Hook
This is the only video you need to master defense in College Football 27.
My College Football 25 and 26 complete defense guides have been watched over 450,000 times, and this one covers everything that changed in the new game.
So today I'm breaking down all 16 tricks, from picking the right formation to the brand new controls EA added this year, so you can shut down anyone you match up against.
Talking Point #1
1.Sub-Hook
•Trick #1, stop picking your defense by matching the offense's personnel.
1.Immediately dive into an insane story, a psychological study, a compelling thought experiment, a banger quote from a famous person, etc.
•Kenny shares how most advice tells you to match by personnel, but he does not believe in it, because you can actually stop the run from something like dime and stop the pass from something like 4-3 or even 6-1.
1.Reveal a deeper layer, higher stakes, a problem or unanswered question, etc. relating to the framework.
•Kenny explains how the real filter is different: call something you can get good pressure in, stop the run in, and play good coverage in all at once.
1.Tell the viewer EXACTLY how they can use this information in their real life OR EXACTLY why this information is so important for them to know
•Kenny highlights that the ideal pick is a jack-of-all-trades look, one formation that lets you do numerous things well instead of guessing right on personnel.
Transition
But picking the formation is only half the call, because what your defenders actually do after the snap changed completely this year.
Talking Point #2
1.Sub-Hook
•Trick #2, a new setting this year controls how aggressive every zone defender on your field plays.
1.Immediately dive into an insane story, a psychological study, a compelling thought experiment, a banger quote from a famous person, etc.
•Kenny shares how zone coverage strategy is brand new this year and one of the most important settings in the game, with a huge difference in how it makes all of your zones play.
1.Reveal a deeper layer, higher stakes, a problem or unanswered question, etc. relating to the framework.
•Kenny explains how it runs five levels, from ultra conservative through conservative, default, aggressive, and ultra aggressive, and each one is incredibly useful in its own way.
1.Tell the viewer EXACTLY how they can use this information in their real life OR EXACTLY why this information is so important for them to know
•Kenny highlights that the biggest change shows up in your deep zones, but the setting affects everybody, so it shapes whether your coverage holds on every snap.
Transition
Now, settings only take you so far, because the biggest gap between average defenders and great ones has nothing to do with a menu.
Talking Point #3
1.Sub-Hook
•Trick #3, your best run defense and your best pass defense both come from the one player you control.
1.Immediately dive into an insane story, a psychological study, a compelling thought experiment, a banger quote from a famous person, etc.
•Kenny shares how mastering user defense is the first thing to do, because everything on defense stems around the user, and you need to have a great one.
1.Reveal a deeper layer, higher stakes, a problem or unanswered question, etc. relating to the framework.
•Kenny explains how the advanced layer is switch stick, which lets you switch to any defender on the field in pass coverage, basically getting your user to multiple places at once.
1.Tell the viewer EXACTLY how they can use this information in their real life OR EXACTLY why this information is so important for them to know
•Kenny highlights that user defense is the foundation, so building this skill first makes every other trick in the video work better.
Transition
And once you control a great user, you can start using him to threaten the offense before the ball is even snapped.
Talking Point #4
1.Sub-Hook
•Trick #4, standing your user in one specific spot before the snap makes your blitzes come in free.
1.Immediately dive into an insane story, a psychological study, a compelling thought experiment, a banger quote from a famous person, etc.
•Kenny shares how the tactic is called hovering, where you stand your user close to the offensive line so the line has to respect you, which allows blitzes to come in better.
1.Reveal a deeper layer, higher stakes, a problem or unanswered question, etc. relating to the framework.
•Kenny explains a lesser known layer: some opponents will target the hovering player, but if you are on a blitzer, you can switch stick off of him using the D-pad.
1.Tell the viewer EXACTLY how they can use this information in their real life OR EXACTLY why this information is so important for them to know
•Kenny highlights that when you switch off, the opponent leaves the blitzer untargeted, so he still comes free while you cover the pass, and you win both ways.
Transition
But pressure only gets home some of the time, and top offenses will hunt your weakest defender on every single snap unless you take that option away.
Talking Point #5
1.Sub-Hook
•Trick #5, you can now put any defender in man coverage on any player, no matter where they line up.
1.Immediately dive into an insane story, a psychological study, a compelling thought experiment, a banger quote from a famous person, etc.
•Kenny shares how cross manning is really easy in this game, letting you take a defender on one side of the field and put him on a player on the completely different side.
1.Reveal a deeper layer, higher stakes, a problem or unanswered question, etc. relating to the framework.
•Kenny explains how that means a corner on the left side can be cross manned onto somebody on the right side, a matchup the game never made this simple before.
1.Tell the viewer EXACTLY how they can use this information in their real life OR EXACTLY why this information is so important for them to know
•Kenny highlights that cross manning is a tactic built to slow down offenses that are usually pretty dang good, so it belongs in your plan against strong opponents.
Transition
Now, good opponents also read your defense before the ball is snapped, and if they can tell what you are in, none of these calls matter.
Talking Point #6
1.Sub-Hook
•Trick #6, you can make every defense you call look exactly the same before the snap.
1.Immediately dive into an insane story, a psychological study, a compelling thought experiment, a banger quote from a famous person, etc.
•Kenny shares how coverage shells can be selected at the line of scrimmage, but his favorite way is setting them at the beginning of every game in any formation he likes.
1.Reveal a deeper layer, higher stakes, a problem or unanswered question, etc. relating to the framework.
•Kenny explains how you could use cover two as your base coverage shell, and everything will look like it is in cover two even when you are not actually in cover two.
1.Tell the viewer EXACTLY how they can use this information in their real life OR EXACTLY why this information is so important for them to know
•Kenny highlights that the opponent sees the same picture on every snap, so your real coverage stays hidden the entire game.
Transition
And disguising your defense is great, but plenty of players end up confusing themselves in the process, and there is a fix built straight into the game.
Talking Point #7
1.Sub-Hook
•Trick #7, one setting shows you the exact assignment you should be in at all times.
1.Immediately dive into an insane story, a psychological study, a compelling thought experiment, a banger quote from a famous person, etc.
•Kenny shares how he gets asked about this all the time, and the setting is called Controlled User Player Art.
1.Reveal a deeper layer, higher stakes, a problem or unanswered question, etc. relating to the framework.
•Kenny explains how it lets you see exactly the assignment you should be in at all times on defense, so you are never lost in your own call.
1.Tell the viewer EXACTLY how they can use this information in their real life OR EXACTLY why this information is so important for them to know
•Kenny highlights that a fun bonus is it works on offense too, so you can just see your assignment always.
Transition
So your assignments are covered, but there is one area of the field that gets players beat deep over and over, and one adjustment fixes it.
Talking Point #8
1.Sub-Hook
•Trick #8, two alignment settings decide whether deep middle throws beat you all game.
1.Immediately dive into an insane story, a psychological study, a compelling thought experiment, a banger quote from a famous person, etc.
•Kenny shares how the safety width and safety depth coaching adjustments can be set in the main menu, at the beginning of a game, or changed throughout a game.
1.Reveal a deeper layer, higher stakes, a problem or unanswered question, etc. relating to the framework.
•Kenny explains how he prefers the width in a pinch and the depth around nine, though in certain situations he may change that.
1.Tell the viewer EXACTLY how they can use this information in their real life OR EXACTLY why this information is so important for them to know
•Kenny highlights that this alignment is the best way he has found to defend the seams, which are always incredibly pesky.
Transition
And while you are in the adjustments menu, one of them comes set wrong straight from the developers, and leaving it alone costs you games.
Talking Point #9
1.Sub-Hook
•Trick #9, change the roll coverage strength adjustment away from its default before you play another game.
1.Immediately dive into an insane story, a psychological study, a compelling thought experiment, a banger quote from a famous person, etc.
•Kenny shares how roll coverage strength is a coaching adjustment he believes you should change from its default state.
1.Reveal a deeper layer, higher stakes, a problem or unanswered question, etc. relating to the framework.
•Kenny explains how the right value is towards their strength, not highest overall or anything like that.
1.Tell the viewer EXACTLY how they can use this information in their real life OR EXACTLY why this information is so important for them to know
•Kenny highlights that this is a setting he thinks every player should change from its default state, so it should be done before your next match.
Transition
Now, adjustments cover the plays you cannot predict, but when you know exactly what is coming, the game hands you an advantage most players never use.
Talking Point #10
1.Sub-Hook
•Trick #10, when you know a throw is coming, one input makes your entire defensive line play better.
1.Immediately dive into an insane story, a psychological study, a compelling thought experiment, a banger quote from a famous person, etc.
•Kenny shares how guess pass is one of his favorite features in the game for the moments he knows his opponent is going to be throwing the ball.
1.Reveal a deeper layer, higher stakes, a problem or unanswered question, etc. relating to the framework.
•Kenny explains how it gets significantly better sheds for your linemen, so the rush gets home faster.
1.Tell the viewer EXACTLY how they can use this information in their real life OR EXACTLY why this information is so important for them to know
•Kenny highlights that if the opponent runs play action, your defense will ignore that too, so the fake costs you nothing.
Transition
But committing to the pass creates a new problem, because a mobile quarterback will turn every broken play into a first down if you let him.
Talking Point #11
1.Sub-Hook
•Trick #11, two quick taps keep a scrambling quarterback locked in the pocket.
1.Immediately dive into an insane story, a psychological study, a compelling thought experiment, a banger quote from a famous person, etc.
•Kenny shares how contains are set with right bumper and left bumper, tapping right bumper then left bumper.
1.Reveal a deeper layer, higher stakes, a problem or unanswered question, etc. relating to the framework.
•Kenny explains how containing is one of the most important things to do whenever you are sending a standard pass rush.
1.Tell the viewer EXACTLY how they can use this information in their real life OR EXACTLY why this information is so important for them to know
•Kenny highlights that this keeps the quarterback in the pocket, so your rush and your coverage get the time they need to win.
Transition
And stopping the pass only wins you half the game, because run defense is where most players give up the easiest yards of the match.
Talking Point #12
1.Sub-Hook
•Trick #12, one four man call stops the run better than almost anything else in the game.
1.Immediately dive into an insane story, a psychological study, a compelling thought experiment, a banger quote from a famous person, etc.
•Kenny shares how the Texas four-man is one of the best run defenses in the game.
1.Reveal a deeper layer, higher stakes, a problem or unanswered question, etc. relating to the framework.
•Kenny explains how the defenders will loop in from the end spot consistently when you run it, which is what makes it so effective.
1.Tell the viewer EXACTLY how they can use this information in their real life OR EXACTLY why this information is so important for them to know
•Kenny highlights that this is a call worth keeping ready any time the run needs to be shut down.
Transition
But run defense is not decided by the front alone, because another part of your play call changes it drastically, and most players never account for it.
Talking Point #13
1.Sub-Hook
•Trick #13, the coverage you call is also your run defense.
1.Immediately dive into an insane story, a psychological study, a compelling thought experiment, a banger quote from a famous person, etc.
•Kenny shares how the coverage you select affects your run fits pretty drastically, and shows a really good example of a cover two versus a cover four and how each one plays the run.
1.Reveal a deeper layer, higher stakes, a problem or unanswered question, etc. relating to the framework.
•Kenny explains how man coverage is a great way to counter RPOs, so your coverage choice answers more than just the pass.
1.Tell the viewer EXACTLY how they can use this information in their real life OR EXACTLY why this information is so important for them to know
•Kenny highlights that picking coverage with the run in mind, not just the pass, changes how your whole defense holds up.
Transition
And some opponents will line up and run the ball at you all game, and against them, playing a normal defense means being outnumbered on every snap.
Talking Point #14
1.Sub-Hook
•Trick #14, against run heavy formations, one adjustment adds an extra defender to stop the run.
1.Immediately dive into an insane story, a psychological study, a compelling thought experiment, a banger quote from a famous person, etc.
•Kenny shares how he loves to use the high safety against a run-heavy formation, because it gets him involved when he would usually bail back deep.
1.Reveal a deeper layer, higher stakes, a problem or unanswered question, etc. relating to the framework.
•Kenny explains how, when he can, he wants to use the weak side safety specifically to get him over onto the strong side.
1.Tell the viewer EXACTLY how they can use this information in their real life OR EXACTLY why this information is so important for them to know
•Kenny highlights that this is a great way to get an extra player there against opponents who want to run the ball every play.
Transition
Now, EA also unlocked a level of alignment control this year that the old game never allowed.
Talking Point #15
1.Sub-Hook
•Trick #15, you can now set exactly how deep and how wide your defenders line up on the quarterback.
1.Immediately dive into an insane story, a psychological study, a compelling thought experiment, a banger quote from a famous person, etc.
•Kenny shares how quarterback depth is a brand-new feature this year, because last year you could only press, back off, or show blitz, whereas now you can send out all different depths.
1.Reveal a deeper layer, higher stakes, a problem or unanswered question, etc. relating to the framework.
•Kenny explains how width works the same way and belongs in the same tip.
1.Tell the viewer EXACTLY how they can use this information in their real life OR EXACTLY why this information is so important for them to know
•Kenny highlights that he keeps width at default or wide and never goes in tight with it.
Transition
And to finish, the difference between a good defense and a great one comes down to changing single players, and the game buries those tools where most people never look.
Talking Point #16
1.Sub-Hook
•Trick #16, a handful of adjustments let you change one single defender in ways the normal menus never allow.
1.Immediately dive into an insane story, a psychological study, a compelling thought experiment, a banger quote from a famous person, etc.
•Kenny shares how you can quick adjust on defense just by tapping Y or triangle, letting you adjust any individual player on the fly.
1.Reveal a deeper layer, higher stakes, a problem or unanswered question, etc. relating to the framework.
•Kenny explains how his favorite coaching adjustments include shading coverage underneath and individual defensive back adjustments, which let you do things to a single player you usually cannot, like backing him off or pressing him.
1.Tell the viewer EXACTLY how they can use this information in their real life OR EXACTLY why this information is so important for them to know
•Kenny highlights that route commit and shading inside or outside round out the set, giving you full control over every defender on the field.
Outro
•Kenny wraps up by tying it all together: from the formation you call to the single-player adjustments you make, these 16 tricks cover everything you need to play complete defense in College Football 27.
•Kenny CTAs to a related video on the channel
