Top 10 Items in NCAA Football Ultimate Team

EA SPORTS Game Changers are high-profile members of the EA SPORTS community who use their expert knowledge of our games to inform, entertain, and assist others.

Today's Game Changers blog comes to us from “CDJ” and "JBHuskers" from The Gaming Tailgate. Follow them on Twitter @GamingTailgate, @cdj80 and @JBHuskers.

 

NCAA Football Ultimate Team is in full swing, and many great items have been added in over the past month. The top ten items list not only takes into account the player’s skill, but also their overall worth and rarity on the auction block.

This auction block is based on the PlayStation 3 version of NCAA Football 14, and legendary cards are based on the final Heisman Winner version of the item.

#10 – Robert Griffin III – QB – Baylor – Legendary (Rough Auction Price – 300k coins)

JBHuskers: Robert Griffin III is the most recent Heisman Trophy winner in Ultimate Team. RGIII been available since day one; however, his rarity and popularity have kept the value of his card high. Additionally, as a player, RG III is top notch in several categories, and that is why he leads off this list.

CDJ: RGIII is almost as dangerous as Michael Vick with 93 Speed, 86 Agility, 92 Throw Power, but is an even better passer with 90 Throw Accuracy. His ratings make him great at the option, plus his pass ratings make him very effective for throwing play-action passes. While Vick may be well-suited for keeping the ball, RGIII is more balanced. This is a great item for any play style.

#9 – Desmond Howard – WR – Michigan – Legendary (Rough Auction Price – 230k coins)

JB: Howard is a very desirable item due to the fact that there are only two Legendary WR items (Tim Brown being the other). Unlike Brown, the Howard Legendary card seems to be fairly rare, and the asking price for Brown is only 1/10 of the asking price for Howard. This item is also set apart by Howard’s combination of speed, route running, and special catch rating. Not to mention that there are many loyal Wolverine fans clamoring for this one.

CDJ: Howard is a great receiver with 96 Speed, 94 Agility, and 93 Route Running. However, he is a step below Randy Moss with 'only' an 88 Catch and 89 Catch in Traffic. (Still exceptional ratings, but not as great as Moss.) However, he does have a 96 Spectacular Catch rating and is an excellent return man, making him extremely dangerous - much like he was throughout the 1991 season.

#8 – Michael Vick – QB – Virginia Tech – Legendary (Rough Auction Price – 80k coins)

JB: The best bang for your buck lies with the always-explosive Mike Vick. While his accuracy isn’t as great as RG III’s, he has great speed and agility to make him dangerous when scrambling and running the option. He’s not higher up on this list because of his availability on the auction block for a five-figure sum; however, being the best QB in Ultimate Team definitely means something.

CDJ: Vick was a dynamo at Virginia Tech, and will be a headache for your opponents. 97 Speed, 99 Agility, 98 Acceleration, 94 Break Tackle, 99 Juke, 96 Throw Power....just insane stats. If you like to run an option attack, this is currently the top quarterback to pursue. His lone 'drawback' is an 85 Throw Accuracy rating. Having a mobile quarterback can help get you yards when receivers do not get open and forcing the defense to assign a spy (or two) can leave players open down the field for huge gains.

#7 – Sean Taylor – FS – Miami – Elite (Rough Auction Price – 350k)

JB: Sean Taylor’s life came to a tragic end way too soon. He is best remembered as one of the hardest-hitting free safeties to ever play pro football He is currently the best safety in Ultimate Team at a 96 OVR, and his rarity on the auction block lands him in the top ten. At the time of publication, there were no outstanding auctions for Taylor; making him one of the most desired cards.

CDJ: With receivers like Tim Brown, Randy Moss, & Desmond Howard on the market, good corners can only do so much, so you'll need help from your safeties. Taylor's 90 Speed, 91 Tackle, and 91 Zone Coverage ratings make him a great fit in the secondary, although he does carry a rather pedestrian 77 Man Coverage rating. With Taylor on your roster, you may want to consider primarily playing Zone.

#6 – Deion Sanders – CB – Florida State – Elite (Rough Auction Price – 300k coins)

JB: In my opinion, the two most important factors for success in Ultimate Team are a strong run game and shutdown corners. That is why Deion Sanders makes this list. He’s the second best cornerback in Ultimate Team with a near-perfect Man Coverage rating of 98 OVR.

CDJ: Having a great corner (Charles Woodson) without an equal only leaves you vulnerable on the other side, so that's why this Deion Elite is so coveted.

#5 – Randy Moss – WR – Marshall – Elite (Rough Auction Price – 400k coins)

JB: Randy Moss cracks the top five due as the best WR with a 98 OVR. Even though his elite version has been available for a few weeks now, the price is still pretty high. He’s taller than Howard and has a much better catch rating, which is why Moss is ranked four spots ahead of him.

CDJ: Randy Moss was a tremendous athlete at Marshall. His 97 Speed helps him get downfield quickly while his 95 Catch and 92 Catch in Traffic help Moss haul in almost everything that comes his way. Perhaps his most impressive rating is his 95 Spectacular Catch. If you need a big pass play late in the game, throw the ball up to the 6'4" Moss.

#4 – Reggie White – LE – Tennessee – Elite (Rough Auction Price – 400k coins)

JB: The late, great Reggie White is the best LE in Ultimate Team with a 97 OVR, and is the only LE rated in the 95-99 range.

CDJ: If you are someone who likes to control defensive linemen, White's 95 Power Moves and 94 Block Shedding make him very tough to block. When facing strong offensive lines and highly-rated quarterbacks, a disruptive defensive lineman can stop a passing game in its tracks.

#3 – Barry Sanders – RB – Oklahoma State – Legendary (Rough Auction Price – 300k coins)

JB: Epic Bo is nearly impossible to find, so the next best thing is to grab the Legendary Barry Sanders. Keep an eye on the Auction Block to try and save some coin. Sanders is an important piece to your puzzle, as succeeding strong running game can go a long way in Ultimate Team.

CDJ: While Epic Bo might run through defenders, this Barry can run around them. His 99 Elusiveness can be felt with his quick cuts and jukes. Hard jukes/cuts on the left stick are extremely effective and rewarding with Barry.

#2 – Charles Woodson – CB – Michigan – Legendary (Rough Auction Price - ???)

JB: The only item rarer than the Epic Bo is the Legendary Woodson. This is a 99 rated cornerback with 97 speed, and incredible 99 ratings for man coverage, zone coverage, and press coverage. Legendary Woodson is like duct-taping a DB to a receiver.

CDJ: Woodson's 99 ratings for Man Coverage, Zone Coverage, and Press Coverage make him the top defensive back in the game. In addition, his 97 Speed and 93 Acceleration make Woodson a great option as a return man.

#1 – Bo Jackson – RB – Auburn – Epic (Rough Auction Price - ???)

JB: Relive the days of Tecmo Bowl with this Epic Bo Jackson item. With Epic Bo, you get the lethal combination of 99 speed and 99 trucking. That’s a dangerous combination. I personally didn’t even know he existed until I read a previous EA SPORTS blog from a couple weeks ago. That’s how rare he is. I have yet to see an auction for him yet on the PS3 side. Combine his attributes with his rarity, it’s a no-brainer that he’s #1.

CDJ: Bo's 99 Speed & 98 Acceleration may be amazing, but his 95 Stiff Arm is my favorite. His ratings make him an excellent all-around back with speed and power and the top player in all of Ultimate Team.

What's your most desired item in NCAA Football Ultimate Team? Let us know on Twitter @GamingTailgate, @cdj80 and @JBHuskers.

 

NCAA Football 14 is now available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Buy your copy today and #PLAYTRUE.