suck and need to improve. Cannot beat 1-10 and will struggle against 11-15. Might compete against 16-20.

NOTE 2: Define your team identity....pass happy? 3 yards and a cloud of dust? Da bomb? Bubble screens? How about your defense? LBs are cheap and plentiful. Good DBs are very hard to find. DLs are simply expensive.

Posted by harriswb3 on 6/7/2025 11:10:00 AM (view original):
I'm going to give you some "alternate" advice on one item and reinforce some advice on others:
1. WE: In your situation, forget about it. Or at minimum, change your requirement to something like 25.
2. Potential: Same thing...don't worry about it too much. Take some L or even VL guys who have solid core attributes.
3. For each position: Focus on only 2 or 3 attributes. Example: OL: STR, BLK RB: STR, SPD, ELU

You can change this approach as you learn and get better, but at the moment (especially with WE at 50) you are by-passing a bunch of guys who are already really good and the players you do recruit won't get to that level in 3 or even 4 years.

In the end, the PLAYERS matter much more than the PLAYS. You cannot out gameplan an opponent who is vastly superior in talent.

NOTE: Use the GUESS formulas and reports as your best measure of successful recruiting and roster building. With that in mind there are certain break points in talent that you need to understand:
TEAM GUESS Rankings of:
1-5: These are the teams most likely to play for a NC.
6-10: Certainly good teams, and can win a NC if luck falls their way.
11-20: Second tier and have no chance at a NC. Probably will get smoked by the top 1-5 teams. On a given day can beat a 6-10 team.
21 and beyond: You suck and need to improve. Cannot beat 1-10 and will struggle against 11-15. Might compete against 16-20.

NOTE 2: Define your team identity....pass happy? 3 yards and a cloud of dust? Da bomb? Bubble screens? How about your defense? LBs are cheap and plentiful. Good DBs are very hard to find. DLs are simply expensive.

GUESS is fun to look at but I just won my 9th championship in Stagg in 10 seasons with an average GUESS rank of 10.7 over the 10 seasons. I'd also contend you are very wrong on giving the advice you gave on points 1 & 2 of this post.

You are right though that players are much more important than plays.

Posted by ricemt28 on 6/9/2025 3:19:00 PM (view original):

Posted by harriswb3 on 6/7/2025 11:10:00 AM (view original):
I'm going to give you some "alternate" advice on one item and reinforce some advice on others:
1. WE: In your situation, forget about it. Or at minimum, change your requirement to something like 25.
2. Potential: Same thing...don't worry about it too much. Take some L or even VL guys who have solid core attributes.
3. For each position: Focus on only 2 or 3 attributes. Example: OL: STR, BLK RB: STR, SPD, ELU

You can change this approach as you learn and get better, but at the moment (especially with WE at 50) you are by-passing a bunch of guys who are already really good and the players you do recruit won't get to that level in 3 or even 4 years.

In the end, the PLAYERS matter much more than the PLAYS. You cannot out gameplan an opponent who is vastly superior in talent.

NOTE: Use the GUESS formulas and reports as your best measure of successful recruiting and roster building. With that in mind there are certain break points in talent that you need to understand:
TEAM GUESS Rankings of:
1-5: These are the teams most likely to play for a NC.
6-10: Certainly good teams, and can win a NC if luck falls their way.
11-20: Second tier and have no chance at a NC. Probably will get smoked by the top 1-5 teams. On a given day can beat a 6-10 team.
21 and beyond: You suck and need to improve. Cannot beat 1-10 and will struggle against 11-15. Might compete against 16-20.

NOTE 2: Define your team identity....pass happy? 3 yards and a cloud of dust? Da bomb? Bubble screens? How about your defense? LBs are cheap and plentiful. Good DBs are very hard to find. DLs are simply expensive.

GUESS is fun to look at but I just won my 9th championship in Stagg in 10 seasons with an average GUESS rank of 10.7 over the 10 seasons. I'd also contend you are very wrong on giving the advice you gave on points 1 & 2 of this post.

You are right though that players are much more important than plays.

"I'd also contend you are very wrong on giving the advice you gave on points 1 & 2 of this post"

This comment is in response to: "1. WE: In your situation, forget about it. Or at minimum, change your requirement to something like 25. 2. Potential: Same thing...don't worry about it too much. Take some L or even VL guys who have solid core attributes."

You both are better owners than I am - of that I have no doubt. But as someone who is still new and learning the game...why can't you both be right?

ricemt, you know exactly how a player is going to progress based on his WE and his potential. You can see a player card after an AC scout and you KNOW where that player will end up. You know that a player with 60 WE and H potential can end up exactly 1 point better than the 33 WE player with L potential who looks like a stud right now. That is advanced stuff - like heavily advanced stuff. Being able to see a player that no one else would recruit and just KNOW he will be a top 10 player in his class? That's hard to do. You can do it, but most people can't.

What harriswb3 is saying is a much easier learning curve. If you grab the #1 OL at D2/D3 who has L potential and a 35 WE, and you play him every game of his career? There's a damn good chance he's still an overall top 10 OL when he's a senior. Rice, you could absolutely find someone who will be better when he plays every game of his career. I can't. Most can't. I think you are both 100% correct, but until you can fully understand the development curven that you (ricemt) have mastered, then sometimes going for the best possible players regardless of their WE/POT is an easy way to learn AND get better.

Will you be the best? No.

Will you find diamonds in the rough that no one else sees? No.

Will your team get better and compete after 4'ish years? Yes.

Please don't take this as any disrespect. I fully understand and appreciate that you are better than I am. I'm merely throwing out a third opinion as someone who is taking any and all advice to try and be better at this game. I truly feel like the ricemt method, once you fully understand the development curve based on pot/we is the way to field great teams. But as someone who is trying to do that, I am 6 months in and only just on the fringe of understanding how that works. The best available players regardless of we/pot is also an option and I don't think folks should dismiss it. Particularly when they're just starting.

Posted by frankum on 6/13/2025 11:20:00 PM (view original):

Posted by ricemt28 on 6/9/2025 3:19:00 PM (view original):

Posted by harriswb3 on 6/7/2025 11:10:00 AM (view original):
I'm going to give you some "alternate" advice on one item and reinforce some advice on others:
1. WE: In your situation, forget about it. Or at minimum, change your requirement to something like 25.
2. Potential: Same thing...don't worry about it too much. Take some L or even VL guys who have solid core attributes.
3. For each position: Focus on only 2 or 3 attributes. Example: OL: STR, BLK RB: STR, SPD, ELU

You can change this approach as you learn and get better, but at the moment (especially with WE at 50) you are by-passing a bunch of guys who are already really good and the players you do recruit won't get to that level in 3 or even 4 years.

In the end, the PLAYERS matter much more than the PLAYS. You cannot out gameplan an opponent who is vastly superior in talent.

NOTE: Use the GUESS formulas and reports as your best measure of successful recruiting and roster building. With that in mind there are certain break points in talent that you need to understand:
TEAM GUESS Rankings of:
1-5: These are the teams most likely to play for a NC.
6-10: Certainly good teams, and can win a NC if luck falls their way.
11-20: Second tier and have no chance at a NC. Probably will get smoked by the top 1-5 teams. On a given day can beat a 6-10 team.
21 and beyond: You suck and need to improve. Cannot beat 1-10 and will struggle against 11-15. Might compete against 16-20.

NOTE 2: Define your team identity....pass happy? 3 yards and a cloud of dust? Da bomb? Bubble screens? How about your defense? LBs are cheap and plentiful. Good DBs are very hard to find. DLs are simply expensive.

GUESS is fun to look at but I just won my 9th championship in Stagg in 10 seasons with an average GUESS rank of 10.7 over the 10 seasons. I'd also contend you are very wrong on giving the advice you gave on points 1 & 2 of this post.

You are right though that players are much more important than plays.

"I'd also contend you are very wrong on giving the advice you gave on points 1 & 2 of this post"

This comment is in response to: "1. WE: In your situation, forget about it. Or at minimum, change your requirement to something like 25. 2. Potential: Same thing...don't worry about it too much. Take some L or even VL guys who have solid core attributes."

You both are better owners than I am - of that I have no doubt. But as someone who is still new and learning the game...why can't you both be right?

ricemt, you know exactly how a player is going to progress based on his WE and his potential. You can see a player card after an AC scout and you KNOW where that player will end up. You know that a player with 60 WE and H potential can end up exactly 1 point better than the 33 WE player with L potential who looks like a stud right now. That is advanced stuff - like heavily advanced stuff. Being able to see a player that no one else would recruit and just KNOW he will be a top 10 player in his class? That's hard to do. You can do it, but most people can't.

What harriswb3 is saying is a much easier learning curve. If you grab the #1 OL at D2/D3 who has L potential and a 35 WE, and you play him every game of his career? There's a damn good chance he's still an overall top 10 OL when he's a senior. Rice, you could absolutely find someone who will be better when he plays every game of his career. I can't. Most can't. I think you are both 100% correct, but until you can fully understand the development curven that you (ricemt) have mastered, then sometimes going for the best possible players regardless of their WE/POT is an easy way to learn AND get better.

Will you be the best? No.

Will you find diamonds in the rough that no one else sees? No.

Will your team get better and compete after 4'ish years? Yes.

Please don't take this as any disrespect. I fully understand and appreciate that you are better than I am. I'm merely throwing out a third opinion as someone who is taking any and all advice to try and be better at this game. I truly feel like the ricemt method, once you fully understand the development curve based on pot/we is the way to field great teams. But as someone who is trying to do that, I am 6 months in and only just on the fringe of understanding how that works. The best available players regardless of we/pot is also an option and I don't think folks should dismiss it. Particularly when they're just starting.

Taking the best available player regardless of potential can work as long as you get high enough average WE's. Cebrake wins a lot of national championships taking just the best player available and not bothering with either WE or Potential.

The best way to build dominant teams is to understand recruits growth trajectories and money ball your recruiting approach. It's not hard to acquire the data if you take 6 or so seasons charting all your recruits at each level.

Posted by ricemt28 on 6/16/2025 1:59:00 PM (view original):

Posted by frankum on 6/13/2025 11:20:00 PM (view original):

Posted by ricemt28 on 6/9/2025 3:19:00 PM (view original):

Posted by harriswb3 on 6/7/2025 11:10:00 AM (view original):
I'm going to give you some "alternate" advice on one item and reinforce some advice on others:
1. WE: In your situation, forget about it. Or at minimum, change your requirement to something like 25.
2. Potential: Same thing...don't worry about it too much. Take some L or even VL guys who have solid core attributes.
3. For each position: Focus on only 2 or 3 attributes. Example: OL: STR, BLK RB: STR, SPD, ELU

You can change this approach as you learn and get better, but at the moment (especially with WE at 50) you are by-passing a bunch of guys who are already really good and the players you do recruit won't get to that level in 3 or even 4 years.

In the end, the PLAYERS matter much more than the PLAYS. You cannot out gameplan an opponent who is vastly superior in talent.

NOTE: Use the GUESS formulas and reports as your best measure of successful recruiting and roster building. With that in mind there are certain break points in talent that you need to understand:
TEAM GUESS Rankings of:
1-5: These are the teams most likely to play for a NC.
6-10: Certainly good teams, and can win a NC if luck falls their way.
11-20: Second tier and have no chance at a NC. Probably will get smoked by the top 1-5 teams. On a given day can beat a 6-10 team.
21 and beyond: You suck and need to improve. Cannot beat 1-10 and will struggle against 11-15. Might compete against 16-20.

NOTE 2: Define your team identity....pass happy? 3 yards and a cloud of dust? Da bomb? Bubble screens? How about your defense? LBs are cheap and plentiful. Good DBs are very hard to find. DLs are simply expensive.

GUESS is fun to look at but I just won my 9th championship in Stagg in 10 seasons with an average GUESS rank of 10.7 over the 10 seasons. I'd also contend you are very wrong on giving the advice you gave on points 1 & 2 of this post.

You are right though that players are much more important than plays.

"I'd also contend you are very wrong on giving the advice you gave on points 1 & 2 of this post"

This comment is in response to: "1. WE: In your situation, forget about it. Or at minimum, change your requirement to something like 25. 2. Potential: Same thing...don't worry about it too much. Take some L or even VL guys who have solid core attributes."

You both are better owners than I am - of that I have no doubt. But as someone who is still new and learning the game...why can't you both be right?

ricemt, you know exactly how a player is going to progress based on his WE and his potential. You can see a player card after an AC scout and you KNOW where that player will end up. You know that a player with 60 WE and H potential can end up exactly 1 point better than the 33 WE player with L potential who looks like a stud right now. That is advanced stuff - like heavily advanced stuff. Being able to see a player that no one else would recruit and just KNOW he will be a top 10 player in his class? That's hard to do. You can do it, but most people can't.

What harriswb3 is saying is a much easier learning curve. If you grab the #1 OL at D2/D3 who has L potential and a 35 WE, and you play him every game of his career? There's a damn good chance he's still an overall top 10 OL when he's a senior. Rice, you could absolutely find someone who will be better when he plays every game of his career. I can't. Most can't. I think you are both 100% correct, but until you can fully understand the development curven that you (ricemt) have mastered, then sometimes going for the best possible players regardless of their WE/POT is an easy way to learn AND get better.

Will you be the best? No.

Will you find diamonds in the rough that no one else sees? No.

Will your team get better and compete after 4'ish years? Yes.

Please don't take this as any disrespect. I fully understand and appreciate that you are better than I am. I'm merely throwing out a third opinion as someone who is taking any and all advice to try and be better at this game. I truly feel like the ricemt method, once you fully understand the development curve based on pot/we is the way to field great teams. But as someone who is trying to do that, I am 6 months in and only just on the fringe of understanding how that works. The best available players regardless of we/pot is also an option and I don't think folks should dismiss it. Particularly when they're just starting.

Taking the best available player regardless of potential can work as long as you get high enough average WE's. Cebrake wins a lot of national championships taking just the best player available and not bothering with either WE or Potential.

The best way to build dominant teams is to understand recruits growth trajectories and money ball your recruiting approach. It's not hard to acquire the data if you take 6 or so seasons charting all your recruits at each level.

GUESS is a gauge. That is all it is.

My advice is "counter" to all the other advice he was getting for a reason. That reason is....I believe he is having trouble recruiting the right players. And if he follows the "conventional advice", he will be competing against all the other coaches following the same approach. Everyone wants the top rated player, who also has 100 WE and is VH potential. The truth is that only ONE coach will get that player. Meanwhile, many coaches abandon high rated players who have low POT and/or WE and those players can be had for cheap.

My advice is/was for his situation...not someone who is contending for a NC already. Make things more "simple" and improve a little bit while learning.

This is the "caveat" that I added to my "counter advice".

"You can change this approach as you learn and get better, but at the moment (especially with WE at 50) you are by-passing a bunch of guys who are already really good and the players you do recruit won't get to that level in 3 or even 4 years."

It's cool if you think I'm wrong, but I wanna make sure this advice is taken as it was intended and doesn't get further confused by the "normal" advice and thought pattern.

Mgambi, "recruiting from the hip" can be daunting. I have a simple spreadsheet that might help organize the big picture, as well as track your recruits progress during their career. It's not as detailed as the next guess reports, but it can certainly be used alongside it. The thing i have is more of a snapshot, but I'm learning who is growing, who will grow based on WE/Potential and who will be a high position valued bandaid with Low potential and low WE. Just a tracking tool, nothing fancy, but the numbers do eventually paint a picture.
site mail me your email and I'll send you a copy.
Tex_holdem, Rockne, DII, Gannon CIAA conference. (Use world overview on home page to locate)
formerly known as IBstrummin many years ago.

Posted by harriswb3 on 6/7/2025 11:10:00 AM (view original):
I'm going to give you some "alternate" advice on one item and reinforce some advice on others:
1. WE: In your situation, forget about it. Or at minimum, change your requirement to something like 25.
2. Potential: Same thing...don't worry about it too much. Take some L or even VL guys who have solid core attributes.
3. For each position: Focus on only 2 or 3 attributes. Example: OL: STR, BLK RB: STR, SPD, ELU

You can change this approach as you learn and get better, but at the moment (especially with WE at 50) you are by-passing a bunch of guys who are already really good and the players you do recruit won't get to that level in 3 or even 4 years.

In the end, the PLAYERS matter much more than the PLAYS. You cannot out gameplan an opponent who is vastly superior in talent.

NOTE: Use the GUESS formulas and reports as your best measure of successful recruiting and roster building. With that in mind there are certain break points in talent that you need to understand:
TEAM GUESS Rankings of:
1-5: These are the teams most likely to play for a NC.
6-10: Certainly good teams, and can win a NC if luck falls their way.
11-20: Second tier and have no chance at a NC. Probably will get smoked by the top 1-5 teams. On a given day can beat a 6-10 team.
21 and beyond: You suck and need to improve. Cannot beat 1-10 and will struggle against 11-15. Might compete against 16-20.

NOTE 2: Define your team identity....pass happy? 3 yards and a cloud of dust? Da bomb? Bubble screens? How about your defense? LBs are cheap and plentiful. Good DBs are very hard to find. DLs are simply expensive.

Yeah…have to weigh in with a diff opinion as well on GUESS ratings..certain roster builds or mix will lower your ratings e.g. I use converted WR at TE a lot..they do well catching the ball but always are terrible ranked GUESS TE..there are also some primaries in Guess I don’t follow. Eg STR for DB..could care leas

I would also focus on WE and potential at every level now.

So i have to replace 25 plays one year and the next year i have to replace like 18 I guess there is no way to compete every year like that. this is 3 years from the class of 25 and i did ok out of playoffs in round 2. Ill just keep working to see if my players get better