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I am stunned that there are Akron fans who root against moments like last night. And disappointed. This is the most engaged I've been in MAC nonconference basketball in a while.

I’ve watched it 38 times this morning. Still doesn’t get old.

Agree QB is the biggest offseason priority. I’ve stolen this analogy from another coach, but a great QB is like spaghetti sauce and covers up a lot of mistakes. At this point, I’m not even expecting a great QB, just a consistent one that rarely turns the ball over. That can fall into the “seasoned” category for #1 and preferably someone with significant experience at the P5 level. As far as the OL goes, we never even came close to replicating the production at right guard. Whigan’s graduation left a huge hole that we didn’t adequately fill. N. Williams hasn’t been as strong at right tackle this year either (I’m guessing nagging injuries). Center and left guard have been slightly better than last year. Left tackle has been a bit worse compared to Landers, but probably a step up compared to the other LTs from 2023. There’s a good amount of young talent in that room that will eventually make a huge difference. Unfortunately, none of them were ready this year outside of T.Williams and K. Davis and their play hasn’t been consistent. We’re probably done recruiting the OL for 2024 unless someone else transfers out. We have a transfer already on campus and the two committed HS prospects. I think the only OL we lose to graduation is Frank. 100% agree on #10. This was a wasted season and can’t happen again. With almost the whole defense returning, it’s fair to expect the defense will be strong again next year. The defense would have looked even better had there been any type of complimentary football. Get the offense right, settle on a kicker, and let’s see what happens.

🤣😂 Big ask.

Starting at Forward, standing at 6'1", they were indeed on a break... Ross Geller! At Guard, she'll "clean" your clock on defense... Monica Geller! At Forward, standing at 6', could he be any better at basketball? Chandler Bing! At Guard, I don't think the defense will have trouble keeping their eyes on her, Rachel Green! Finally, at Forward, he took of his eating pants for this, Joey Tribbiani! Your 6th man is none other than Miss Phalange herself... Phoebe Buffay! Let's take a look at how the post play is going...

Our current HS recruiting class is the likely they best on paper since I've became a fan back in 2010. I don't think we're planning on adding many more, and to my knowledge, not aware of any who have decommitted during this disappointing season. So as for the immediate future, this discussion really relates to our transfers to supplement the HS class. Biggest needs are QB (by far 1) and OL. We have a highly touted OL from Miami thats on campus. I guess potential for Landers to come back. Our young guys are only going to get bigger, stronger, and better throughout their careers. There are many years of proof that you want to play QB in Joe Moe's system. Even this year its not like position hasn't had opportunity, the play has just stunk. Get that position, and a few more transfer who perform like Nunnally, Jones, Fish, Hunter, etc...and we have the potential to make a big jump. But it all hinges on finding at least an average QB.

The sad reality is that the MAC 4-5 years ago was actually something like the 8th or 9th ranked conference when you looked at the conference from top to bottom. The MAC's strength was that it was a deep conference with few "cupcakes". Now since covid happened, it appears half the teams in the conference have just quit trying. Last season, using the same metrics, the MAC was somewhere in the neighborhood of 15th. Programs like the directional Michigan's and Miami need to start investing in their programs more before we can seriously begin to talk about the MAC being among the best mid-major conferences.

Briscoe, Young, Mahaffey.

I have a major concern. Better play calling wouldn't have resulted in more wins. Maybe less fan agony, but not more wins. My concern is, with less than a handful of games remaining in Joe's second season, the future QB is nowhere to be seen. Maybe he's not on the team, but I don't see much in recruiting that's promising. Maybe he is on the team, but not on the field to start the season, or yet.I don't know. It's concerning. John Wolford is a good example because his first season was Clawson's first season. However, Charlie Frye could also be a good example. Lee Owens decided to live or die with Frye. He only won four games in each of his first two seasons while taking a beating. In fact, his winning percentage went down in his second season when college football went to 12 games. His last two seasons the Zips had winning records. In every organization, people have to solve problems. If a manager has 5 direct reports, each of those five people have five problems to solve totaling 25 problems. The manager can't take his five problems and add the other 25 problems of his employees for a total of 30 problems. Smaller problems have to be solved down the trough. As far as I can tell, one of Joe's five problems during last off season was to find the future QB to be put on the field this season, and I respectfully submit he failed at that. I don't think he should be fired, but he needs to get this problem off his desk. Clearing problems is extremely important for organizations.

When the Zips play the day after PCCC has an embarrassing choke job. This is all our moods (I hope).

This’ll be a fun game I promoted the game a lot in different chats. Hope it helps

In late night action, #40 Washington played at Oregon State Washington and Oregon State played to a 2-2 tie. Washington stayed at 40 in RPI after a tie at #29 RPI Washington. Even though Washington is ahead of Akron (44) in RPI, Washington can not make the NCAA tourney as they ended the year sub .500 (5-6-7)

Tuned into the Kent game. Peyton and the rest of that merry band will be easy to hate this year. Pinky still that beautiful hue.

Whew…I was fearful YSU had flipped them.

We’re already off to a decent start. The 23-24 Zips currently have as many wins over MAC teams with a winning record as they did last year!

That "great look" gets everyone Zilch, Nothing, Nada.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CzcUgwMtdhR/?igshid=emg4ZnVwcGl0cDR6 https://www.instagram.com/p/CzcTMK2tvxt/?igshid=NndpcGJzYjgxc2t5

I think the offseason priorities are: 1.) Bring in a grad transfer QB, or some seasoned guy with a decent track record who perhaps got squeezed out by a young phenom. 2.) Need a couple seasoned OL's. Easier said than done, but we need a couple more solid guys that we've presently got. 3.) Identify an returning player to be the #2 QB. Develop him. Quickly. 4.) Find your 2024 kicker. We can't have a 3-kicker rotation again. 5.) Replace Lingard and Anderson with someone good. Maybe Kellom is one? 6.) Get Alex Adams back on the field. 7.) Keep Tibesar. 8.) Find another groomable young QB if the ones on the roster aren't going to work out. Don't hang on to a recruiting mistake...move on. 9.) Get better in short yardage situations. Much better. 10.) Make the fans happy. They've been through a brutal stretch. 7 D1 wins in 6 years is unfathomable. Our 2023 offense was unwatchable. Beg, borrow, steal...do whatever you can to post a winning record in 2024. The days of 0-, 1, or 2-win seasons are over. We had a defense good enough to win 6 or 7 games this year. And the worst offense in memory.

Some things still trouble me going forward. As a number on this site have noted throughout, the offensive play calling hasn't seemed to put the offensive talent at hand in favorable positions to win on a regular basis. For example if, as many have said you don't have a QB who can execute(no pun intended) the offensive system you want to run then you have to adjust the system to the talent you have at that position. Has that happened often enough this season? I still fear thatsome good talent might choose to leave via the Portal given what is happening. And, as before, I fear that potential transfers are going to look at the program and question coming here. Every program wants a 'decent' QB. That guy isn't going to drop out of the sky. And, if the offensive coaches can't 'coach 'em up' once he gets here or can't adapt to that kid's limitations what happens? Maybe this defense can 'win' one more game this season. The D deserves it. Maybe EMU?

I'm going with #1. Probably 90% of schools have the same problem.

Same me and 7 others

He would be welcomed back, but I hope he is ready to go to class and actually study.

I’m coming and bringing 7 ppl with me 💪💪

There are a lot of things to sell. Each person buys differently. My guess is the ham handed way schools sell their product results in a lot of bad choices and is the reason so many are in the transfer portal. Studies on human buying behavior have shown people buy in five stages and in order: 1. The sales person. Does the sales person understand the needs of the prospect. In recruiting, does the recruiter understand what the kid wants out of a school. This is difficult because of the way the human brain develops. Humans are not capable of making truly rational decisions until 25 years old, so many kids have ideas of what they want but the ideas are not well thought out. This is why meeting the parents is important, but since offers are made to kids before anyone actually has a conversation, a breakdown can take place. Recruiting would be a better process if scholarships could not be offered until after New Year's, but there is a lot of stupidity chasing money in college football. 2. The Company. In recruiting it's the school. A kid wants something. Has that school helped others in his situation get what they wanted. 3. The Product. Is what that company or school selling something that solves your problem or giving you what you want or need? 4. The Price. Is what you need to solve worth the money? Not a big deal for scholarships, but maybe a bid deal for P5 schools and NIL. 5. Buy. Everything can be perfect down to the price and circumstances are such the person doesn't buy, or in this case select another school. Maybe a kid just wants to be closer to home. Apply this to Akron football and see what you come up with. Remember, your motivations are not the same as another person's.

I heard from K. Landers earlier in the year & he's hoping/planning on coming back to Akron. 🙏🙏🙏

That's certainly the right approach but closing the sale is a different story. Moorhead and the assistants out on the recruiting trail need to be great salesman as kids and their parents can see the record and watch tape. John Groce came into an essentially bare cabinet when he took over Zips basketball and he came in late. He and his assistants worked and scrambled to bring in a group of transfers, jucos, overlooked freshmen and a kid from the rec center (Lucas Smith) to keep the program competitive until he could build the program he wanted. I realize this is a different sport and situation but I'd like to see the same approach and success from the football staff.

Maybe their starters. Out of the 108 points scored, their bench chipped in a whopping 13.

Playing JMU on the road would be huge for us if we end up getting paired up with them

Zips open -5.5. KenPom says Zips 73-68.

There have been upsets in conference tournaments and that is not good news for teams like Akron (that are ranked in the mid 40's for RPI) As of this past Monday morning, if there were no upsets and if the selection committee followed RPI exactly, the last team in the tournament would be #38 in RPI. Akron was #43 at the beginning of the week The Summit league was a league where every bubble team wanted Denver to win the title I wrote on Monday: Summit - Semis Nov. 9 #19 Denver 11-2-4 vs 134 Kansas City 60 Oral Roberts vs 151 Omaha Denver will be in tourney ...win or lose....an upset of Denver....would lower the last team in RPI Well, Denver lost this afternoon on PK's to #134 Kansas City Denver is now #30 in RPI so this is now a 2 bid league...Denver and the tournament winner The WAC was a league where every bubble team wanted Seattle to win the title. I wrote on Monday: WAC - semis on Nov. 8 17 Seattle 12-2-3 vs 136 UNLV 114 Utah Tech vs 73 Cal Baptist similar to Summit league, Seattle is in tourney...if they are upset, the #38 and #37 teams in RPI are in trouble Seattle lost yesterday to #136 UNLV Seattle is now #28 in RPI......so this is now a 2 bid league...Seattle and the Tournament winner. In the first big big East semis, Xavier defeated Providence 1-0 With today's win, Xavier's RPI improves from 49 up to 39 Akron RPI drops from 43 down to 44 In Big East games, Xavier now has a 6-1-3 record....only league loss was to Georgetown Akron record in Big East games is 2-2-5 Xavier had a 1-0-1 record head to head against the Zips If there are no more upsets , the last RPI team to get in....would be #36

I hope this debacle doesn't affect recruiting. If you are a top RB, are you going to come here when you get 10 or less touches? If you are a QB are you going to come here to throw 30 yard passes for 5 yards (WRs too). What are we selling recruits right now?

Where have you been for the last 30+ years. The Zips have a long-standing policy of ignoring the tight end. It transcends coaching regimes. It is so constant that It can be argued that it has evolved from a policy into a tradition. In the Zip's playbook there is no mention of the words "tight end". Instead, at Akron a person holding the position other teams might call tight end are referred to as decoy. To distinguish the players in a two decoy set players are referred to as decoy1 and decoy2.

Thanks Z-Claws. I'm glad the sky is not falling. 😁 I would go with my best against OSU too. Competing against OU a day later is a good opportunity to build depth. I am very proud of how good our lady S & D team has been over the years. They are the best women's program on campus year in year out.

In looking at the final results from the meet, it appears we didn't swim some of our more seasoned veterans, and went with a more "newbie" lineup, plus we didn't have a very deep representation in every event, i.e. 3 Zips entered vs. 8 OU swimmers in the 200 free, etc. So depth wasn't there. No Dyer, no Goreka, no Sebotin. Plus, the women swam against Ohio State the night before this meet in Columbus in a dual, so I would assume they went big vs. the Buckeyes to see how they match up, and hoped the reserves could score vs. Ohio. Just a guess. And on top of that, I'm not sure how much dual results in the MAC mean to Peresie, this was a chance to let his team swim in the pool where the MAC Championships will be held in March.

Good post. They are probably going to need to work on defensive depth. They do have a good defense, but if the offense still struggles next year they will need a lot of fresh, competent bodies during games. The grad transfer QB probably works best at this point. Joe burned two seasons without his guy behind center. Can't wait to develop a freshman for a couple of years. I see someone gave a thumbs down to your post. NE Ohio fans are a funny bunch. I think they enjoy losing more than winning.