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There are two ways to think about defense inCollege Football 26: you can react and adapt to what the offense is doing, or you can set the pace and force them to adapt to what you’re doing. It’s often a push and pull of this throughout the game, and you’ll need to be familiar with your defensive playbook in order to keep up.
There aren’t many defensive playbooks in CFB 26, but they do have notable differences between them. You’ll need to understand what your defense’s strengths are to pick the one that puts you in the best position to win; particularly, your Defensive Line and Linebackers.
How To Decide Between A 4-3 And A 3-4
Most teams fall very firmly into either a 4-3 or 3-4 style of defense, with some variations inside of that.The team you play will likely already have the correct type selected, but that doesn’t mean you may’t adapt your team to switch it up.
We’lldiscuss the difference in style and players between these two, before we get into which defensive playbooks are the best for each style.
Best Players For A 4-3 Defense
A 4-3 defense usually hasDefensive Ends that are a bit more athletic; they don’t rely entirely on strength, and instead have some finesse moves in their arsenal, and sometimes, some notable speed.
These players could sometimes pass as OLBs in a 3-4 style of defense.
LBs in a 4-3 are going to need at least a little bit of proficiency in pass defense, especially OLBs. They’ll occasionally be in man coverage against a TE, and won’t always be focused on getting in the backfield.
A 4-3 style of defense is usually a bit more predictable, relying on strong players filling their roles rather than creative schemes that make things confusing for the offense. It’s not that 4-3’s can’t do that, but they have one less LB on the field for the offense to figure out on every play.
Best Players For A 3-4 Defense
A 3-4 defense usually hasbigger Defensive Linemen. Their job is going to be to fill their gap, each doing what they can to force two Offensive Linemen to deal with them. This clears up lanes for LBs to make it into the backfield uncontested, especially against an inexperienced Offensive Line.
OLBs in a 3-4 usually have some pass-rushing ability, and also need to be able to set the edge on a running play. This requires them to be a bit bigger than OLBs in a 4-3 setup.
A 3-4 defense is going to bemore difficult for an offense to figure out when you mix it up. You’ll have four LBs that can all blitz or drop back into coverage on every play, and you can disguise your defense quite a bit easier with this setup.
Best Playbook For A 4-3 Defense
The best playbook for a 4-3 defense is the4-3 Multiple playbook. As discussed above, the 4-3 defense is going to be a bit more predictable on average; that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it can make it easier to read.
But, the4-3 Multiple playbook has more sets and formations, including three different styles of Nickel with a 4-2, 3-3, and a 2-4. This is going to help yourotate through players and keep more of them fresh, and it’s going to keep the offense from knowing exactly what to expect from you.
Best Playbook For A 3-4 Defense
We’re going to cheat here and mention a couple of different playbooks that are great for a 3-4, and it’ll dependlargely on your roster and the team you’re playing against as to which you use.
Best 3-4 Playbook Against The Run
Against a team that’s going to berunning the ball often, the 3-4 Multiple is going to be the best option. It has a lot of run-focused formations, including a 4-4 set that absolutely stacks the box.
The only issue with this playbook is a lack of Nickel formations. If a team lines up in three WR sets regularly, you might get punished.
Best 3-4 Playbook Against The Pass
In that case,the 3-2-6 playbook is absolutely fantastic. It does have sets to use against the run, but it has a heavy focus on a variety of DB-focused formations. The3-2-6 set in particular is a great set that’s capable of blitzing DBs without it being too risky.
It keeps the box condensed with five players near the center of the field, and with slot CBs that can tackle, this can actually be a versatile formation.
