RoyalBlu

They have scored 68, 51, 59, 58 in their last 4 games. Lost one of those games and won 2 of 3 by 4 points or less. Other win (Cleveland State) was by nine. A hot night by the Chippewas could make this very interesting.

What you say is true re: CMU, but don't sleep on that Minnesota game. I would venture to say any of the top 4 MAC teams would have a solid chance at an upset against the Gophers, even on the road. They are not very good. Got to go back and check, but have they even scored 70 points in a game yet this season?

Another week is now in the books. Looking around the MAC, it is hard not to pick Akron as the No. 1 team in the league, particularly the way the Zips are scoring points. So here is one Thanksgiving view of the league. 1. Akron 2. Central Michigan 3. Toledo 4. Kent (dropoff) 5. Ohio 6. Bowling Green 7. Miami 8. Eastern Michigan (dropoff) 9.Western Michigan 10. Ball State 11. NIU 12. Buffalo No. 6 BG is the wildcard at the moment considering their roster talent level can match any in the league and the 6-7, 260-pound Johnson is a nightly mismatch on the wing. No. 10 Ball State is the head scratcher as the Cardinals should be much, much better than they are. No. 7 Miami is still my sleeper in terms of MAC play. While still young, they will improve and be a tough out. Thoughts...

Yes, the future looks promising and bright. Yes, this still looks like an elite MAC team. But let's not fool ourselves about who the Zips are playing. Understand, according to Kenpom, the best team in this tournament after the Zips is Alabama State, currently No. 229 Kenpom. Zips move up the ladder a bit after that with future games against No. 193 Northern Kentucky, No. 179 Milwaukee then a real tester vs. No. 84 Yale. Understand, best I can tell, the MAC overall has just one Top 100 victory, and that was by BG over George Mason ... and BG just lost to a team, Bellarmine, with a Kenpom rank below No. 300. All other MAC games vs. Top 100 teams, I believe, have all been 20-point losses. Akron, BTW is currently Kenpom ranked No. 150 with an offense ranked No. 115 and a defense ranked No. 240. All of this is not to rain on the parade ... just letting folks know what the weather is like.

If defense and rebounding catch up with the offense, .... the Zips will be a team to be reckoned with all season!!!

I beg to differ, when you have the number of P5 transfers this team has. If that is the recruit/portal level Groce is looking to compete at on a yearly basis, I believe the non-con schedule should reflect the fact the talent level is (supposedly) high enough to warrant two or three of those games.

Seriously ... I think Akron/MAC needs to somehow figure out what football level all can compete at to at least be .500 successful most years, and perhaps .750 a couple years with a magical year sprinkled in every decade. At some point, in my mind, the supposed $$$ you get for being at the current level is anchored down by the level of embarrassment that presents itself every year not just for Akron, but several other MAC schools as well ... so to be joined by UMass. If that means dropping down a level in FB, to raise the level of other sports (BB, VB, Hoc, Soc, etc) then so be it. Repeating the same thing over and over again is insane ... and has been proven so.

MAC basketball 2024-25 is pathetic ... Central Michigan and Bowling Green look like the class of the league to date, after Toledo, which is not saying much at all. If Zips can't steamroll this league this year there will be very little to say.

Falcons up 72-68 with 7-plus to play at Michigan State ... and don't score again. Turnovers and jacking up 3-pointers. Didn't seem to try to keep the game close down the stretch. Strange. (But the Falcons do have a ton of talent).

Bobcats got their clocks cleaned again at Memphis.... this league is a mess. Ohio, Kent, Akron have all been dusted by 20-points by quality competition. Toledo looks decent, but haven't played a P5 yet. We'll see.

Kent State goes down hard at Auburn ...

11/13 ... Central Michigan ...14-point dogs on the road, win at the buzzer 70-69 at George Mason. They have two of the best wins in the MAC so far.

The two ways you run successfully is to (1) rebound, which is the easiest. (2) You have to win between the free throw lines with defense/steals/turnovers, which is harder to do over the course of a 30-game season. We'll see how it looks after 5-10 more games.

Upon further review (St. Mary's 20-point loss) .... never mind.

Ugh!! The Bobcats are terrible. (Lost at Illinois State and game was never really close). If that's the best the MAC has to offer, then the Zips should have little resistence getting to the top of this league ... no matter what happens at St. Mary's. Toledo is Toledo, and guessing Kent is Kent. Zips roster talent tops all of those teams ... and depth too.

More and more 'fairness' is becoming a very lost element in our moral fiber. And sadly I'm just not talking about sports.

Since Mike Bobinski or Mike Thomas when has an Akron AD gone on to bigger and better things ...

Hey ... I get it. If you can legitimately claim it, then claim it. I think you can raise a banner either way. I'm just too old school, and I understand that. But I actually ache when teams (Akron in the past) do so much to win a regular season championship to somehow have it 'dismissed' for not winning 3 games in March.

Another pet peeve (and I know I'm losing this one before I even start ... but) The MAC CHAMPIONS are the Toledo Rockets The MAC Tournament winner/Champions are the Akron Zips The fact the 'reward' for winning the tournament is greater than the 'reward' for winning the regular season title, in my mind, does not negate the greater accomplishment (18-games vs. 3 games). But that's just me.

May not compete at the highest level .... but ... Zips/MAC can compete against high level teams. And should do it consistently.

Dennison was not a bad AD ... he had ill-advised presidents operating behind his back. He NEVER would have hired Faust.

I hear you ... but the object of the game is put the ball through the hoop!!!

Obvious takeaway ... even vs. lesser opponent ... this team has mad depth.

Absolutely right! FB plays those games for $$$ to bolster the entire athletic department and really not expected to be competitive. It's the cost of doing business as a FB mid-major. A BB mid-major on the other hand - along with solid recruiting/coaching - can not just be competitive in many of those games P5, but pull realistic upsets occasionally which bolster the team and the league. As an aside, why the MAC doesn't mandate these $$$ FB contracts must include a basketball game within a 3-year window as well is beyond me. That would solve a lot of the BB P5 schedule problem. And unlike BB, the ADs usually negotiate the FB deals, not the coaches.

Several games tonight ... but the big one last night was Stoney Brook (Geno Ford) pulling a 1-point win out of their arse on the road a Central Michigan. CMU lead the whole game ... was up 10 near the 5-minute mark, then pissed down their leg. Let the same kid drive for layups down the stretch, including for the game-winner. Davidson at BG is the big one tonight. The rest of the MAC, including Zips, play a bunch of get-well games.