Intro to NCAA College Football '13

A little background as to why I chose NCAA College Football '13...My husband is obsessed with football in all aspects.  He lives for Husker football and has since he was very young (apparently you're born a fan in Nebraska, whether you like it or not).  I have learned to be a football widow in the fall into the winter as he watches every possible college and professional game available on DirecTV, including the NFL Ticket.  As part of our engagement, it was required that I learn all about the Big 12, including school names, locations, and mascots.  No joke.

When first posed with the challenge of gaming for the month of August, I defaulted to NCAA College Football '13 because I knew Ryan had just purchased it before I left for CadreCamp.  While playing this is required for class, I think it's also required for me to further understand what draws my husband in for hours at a time.  I know he loves to play the game as if he were the actual players, but he loves the complexity of the game too.  I wanted to understand this.

First time playing...Last night was NCAA College Football 101.  Ryan knew he needed to leave much of it to me to figure out myself, but he did help me understand basics like turning on the PS3 (seriously), which buttons performed certain functions, and a brief snapshot of what the game requires.  Surprisingly, I wanted to jump right in, so I did.

I did not start a dynasty yet, because I need to further explore how recruiting works as part of the game.  Instead I chose one of my alma maters, Arizona State, and worked my way through....I started with practice just running plays, exploring various formations and pass or run plays within that formation.  Once I felt comfortable with a couple of these plays, I introduced the defense into the practice...I continued to stick to several plays that I felt confident in and ran them multiple times to see how they would play.  Then I got antsy and wanted to actually play, so I did...I finished practice and started an actual game, albeit the freshman level (the easiest), against the Idaho Vandals.  I managed to play all four 5:00 quarters, and also learn that if I didn't pick plays and snap according to the play clock I get penalties, running defensive plays is a bit trickier based on which player you choose to be, maintaining your 10 point lead even with 1:43 left of the game is harder than it appears, and that this game is pretty intense even at the easiest level.  I somehow managed to win thanks to 2 touchdowns and a sweet QB sac that prevented the Vandals from passing, but the final was a close one...13-10.