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Buckzip

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I feel like we still have a chance to salvage the season. Woody is still rusty. Ball is going to pay dividends during MAC play especially in colder weather. We just got Wolf back who is our best returning receiver. And while the defense is still miles from where we want them to be, they do seem better than last year. Yes this loss sucked but we have 9 games left to play. 

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I had originally plan ed to vote no in the poll but Dr. Z posted some interesting stats that swayed my vote. Big deal. At the beginning if the season I thought we might be, optimistically, 2-2 at the end of out of conference play. 

 

Go look at the comparison in football budgets between Iowa State and Akron, then put on your big boy pants. We live in a world where the money spent on foitball programs matter. 

 

I have not said I don't have my concerns, I am saying that I am not ready to have, as some might say, a "hissy fit" after losing 2 games we were projected to lose, to P5 teams. 

 

The ridiculous calls to replace Woody are childish. Let's replace with him with a kid who isn't ready and manages to throw too many interceptions? 

 

Honestly, you can say your concerns are with this or that, but most of the negative co me t's are really about losing a game you wanted to win if you are honest with yourselves. 

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5 minutes ago, zipsoutsider said:

I had originally plan ed to vote no in the poll but Dr. Z posted some interesting stats that swayed my vote. Big deal. At the beginning if the season I thought we might be, optimistically, 2-2 at the end of out of conference play. 

 

Go look at the comparison in football budgets between Iowa State and Akron, then put on your big boy pants. We live in a world where the money spent on foitball programs matter. 

 

I have not said I don't have my concerns, I am saying that I am not ready to have, as some might say, a "hissy fit" after losing 2 games we were projected to lose, to P5 teams. 

 

The ridiculous calls to replace Woody are childish. Let's replace with him with a kid who isn't ready and manages to throw too many interceptions? 

 

Honestly, you can say your concerns are with this or that, but most of the negative co me t's are really about losing a game you wanted to win if you are honest with yourselves. 

Yeah I think 2-2 is what any reasonable fan would have projected as best case scenario coming out of OOC, and its still a possibility though Troy will be tough. A lot of yesterday was beating ourselves, which is very frustrating.

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I am not jumping off the ship yet...I am very disappointed though.  I expected a competitive game that, if the ball bounced the right way, the Zips could win.  By half-time we had that game.  After the half...

The line in the sand for me is 9/30.  First MAC game, opening against BGSU.  They look bad, and they're likely to be 0-4 in the OOC.  It's a must to get that monkey off the shoulder and beat them.  Preferably route them into the ground.

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Yeah, you're right that 2-2 was the consensus, and yeah, it was a game yesterday that I thought we had a chance to win.  But it's the way we lost that gripes me.  If we had played a decent game and lost by 7 or 10, but played well, then maybe my vitriol would be wrong, but it is the way we lost, with the stupid stuff, that's what galls me and makes me write the stuff I do. 

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20 hours ago, Buckzip said:

If you are a homer that wants to just say I am trolling, then please don't read any further. 

 

If you only want rah rah and say how great everything is, then please don't read any further. 

 

if you want to have an open and rational discussion, then let's do it. 

 

NIU beat Beat Nebraska today. other MAC teams have beaten big time programs every year. When is Akron just going to be competitive with a major program? Not that ISU is major, but they are above the MAC. 

 

Before you want to call me a troll, until I moved out of state I was at nearly every home game and at least 2 road games every year. What some call trolling, I call being a passionate fan. I am sure certain mods will delete this thread because they don't want real discussion, so be it. I know some hate me here because I happen to have graduated from 2 different schools, but I can guarantee you that I have been to many, many, many more Akron games than to my other Alma Mater. 

 

I am tired of the lack of discipine of Bowden and his teams. I am sick of the lack of discipline. I lost count of how many stupid personal fouls there were in this game. And most were well deserved. 

Woodson whines non stop. Bell facemasks when a guy is wrapped up in a pile for 4th down, Kato comes in down by a ton and actually taunts a down player on the side line. Then after a nice pass, he throws a horrible pick and then starts crap on the ISU sideline. If he can grow up, he could be a real player in the MAC. That's a big IF. I doubt TB even says anything to him. 

 

Every time they show TB he is just standing there. He isn't talking to his team, his assistants or anyone. He is just watching like a fan. I did see him clap after an ISU first down though. 

 

Our recruiting is below average and there is no sign of it getting better. I don't want to hear how many verbals we have when most have Akron as their best offer. If the others have great senior seasons and get other offers, they will be gone too. Then of course, I would guess less than 2/3 of the current verbals actually ever show up on the game day roster. Best facilities and stadium in the MAC, yet we aren't better than when we were in the Rubber Bowl and didn't have the Stile Field House. 

 

The really sad thing is I don't know if we can get better than TB. SMH.  Now go ahead and attack. i could not care any less. 

 

I have purposely avoided posting here thus far this season. And,I could not articulate it any better than Buckzip. I watched much of the PSU game. Was at the Ark. P-B game. Was at the ISU game yesterday. I wanted to see the Zips actually be competitive against a below average Big 12 team. In reality the reason that the Zips were even within sniffing distance going into the 2nd half was because ISU was 'trying' to do things to themselves that allowed Akron to hang around. But alas, ISU dropped the hammer in the 2nd half and the ZIPS couldn't answer.

What have I seen the first 3 weeks?

 1) A QB who has definitely lost something. No matter what you may want to say, Woodson's arm is still not 'right'.And it seems obvious that he is trying to protect it by avoiding running.

     I think the coaching staff probably told him at half time to stop holding the ball so long(which he does to a fault) and either run or ditch the throw. The guy sitting behind me remarked

     that his best looking pass of the day was the interception. I can't believe Bowden isn't giving Nick Johns a look.

2) The O-Line is well shaky. They have possibilities but they are not there yet.

3) Ball is a TROOPER. Most of his yards he gets 'on his own'. Too bad the line can't give him a bit more room STRAIGHT AHEAD. That's where he is best. I did like the way the finally 

     started using him as a decoy and throwing to him. If he stays healthy he will at least get a look at the next level.

4) The wide receivers are simply a mish mash again. Can't separate etc,etc. I blame that on the coaching staff to an extent. Bowden hasn't been able to consistently bring in decent 

     receivers. So there is no 'next man up' when the team loses WR's like they had last year. You can't always convert QB's to WR's or TE's.

5) Play calling,well its Ground Hog Day. I got it,I got' it..I ain't got it. Apparently that will never change.

6) Defensively,they still generally can't tackle. That has been a trademark of Amato's defenses at Akron. That will not change at this point. Unfortunately,it costs them games.

7) The front 7 gets blown off the ball consistently when teams run straight ahead. They can pursue pretty well but have a hard time filling holes between the tackles. Gilbert is too

     small to line up at the line. He needs to pursue. He definitely needs to work on pass coverage.

8) The CB's have actually played pretty well. Yesterday they held their own against bigger and more physical receivers.

9) Dumb penalties like the ones this team commits game after game and year after year are a coaching issue. Its never really been addressed apparently because it keeps happening.

 

The trajectory of this team has been downward for the last 1 1/2 seasons. It is nowhere near being competitive with the best teams in the MAC(Toledo,Western,OU,NIU etc).

If it can't even win a division in the MAC you have to wonder about progress or lack thereof. Remember this program won a MAC Championship in 2005.

I want to see how they play at Troy. That is a better team but plays in a conference that is comparable to the MAC. Its a fair barometer.

I think that if there is another sub .500 season,the AD will be looking much more closely at making a change. I have never been a fan of making a change mid season in college sports.

I am in favor of making changes on the field position by position. And, I am in favor of the Head Coach making changes in coaching responsibilities in order to improve performance on

the field. We will know on October 1.

Have at it.

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I think a decision must be made this season on TB's contract - either another extension or cut bait - and I don't think another losing season will get him another extension. In which case you wouldn't want to keep him as a lame duck for the final year in 2018. Recruiting could get precarious real soon.

 

 

 

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4 minutes ago, ZippyRulz said:

I think a decision must be made this season on TB's contract - either another extension or cut bait - and I don't think another losing season will get him another extension. In which case you wouldn't want to keep him as a lame duck for the final year in 2018. Recruiting could get precarious real soon.

 

 

 

Not trying to be a smart a$$, and I never challenge worse, but how can recruiting get "precarious"?  UA recruiting is terrible. 

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1 hour ago, zippy5 said:

Bowl game? Sure extend him.. you can't argue with two bowl games in three years when we've gone to 3, ever. That seems unlikely at this point however. But you know what, a win against Troy and we'll mostly be singing another tune next Sunday.

 

A lot of people said a bowl game, let alone a win, was unlikely in 2015.  I'm not ready to throw in the towel yet, despite how agitated I am right now.  The BGSU game is the breaking point for me.

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1 hour ago, footballzip said:

Who do we hire if Bowden goes? Another no name coordinator? Paul Winters still available? He's getting up in age also.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Likely or not, I would prefer another P5 retread who has had success. Think Kelly, Les, or even Pelini. I could maybe come up with others if I put some thought into it and some may even open after the season. No thanks on Winters for me. The thing is, the money in the top of college football is so ridiculous anymore, you have OSU's coordinators getting paid way more than our HC. Looking at the Luke Fickell's of the world anymore just isn't realistic. A guy I really like is Kerry Coombs. OH guy who is a great recruiter and he consistently develops that talent and churns out 1st rounders annually. He is a positional coach, but I think we could afford him. Also I'm not sure if he's too old or not or even wants to be a HC at this point.

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14 hours ago, LZIp said:

Likely or not, I would prefer another P5 retread who has had success. Think Kelly, Les, or even Pelini. I could maybe come up with others if I put some thought into it and some may even open after the season. No thanks on Winters for me. The thing is, the money in the top of college football is so ridiculous anymore, you have OSU's coordinators getting paid way more than our HC. Looking at the Luke Fickell's of the world anymore just isn't realistic. A guy I really like is Kerry Coombs. OH guy who is a great recruiter and he consistently develops that talent and churns out 1st rounders annually. He is a positional coach, but I think we could afford him. Also I'm not sure if he's too old or not or even wants to be a HC at this point.

He was a damn good coach at colerain, but his offense was archaic. 

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I had this team starting 1-3 and I'm feeling very confident in that prediction. We lost a lot of talent from what wasn't a great team to start with. I've unfairly been labeled a pessimist by this board for sharing my candid opinion on Bowden and the state of our football program. I lost all faith in Bowden after our back-to-back-to-back losses to Buffalo, Toledo, and Bowling Green last season. Losing to Toledo wasn't bad, losing to them by 31 at home was. 

 

Who do you bring in to replace Bowden? That's not our problem, it's Larry Williams and his staff concern. Larry Williams made a slam dunk hire in Groce. I trust his judgement in bringing in someone whose better than Bowden.

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