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They're pretty different schedules.. Average record isn't the greatest stat. We played 2 top ten teams last year and a bunch of cupcakes which brings the average right to .500. This year we get rid of the top 10s, and turn the real cupcakes into top 200 games with mid majors with winning records.

I don't think you took the Ooze to Wins Conference Adjustment (OWCA+) into account. Each ooze point is good for 1/10th of a win (CK average Ooze rating of 80.8), after the MAC's OWCA+ adjustment of 1 win you are at 7.08 wins.

I don't know if "ooze" is the best adjective, but there's no doubt the Zips team that takes the field against Penn State will be dramatically more athletic and deeper than the one that exited the field against OU last November. Woodson is an awesome QB when healthy. And if he's not healthy, we have 3 guys behind him that can play. I rate that an Ooze Factor Index (OFI) of 89, on a scale of 0 - 100. Warren Ball is an absolute beast. And a healthy Van Edwards is backing him up. OFI of 91. WR's are completely unproven, and their chemistry with Tommy Woodson. who's reps have been limited, is a big question mark. But we have a bucket full of potential at WR. I think everyone's gonna love Williams. So I give the WR's an OFI of 51. With upside. The OL lost LTT, and is probably better for it. Deep and experienced, they're a team strength. OFI = 84 Defensive line numerically lost players, but production-wise, lost nothing. Returning are the injured Moore and Boxen. Reinke looked good at year's end last season, and made huge off-season progress (per coaches). Jamal Davis III and Gilbert are expected to give us the Marcus/Brown disruptive edge rushers we lacked last season. Josh Ward is looking great at end too. Camera and Copeland will adequately plug the middle. OFI = 81 Hauser is back at LB. And you have returning veterans Bell/Lako/Bishoff/Junius/Lloyd/Gilbert too. There's experience, depth and talent at LB. Not "Linebacker U," but certainly in the upper half of the MAC. OFI = 78. The staff says the secondary is the best in the Bowden era, and that says a lot because there have been some good ones. Jordan George isn't even one of our top 2 CB's (per the depth chart)? That's group's OFI is 96.5. Special teams - OFI = 76. Coney does a nice job returning punts. Edwards is solid on kickoffs. O'Leary looks to have improved his leg strength noticeably in the off-season. Punting has competition this year. If Gasser can't hit a long punt, there's three other kids waiting to do it. I'm bullish on this Zips team. They obviously don't match up with a Top 5 program like Penn State, but no one else on the schedule scares me. I expect 7 regular season wins and a bowl game. We'll see how it plays-out.

I'm not trying to be an asshole here. I am a Zips fan starved for information. I totally appreciate a coach saying "special", "stood out", "leadership", "best", "great" and all that. It doesn't tell me anything, though. They said those same things about a 1-11 squad. What pains me is that a guy who gets paid to write down words for a living made the most positive statement I have ever seen penned about the Zips with absolutely zero justification to support the statement. I want to believe that the Zips are "oozing". Tell me why I should believe that. The known quantities don't convince me. Tell me who made incredible gains over the off-season. We heard from the basketball golf outing that Daniel Utomi lost 56 pounds and increased his vertical by 3 feet. Gimme some of that about the football team.

Double duty - double vision tonight as I will be watching Darlington vs. Costa Rica and the Zips vs. Washington on ESPN3! My neck's gonna get sore turning between screens!

I wonder if I have any years of eligibility left.

Making fun of Kent is always a gas But Zips fans live in a house of glass

That site (Don Best) is flaky, coaches don't have to report anything, I'm not sure how they base their info, or get their wording. This morning there was nothing listed under Akron, now they have Woodson listed as probable with a shoulder. Coach said in his presser that Wolf won't play, yet he isn't listed.

I travel between Statesville NC and Ellet 2-3 times a month so I guess I can say "I have made the trip".

That's crazy. Sounds movie worthy, IMO.

But hey, they have wall-to-wall coverage of the Browns and Indians, who....play in Cleveland! Of course, the Beacon feels they need to "fill the void" by duplicating the efforts of the Plain Dealer. I mean, why write something nice about a team that they could literally look out their windows northeasterly and see play!

"He's full go,'' Bowden said of Woodson following a recent high-octane practice session, spirited with trash-talking throughout, from a team oozing with size, speed and athleticism on both sides of the football. ??

Thanks for the shout out Z.I.P. I agree, Lorenzo was pretty darn good, and she had lots of opportunities, and was unlucky not to score. The ESPN3 announcers seemed to think Prathapa was CSU's best, but I wasn't impressed. She missed a point blank shot that could have ended it in regulation. Only one correction....Cleveland State is in the Horizon League, but you are right, after beating both Akron and Kent they WOULD be in first in the MAC East!! (or was your comment tongue-in-cheek?)

Ok, I know everyone on here likes to whine about everything. I'll admit, in the past some of Dambrot's schedules didn't challenge some of our best teams. But if you bitched about past schedules, you should equally bitch about this one. A brief analysis of non-conf: 2016-2017 opponents average record prior season: 16.7W-16.4L 2017-2018 opponents average record prior season: 17.3W-15.4L Now the 17-18 averages could go up, should the Zips upset USC to face MTSU (31-5), Princeton (23-7), etc, but are more likely to go down if they hit the loser's side (Davidson 17-15, Hawaii 14-16). Reserve judgment until next year when the staff has a full year to put together a schedule, and realize even then it's a crapshoot because of team personnel changes.

#Power6

Season prediction poll closed, we will revisit in December. This will be the first December I won't be in Miami for years, so I'm sure the Zips will be playing a bowl game in that area this year. Edit: I guess it could be entertaining (for the 33 voters) to keep running stats as the season progresses. Zips Wins - 0 Warren Ball rushing yards - 0 Reception Leaders - Nobody Defensive sacks - 0

Even before this tweet and the lawsuit....things looked grim for KSU. ?

And a sullen Gordie Lockbaum puts the champagne bottle back in the refrigerator...

Jojo just hauled in the longest play of the Colts preseason with a 55 yard catch. http://www.colts.com/videos/videos/HIGHLIGHT-Stephen-Morris-unleashes-a-CANNON-to-wide-receiver-JoJo-Natson-for-a-huge-gain/f88483e3-108f-4d3f-909c-128b59375e76

Wow. Do you work for the Western Carolina division of tourism? Including the "easy" cruise down the damn WV Turnpike. I'm really wondering if Steve has actually ever personally made that trip.

Note to Nit fan. . . Is not Glad I could entertain Central Pennsylvania, though.

PSU fan site amused with ZN: https://www.roarlionsroar.com/college-football/2017/08/2698/message-boards-akron-zips-football-penn-state-nittany-lions-state-college?utm_content=bufferb4375&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer&PageSpeed=noscript

Good Q! I see that he's a Cleveland area sports honk, and a tOSU honk to boot! Let's cross our fingers.

Back on September 4th 1999 the Zips played Penn State, losing 70-24. We stayed on the PSU campus Friday evening, drank way too much beer and stayed out way too late. So September 4th 2017 will mark the 18th anniversary of one of my all time greatest hangovers (kudos to Rolling Rock). Other than the evening of September 3rd, my two best memories of that trip were: Reading an absolutely excellent column in the PSU student newspaper on Zips QB Butchie Washington. It was written by Ryan Hockensmith, who is apparently now the General Editor at ESPN the Magazine. Brandon Payne "shusssshing" the crowd after he scored a TD to pull the Zips within 14-10 early in the game. You could hear a pin drop in Beaver Stadium. For fun, below are the Zips-centric highlights from that game. The Tony McCray counter-trap play will bring back some memories for the old-timers. And Payne's gesture is featured at the end.

Nothing brings out a crowd like an 0-2 start.

I have a players attitude. Zips win. For that to happen, we need to rush for more than 130, and get those 6 combined big D plays. I'm counting on PSU to come in with an attitude, and the Zips with a chip on their shoulders. The Lions will be looking ahead giving us a chance to stay with them. Once we taste success, we won't be denied.