Reading the Defense
To have a successful offense in NCAA Football 2008, it is vital to read the defense. Look at where the opponent's players are lined up on the field. Does the opponent have a lot of players on the defensive line? If he does, he is probably expecting a running play. If the opponent only has a few players on the line and instead has more plays farther back, he is expecting a pass.
Audible
Try to throw your opponent off by using an audible. Sometimes an audible is useful to counter a player's defense. For example, say you have selected a running play and the opponent has a lot of players on the line, so you audible to a passing play. Other times, an audible is helpful for tricking the opponent. Again, say you have selected a running play and the opponent has a lot of players on the line. Then you call an audible. When the opponent sees the audible, he assumes you are changing to a passing play. Instead, change to another running play.
Defensive Formations
The 4-3 and the 3-4 formations are good formations to use on defense for the first down. The defensive players are pretty evenly divided between the defensive line and the linebackers, so these configurations are good for defending the pass and the run; also, since it is first down, you don't know what type of play to expect. The defensive formations that are useful for stopping running plays are the 5-2, 46 and Goal Line. The defensive formations that are effective for stopping passing plays are Nickel, Dime and Quarters.
Practice
Everybody wants to immediately start playing a game, but the practice mode can help a lot on offense. Choose a particular play to practice and do it over again. The first couple of times, focus on your receiver on the left. Throw the ball to the same receiver over and over until you have good understanding of his route. Move to the next receiver do the same thing. Go through each play, giving each player several reps, and you'll eventually have all of the offensive plays down.