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I would love Akron to be in…but in all honesty…how could they be in? If you can’t make your conference top 4, that is bad. Especially with so few teams in the MAC. I’m not sure they deserve it, no matter their RPI. That being said I hope they make it, but if they don’t they only have themselves to blame.

Santa Clara has a gaudy record, but most of it was accomplished against bottom-100 competition: http://rpiupdatemenssoccer.blogspot.com/2021/07/santa-clara.html I happened to watch part of their game against Loyola Marymount on Saturday; LMU was much better. LMU outshot Santa Clara 42-3, 11-1 on goal. Game ended 0-0. (No shoot-out, the West Coast Conf has no tournament, this was the last reg.season game.) IMO, their poll ranking is bogus. Most poll voters do not do anything more than glance over a list of teams and their records. Massey ratings has Akron at #30 and Santa Clara at #37. Their match-up tool gives Akron a 59% chance of winning a home game, 26% Santa Clara, 15% tie. https://masseyratings.com/game.php?s0=359036&oid0=66&h=1&s1=359036&oid1=7034 https://masseyratings.com/csoc/ncaa-d1/ratings Go Zips!!!

Sorry. I missed the fine print about how only reasonable possibilities could be discussed here. In the case of Manning, there are other reasons that he might find compelling. People seem to find NE Ohio attractive. I don't get it, but there is plenty of evidence. Bottom line is that I think he should be on your list. In my own case, I found the best thing to come out of Akron, married her, and saved her from a life sentence in NE Ohio. 😀😎🙄

CONGRATULATIONS Zips!!! Let's Go!!!

NIU has the MAC auto bid. RPI #19 WVU and #26 Akron are almost certainly in. #36 GaSt is much less certain, they are the next-to-last team in by pure RPI. Their best wins are over WVU and Akron. A team like #39 Michigan, which played a much tougher schedule but lost to most of those tough teams (but beat #13 Indiana) could get in ahead of GaSt. It's pretty random for the last handful of teams in or out.

I want to see the Zips play the strongest schedule possible as well, but allow me to play devil's advocate. This is not about racking up wins. Not this year. It's actually not about the opponent at all during this non-conference schedule. This is about developing a new core group of guys and getting them ready for conference play. Even the guys who have been on the team now have expanded roles and obligations. It's my opinion that Groce figured this is not the year the Zips win an at-large bid. If we advance to the NCAA Tourney it will be by winning the MAC Tourney. So there were learning experiences gained by facing adversity from the big boys. And I think Groce has to be geeked-up that we took highly ranked Ohio State to the wire. Yes, we are all disappointed with the loss to Ohio State and rightfully so, but I honestly just wanted our guys to hang tough and avoid embarrassment. Maybe the Zips of 2 years ago could challenge Ohio State, but not this squad without LCJ. (Edit: So I thought.) Bottomline, these cupcake games and all of the non-conference are just extended practice time. Focus on the road through Cleveland. Next year we return all but 2 players (according to yesterday's commitment) and I expect a schedule that will be demanding as always in terms of playing different styles, but also one that is worthy of an at-large bid. That is my hope anyway. I too was surprised we didn't go deeper into the bench yesterday, but then again we all know that playing time is earned in practice. Go Zips!!

Just got a call from ticket office. Men's basketball game moved to 5pm, so it doesn't coincide with Soccer. Hopefully, Wheeling won't take the Zips into overtime. Great day to be a Zip?

As of now, 4 is the max possible next year. Lol

Us and N. Ill on one side of the bracket, W. Virg, BG, and GA State on the other side. Hey! To any other MAC team fans reading this board, HOW ABOUT AN ALL MAC FIANL FOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beacon article....has some new quotes from Jared article does not look like it is subscriber only Hopefully, everyone can access the article https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/college/zips/2021/11/15/akron-zips-mens-soccer-team-host-santa-clara-ncaa-tournament-jared-embick-will-jackson-dyson-clapier/8630504002/

BGSU also had a 2-0 win over #13 seed FIU they lost 1-0 to #14 seed Marshall on a goal at 88 minutes BGSU played a tough non league schedule.

View of the student section and bar area.

I'm pretty sure its just the $20 to access that area. I believe you can buy beer elsewhere throughout the arena, but I didn't attend so can't confirm!

I think you guys are over-estimating the importance of conference. IMO, it has more to do with individual team results against higher ranked (by RPI) opponents. Against the RPI top 50, BUGS was 3-4-1. Michigan was 1-6-2. Stanford was 0-3-3. Which team would you pick based on those stats alone?

As a Zips fan, you have to hope for the best and prepare for and expect the worst.

Z-Fund donors of $2500 or more don't pay the cover, others pay the $20. https://gozips.com/news/2021/11/12/mens-basketball-akron-athletics-announces-new-z-fund-mens-basketball-courtside-club.aspx

"Teamism"!!!!!!!

https://www.santaclarabroncos.com/sports/m-soccer/2021-22/schedule Santa Clara.....has record of 11-1-4 one loss was 1-0 at Georgetown they are #54 in Gaucho Dan RPI Last week's united soccer coaches poll had santa clara at #16 today's top drawer soccer poll has santa clara at #23 today's college soccer news poll has Santa Clara at #17

Does not compute.

Amazing, time to make a run!

OMG!!!! Go Zips. Home game!

So he was interested in YSU, but not Akron. Suuuurreeee. He was never a candidate. It's embarrassing the local media reported as much.

Dre's favorite candidate is telling people he informed UA that he's not interested.

Selection show is streamed at 1 pm EST today. https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/soccer-men/d1/2021-ncaa-di-mens-soccer-tournament-selection-show-date-time-how-watch

I want to make it clear I wasn't advocating for him, just making it known. If I had to guess, he would win some here, but leave us high and dry as soon as he could in a likely inconvenient position. Not somebody I want.

I guess as we await the news we will have some lively discussions about potential candidates. So I will continue this and say: in this situation, you can't separate coach from person. He used his position as a coach to have an affair with a co-ed and misuse school resources, etc. I would wonder what other dastardly deeds he's engaged in with recruiting in order to build up that winning record.

Agreed. He is still a cancer and has no place at Akron. If he were to be hired he would leave whenever he felt like it such as when he coached the Atlanta Falcons and left mid-season w/o even speaking to the players. No class. No morals.

Zips add Ryan Prather Jr.

You worried me there for a minute, Blue & Gold!

Petrino certainly wouldn't need the $$ to come here. He's had maybe two 8 figure contracts bought out and was also fired for cause from Arkansas, Why, you ask? He also was involved in a MAJOR EFFING SCANDAL at Arkansas. Having an affair with a volleyball player, then circumventing procedures and hiring her for a position she wasn't qualified for, and then getting in a motorcycle accident with her and lying about it. NO, NO, NO, NO! And Eddie George? A name and no coaching resume worth a nickel.

So Thamel says we can't afford to gamble on upside (which I agree with), then Feldman says we are looking at George? lol. Should be fun! George would be the least experienced coach we've ever hired. Lambert seems to have good, well rounded experience and has spent a significant amount of time at programs who recruit Ohio, but his 22-48 record as HC at Charlotte is worrisome. I don't have much thoughts on him at Purdue this year. Odom doesn't seem to have a connection to the area, but looking at his Wikipedia, it looks like he actually did okay at Missouri considering its Missouri. He went 25-25 in total and was only 38 when hired, so definitely able to learn from that experience and continue to grow I'd think. His D at Arkansas appears to be top 1/3rd-ish from a quick look on ESPN. Tony Alford just may be my favorite. He's from the area, has been a great recruiter (ranked #11 out of all coaches last year), has ND, OSU, and other P5's on his resume, and has had the Associate HC title at OSU and Iowa State. He's definitely one of the best position coaches in the country. He's definitely somebody I'd take from OSU, but I'm not sure if we can put up the $$ to get him if we wanted if I'm being honest. That seems to be a tight knit staff considering the status, job security, and pay that come with it. Kevin Wilson likely not a bad choice, but I don't think we can afford the $$ for him once again. Per Wikipedia, he's making 1.2 million this year. Mike London's resume is kind of all over the place. Seems he parlayed one FCS championship and another solid year at Richmond with predominately Dave Clawson's players to a HC job with Virginia. He did bad at VA (27-46). He had a good first year at Howard, then jumped after the 2nd year, which was a losing season, to take his current role at William & Mary where he is 12-13 thus far (6-4 this year). At the FCS level over his career, he was pulled off FBS wins vs ULNV and Duke

You meant to say one good half

Groce put the bench in with, what, about 5 minutes to play? Yeah, it was extended practice and Groce had them foot-on-the-gas for the entire 35 minutes the starters were in. I felt a little bad for Point Park, but Groce was getting this team ready to play suffocating D for 40 straight minutes. I loved to see it. And while the game will count as a win for us, it was a literal scrimmage for Point Park so won't be reflected on their schedule.

You have to be a subscriber to read the article, but I could also make out that they mentioned Bobby Petrino, who is presently at Missouri State, and Ferris State's Tony Annese. I think I'd be extremely excited about Bobby Petrino.

I appreciate all of the hard work and research that went into this thread. However, this team doesn't have it this year. Their 1-4-1 road record speaks volumes about their tournament chances if they make it. Plus, the NCAA does Akron ZERO favors.

http://rpiupdatemenssoccer.blogspot.com/search/label/Tournament Projection I agree very much with you .....that it would take an absolute royal screw job by the NCAA for the zips not to get in. If you look at Gaucho Dan's tournament projections (strictly by RPI), the zips are the 17th ranked at large team out of 25. For the Zips not to get in, the NCAA committee would have to embarrass themselves by taking at least 9 teams with a lower RPI than AKRON. As SBZipfan points out, the zips have some impressive results....win over regular season ACC champ Pitt, win over Big Ten regular season and tournament champ Penn State and ties against two top 25 teams...West Virginia and Indiana last 4 teams in..according to Gaucho Dan...34. Wake Forest ; 35. Charlotte ; 36. Georgia State and 37. Loyola Marymount we all know that the NCAA loves their big conferences....I will be shocked if #38 Michigan does not get in....the Big Ten will go nuts if they only get 3 in the tourney let's look at the conference breakdown of the 25 at large teams...projected by Gaucho Dan ACC - 7 Duke, Clemson, Pitt, North Carolina, VA Tech, Louisville and Wake Forest Big East - 4 Providence, Creighton, Villanova and St. Johns Conference USA - 3 Marshall, FIU and Charlotte Mid American Conference - 3 West Virginia, Akron and Georgia State Big Ten - 2 Indiana, Maryland PAC 12 -2 Washington, UCLA West Coast Conference - 2 Portland, Loyola Marymount American East - 1 #11 New Hampshire WAC - 1 #12 Grand Canyon I am sure that the PAC 12 guys on the committee will want their league to have more teams than the MAC....or conference USA I would not be shocked to see Michigan and Stanford make the field...with GA State, Loyola Marymount or Charlotte...most likely to just miss

Love your optimism.

Problem is You cannot go strictly by RPI

With Felton out, Natson returned 3 kicks for 72 yards.

If only it wasn't 1461 days ago.