Offense can be a challenging aspect of College Football 26, especially if you’re using a rebuilding team in Dynasty or playing on a high difficulty setting. You have to understand what type of defense the opponent is using, how to counter it, and the personnel you need on the field to succeed. One way you can tilt the odds in your favor is by using pre-snap adjustments. These have been in football games for quite a while, and College Football 26 implements a mechanic called “Smart Routes” to help you with them.
Smart Routes are an option you can select before your quarterback has snapped the ball on offense. Aside from the text on the screen, though, the game doesn’t tell you too much about what Smart Routes are or how to use them to help you run a particular play. Fortunately, you can see everything you need to know about Smart Routes in the guide below.
What Are Smart Routes In College Football 26?
Essentially, a Smart Route is an add-on to the hot route system in CFB 26, which allows you to select new routes for receivers to run that are different from the one in the original play you called. Instead of selecting an entirely new route for the receiver, though, a Smart Route makes it so your receiver will always try and get a first down or touchdown.
When you select the Smart Route for a receiver, the game will alter their route to always reach a first down marker or the beginning of the endzone. This mostly applies if your receiver is running a shorter route than you want them to; while you can always pick up extra yardage after the catch with a shorter route, using the Smart Route mechanic makes it more likely that a receiver will pick up a first down or score a touchdown.
For example, if it’s 3rd and 8 and you call a Slants play, you can adjust a receiver’s route so that they keep running until they reach the first down marker, and then slant. This is instead of a receiver slanting before the first down marker, which can often lead to them getting tackled before reaching the first down marker.
However, you have to be careful when calling Smart Routes in CFB 26, as not all routes are advantageous with the mechanic. You’ll also find that some routes will get completely messed up when mixing them with Smart Routes, so it’s best to save the mechanic for when you really need to pick up a first down or if a defensive back is playing soft coverage on your receiver. If a DB is playing press coverage, extending a route could give them a higher chance to intercept your pass.
How To Use Smart Routes In College Football 26
Now that you understand a little more about Smart Routes, how do you use them in-game? Follow the steps below to implement your Smart Routes effectively in CFB 26:
- Pick a passing play on offense or audible to a passing play at the line of scrimmage
- Before the snap, press Triangle/Y to bring up the list of available receivers
- Choose the receiver you want to assign a Smart Route
- On the receiver’s route screen, press R1/RB to give the receiver a Smart Route
- Your quarterback will call out an audible, which signals that the Smart Route has been assigned
- You can now zoom out the offense, and your Smart Route receiver will now have a route that goes to or past the first down marker/endzone line
That’s really all there is to Smart Routes in CFB 26. As long as you use them correctly, you can take great advantage of Smart Routes on offense.
