Title: NCAA Football 2004 - College Classics Version: 1.00 Author: Billy Hale Last Update: none Legal Stuff: All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. Copyright 2003 William Hale This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. The following website(s) have permission to use this FAQ: www.gamefaqs.com Let me start by saying this is my first FAQ, so if it sucks or you know something that would help, email me, its at the bottom. Also, for the difficulty, the first number is without cheats, the second is with them. I will not put the cheats in this FAQ, because they are stupid. However, if you absolutely need them, email me, I will tell you. If the second number is 0, then I do not know a cheap way, or it is too easy to need one. Also, /\=Triangle, [ ]=square, O=circle, and X=well, X. SAVE YOUR PROFILE AFTER EACH COMPLETED GAME, NOT YOUR BIO. I learned that the hard way. The way each one works is: Date - Teams - Name of the game - Score - Price (below the date there is a price, I have no clue what it is for, but it is part of the College Classics so I included it) 1. December 19, 1980 - SMU vs BYU - Holiday Bowl - 46-45 - Price: $1.25 Difficulty: 9/7 Overview: You have 2:33 left to score 20 points. You can either kick it or go for 2, going for 2 just makes it so you only have to go for 2 once more to get within a field goal. After the conversion, onsides kick it, pray. If you don't get it or turn the ball over, exit and restart. Move the ball down the field with long passes and GET OUT OF BOUNDS. You want your 3 timeouts incase you don't get an onsides kick later. Once again, when you score, go for 2, every time except the last, and only kick there if you want to try and win in OT. If you're stopped to 4th down, kick the FG so you aren't pressure too much. Go to practice and practice your onsides kicks a lot before you try this one. 2. November 20, 1982 - Cal vs Stanford - The Play - 25-20 - Price: $1.25 Difficulty: 10/1 Overview: This can be the hardest or the easiest of the 20 classics, depending on if you cheat or not, or if the game chokes and misses the FG. After the CPU kicks the FG, hope for a good wedge and run like hell. It helps not to start holding X until you are past the wedge, otherwise you will outrun your coverage. 3. December 23, 1983 - BYU vs Missouri - Holiday Bowl - 21-17 - Price: $1.25 Difficulty: 2/0 Overview: Since you're only down 3, go for the endzone 3 times and if you fail, kick the FG and win in overtime. Steve Young is a fast for a white QB, so don't be afraid to roll left to get a DB to commit to you then lob it to [ ] for the TD. 4. January 1, 1984 - Miami vs Nebraska - Orange Bowl - 31-30 - Price: $1.50 Difficulty: 4/0 hardest part is playing D. Overview: This QB is hella fast (90), go Hail Mary [ ]. Wait about a second and a half then take off to the left, you got it easily. All you need to do now is play some D. However if you have no cajones, you can always kick the PAT and go for it in OT. 5. November 23, 1984 - Boston College vs Miami - Hail Mary - 47-45 - Price: $1.25 Difficulty: 8/0 Overview: Flutie is fast (79) and has a good arm (88) but the first 3 times I did this one, I got tackled at the 3 or so. Its all luck on how you get tackled. Hail Mary [ ], send #30 in motion and as soon as he clears the left side of the line, snap it. Wait until X is open and bullet pass it to him, if your going down, try and pitch the ball, and it doesn't hurt to say a couple prayers before you start this Classic. 6. November 30, 1985 - Alabama vs Auburn - Iron Bowl - 25-23 - Price: $1.50 Difficulty: 4/2 Overview: 57 seconds and you start on your own 20. You only need to get to about your opponents 33 to make a 50 yard kick (your kicker has 95 power), more or less depending on your sliders. You have 2 timeouts, save 1 to get your kicker onto the field. 7. January 2, 1987 - Penn State vs Miami - Fiesta Bowl - 14-10 - Price: $2.50 Difficulty: 6/0 Overview: A little over 3 minutes to go 80 yards. Your QB is a 99, so passing shouldn't be a problem. Since you have 3+ miuntes, clock management shouldn't be an issue, this is a Classic based soley upon execution. The Penn State defense is solid though, which boosts the difficulty slightly. Also, if you score too quickly, you will have to play D against the fairly good passing offense of Penn State. 8. January 1, 1991 - Colorado vs Notre Dame - Orange Bowl - 10-9 - Price: $2.00 Difficulty: 4/1 Overview: 43 seconds, they are punting from their own 40. They will get the punt to about the 12, get a decent return to the 20 or 25 and your in a good position with 2 timeouts. This is a lot like the Iron Bowl in that the distance is similar but the time is shaved a little. Also, your going with your backup QB whose rating is an 81 (pretty damn good for a backup huh?) and your kicker has an 85 power, so you will need to be a little closer, around the 28 or so to be sure. Scratch that on the backup QB, it is your starter, strange huh? I went with my favorite Hail Mary play ([ ] if you didn't know) and got to their 26 after 1 play. I then ran the ball to get in the center of the field and waste some clock and won the game on a 42 yard kick with time running out. 9. November 16, 1991 - Miami vs FSU - Wide Right I - 17-16 - Price: $2.50 Difficulty: 5/0 Overview: Don't you think its odd they have I but not II in here? Just a random point. The first time I tried this one, I missed, short, not right. It isn't a very difficult Classic you have just under 3 minutes after the kick off to get to there 30 to be safe, but the Miami D is tenacious (haha, Tenacious D, Jack Black is a funny guy). 10. November 14, 1992 - Notre Dame vs Penn State - Snow Bowl - 17-16 - Price: $2.00 Difficulty: 6/0 Overview: 1 play, 3 yards, 25 seconds left. I suggest going Hail Mary [ ] and running in, like on Miami - Nebraska Orange Bowl. Even though your QB is slow as hell, you can still get the 3 yards necessary. Now is when you need to make a decision. Do you go for the win or sissy out and try and win in OT. Either way, its not that difficult, just run your money play, you all already know mine. However, a screen also works well in this situation. Play solid D for the last 15-20 seconds and this pennant is yours. 11. November 13, 1993 - FSU vs Notre Dame - Game of the Century - 31-24 - Price: $2.00 Difficulty: 8/0 Overview: 4th and goal from the 20. I go for the endzone, however a FG wouldn't be entirely bad here either. With 4:05 left you can afford 3 instead of 7. I actually got stopped on the 3 but forced a punt after 3 downs. I scored on my first play after the punt and had 2:19 to force a punt and score again. After you score a TD, go for 2 unless you are going to try to win in OT, because if you miss here, you've still got your next TD to go for 2 and tie. I went with my money play (FSU QB is fast) and got the 2. I kicked deep and forced a quick punt and got possession back on my 42. Score again using medium pass plays and kick the PAT to take the lead. After the squib kick, drop off into dime coverage and don't let a receiver behind you. 12. September 24, 1994 - Colorado vs Michigan - The Miracle at Michigan - 27-26 - Price: $2.50 Difficulty: 10/7 Overview: Remember Hail Mary? HOLY ****. This is Hail Mary x4. You start on your own 36 with 6 seconds left. Run Deep Outs from Shotgun 5 wide and hope he gets out after getting a foot inbounds with some time left, probably only 1 or 2 seconds. Then, run your deep money play and say a prayer. KNOW YOUR PITCH BUTTON, if your player is about to be tackled, press your pitch button repeatedly. 13. November 26, 1994 - FSU vs Florida - Choke at Doak - 31-31 - Price: $2.50 Difficulty: 3/0 Overview: 1:45 to return a kickoff as far as possible and get within fieldgoal range. Your kicker has a 90 power, so 50 yards is possible if you hit it well. However, with only 1 timeout, you need to run sideline routes to keep the TO to get your kicking unit onto the field. 14. November 2, 1995 - Virginia vs FSU - FSU at Virginia - 33-28 - Price: $2.50 Difficulty: 5/0 Overview: The only Classic that is a single defensive play. Hope you called the right defensive play and stop 'em, its that simple. 15. January 1, 1997 - Ohio State vs Arizona State - Rose Bowl - 20-17 - Price: $3.00 Difficulty: 2/0 Overview: 1:40 left, 3rd and goal from the 11. 2 plays for the endzone, 1 timeout incase you get stuffed. I tried a screen that only got a yard and then went with a pass, but I tucked and scrambled in for 6. The hardest part of this Classic is the defense after you score. 16. November 8, 1997 - Nebraska vs Missouri - Nebraska at Missouri - 45-38 - Price: $3.00 Difficulty: 6/0 Overview: 1:02, 1st and 10 from your 33. Your QB has 86 speed so scrambling isn't a bad option. Solid core of receivers to help an average throwing QB down the field. Remember, you're Nebraska, so options are definitely in your arsenal. Be conscious of the clock, especially if you option, you may think you have gotten out of bounds but haven't. If there is 25 seconds or less, seriously consider going towards the endzone, if your not in range, get there, fast. Once you score, you've got a decision to make, 1 or 2. GO FOR IT, it isn't an incredibly long Classic, so if you fail, who cares, restart it, it will probably be quicker than going to OT. Since your QB is so fast, it's a good bet to roll out and keep it yourself. 17. November 22, 1997 - Florida vs FSU - The Best Game Ever Played in the Swamp - 32-29 Price: $3.00 Difficulty: 4/0 Overview: 2:45 to go 80 yards for the score. The Florida QB is a 90 and is helped by a decent bunch of receivers: 91, 85, 84 for the top 3. If you decide to run the ball, keep it away from your left side of the line, the FSU ROLB is a 95. You need to concentrate more on getting the ball downfield more than clock management because you've got nearly 3 minutes to get a TD. 18. November 7, 1998 - Michigan St. vs Ohio St. - Michigan St. at Ohio St. - 28-24 - Price: $3.00 Difficulty: 5/0 Overview: 1:39 left from midfield, you need a TD to win. Consider switching your QB's. The back-up's rating is only 1 pt worse but his speed and throw power is better. The Buckeyes' primary receiver has a great rating (90's). Time is only a slight issue because you only have a little ways to go. Make sure you run your routes towards the sidelines, you only have 1 timeout that you want to save incase your QB gets sacked. 19. November 14, 1998 - Syracuse vs VA Tech - Virginia Tech at Syracuse - 28-26 - Price: $ 3.00 Difficulty: 3/0 Overview: Its exactly the opposite of Virginia - FSU, not a horribly difficult play, consider rolling left and throwing to the wide out after the CB steps up to stop the scrambling QB. 20. January 3, 2003 - Ohio St. vs Miami - Fiesta Bowl - 31-24 - Price: $3.50 Difficulty: 3/0 Overview: Kick it. That simple. Worry about completing a 4th down pass with no time left in OT, much easier that going for it in regulation. It isn't very hard to stop the Bucks offense, and its very easy to score with Magahee and Dorsey, but it takes more than one play because you need short runs. Blitz the weak O-line of the Bucks often to force a turnover or a sack. CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE COMPLETED ALL 20 COLLEGE CLASSICS. If you would like your name to be added to the bottom as someone who has completed all 20 games, email me your feedback and name, this is an honor system, don't be a punk. PLEASE, since this was my first FAQ, please send me feedback. Email: Billy_hale@hotmail.com AIM SN: BillioHale Please don't hesitate to IM me, I am always online either there or away, it's the joy of having cable modem. Thanks to EA for making a great game, thanks to Mom for the sandwhiches and drinks you brought me while I was shopped up in the basement, and thanks Dad for letting me use your laptop.