ZipGrad93

Sad news... Former safety Tyler Campbell has passed away. My prayers and condolences are with the family...http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dispatch/...p;pid=152691404

REALTIVELY young, which I also meant to include experience... Key Contributors: Diggs - So. Abreu - True Frosh Marshall - So. McClanahan - Jr., but first year of real playing time that's 4 of your top 8, plus Nik who is a Jr., although he may leave, as you said. Egner and Euton should play big roles in the future, too. Who are we losing? McNees - underperforming; we're basically playing "without" him this year Roberts - role player Bardo - role player of little significance McKnight - streaky scorer I think we'll be better next year than this year, especially if Nik stays. Call them what you want; I think we're a year away. A year of experience and playing together under KD's system will make a big difference.

I'm just going to be patient. KD remade the roster. McNees is underperforming. The team is relatively young. I think KD will right the ship; just maybe not this year. Then again, maybe the team will collectively figure it out, and make a nice, deep run in the tourney. If I recall correctly, OU wasn't especially good last year until late in the season. Maybe that will happen to this year's Zips?

Plain and simple - we couldn't handle their quickness on the perimeter, offensively or defensively. We didn't make any adjustments to compensate for that. The zone was a good idea, but #3 got hot, and busted it up. I don't like how we have Marshall and Nik hedge screens 40 feet from the basket. It hurts us rebounding, and we lack enough quickness (at least against teams like CSU) to really recover on defense from that rotation. I also didn't like our offense tonight. If we're going to be going through Nik and Marshall all year, I don't think they're consistent enough for the Zips to win the MAC. McNees has to be more involved and he has to score more. He's capable, and that takes some pressure off of Marshall and Nik. Honestly, after watching this game, I was wondering how we competed against Dayton... That said, it's only one game. I have faith in the coach and the players. They will get it straightened out and compete for the MAC title once again.

Hindsight is always 20/20. I'm sure if the administration had known how this season was to turn out, they wouldn't have hired Ianello. I'm sure Ianello was more highly thought of when he was hired than he is now. How well would've Fickell done? Who knows... Chances are, he would've been better than what we have, but we'll never know for sure. (We certainly couldn't get any worse.) The one thing I did like about him is that he did coach in Akron for a year or two, before joining OSU, so at least he was a bit familiar with the program and the community. Regardless, we'll probably be going through the same things again in a year or two...

We'll have a windfall in the athletic budget from all of the scholarship players that have left the team?

Good coach = players and team improving We have none of that going on here. Obviously, the team with better players wins more often. However, a "good" coach can take players not as talented and win a few that maybe he shouldn't. At the very least, the team should not be getting worse week to week.

You think we would be a better team with a different system under the current staff that was hired to run the system the coach knows? You think Rob would be a better coach in a different system? Do you think the systems were mentioned in the interview with the AD? You don't get more basic than the pro offense and the 4-3 defense. You are looking for one simple answer to a bad football team. Just think for a second of running the spread with this team. Who would catch the ball? Who would block? Same guys or will we magically get a bunch of talent at those positions because we have a different scheme? What defense will we run that we don't have to cover receivers and we don't have to put pressure on the QB, because THAT is what we should run. There are many more problems than just one. You're missing my point... There is no one "magic" system that will fix our problems. However, a coach should adapt his system, or change his system, to play to the strengths his players have. Here's a simple analogy: let's say I'm taking over a program, and "my" system is the triple option. I've just inherited Bernie Kosar as my QB. What do I do? Try to run the triple option with him? Absolutely not! I take what he does well, and build my "system" around that. Coaching isn't rocket science. Certainly a "pro system" coach can learn facets of other systems to incorporate into his game plan. Coaches steal from each other all the time (e.g. the "wildcat" formation). And, I'm well aware there's more than one problem. Position swtiches like Carter's come to mind. However, why haven't we seen any improvement at all? Why can't we adapt to at least be competitive against bad teams? In my opinion, it's because the coaching staff doesn't know how or doesn't want to adapt. We may be bad, but with good coaching, we certainly should get better...

A good coach finds a way to put his players in a position to succeed. He doesn't try to put the proverbial square peg into a round hole. iChump forced his system onto the team, instead of evaluating his team and designing a system that plays to their strengths. Although a good coach may not win without a "good team," he absolutely will impact the progress and improvement of the team collectively and the players individually. That is absolutely NOT happening with the Zips. The Zips are regressing, not progressing! And, don't tell me the Zips players don't care about winning. I watched Saturday's game, and there are still plenty of players playing with pride, passion, and maximum effort out there (Wagner, Lemon, Thomas, Burnley, Allen, Pride, etc.). It's not their fault the coaches haven't done more to help them succeed. ZipGrad93

You know, I'm as frustrated as everyone else around here. I don't post much, but I read regularly. I'm not happy with YouTube Tom's performance, nor am I happy with the iJoke hire. They've collectively done nothing positive for the Zips' football program - absolutely nothing. I watched the game on STO, and it was a comedy of errors. It's unbelievable that the Zips are actually this bad. It's even more unbelievable that the coaches haven't done anything to improve this team, regardless of the "new" system, position switches, and so forth. (On a side note, how can you take a kid with all-MAC talent in the defensive backfield - one of the best athletes on the team - and get so little out of him? Is iJerk too stubborn to admit he has failed by moving Carter to WR? The Zips can't cover anybody, yet our best DB wallows in obscurity for most of each game.) However, I've decided not to give up on this team. You know why? Because in watching the game, I could tell that kids like Wagner, Thomas, Lemon, Allen, Burnley, Pride, and others, really do care. I believe they really are doing the very best they can within the system they've beeen given and in the positions their coaches put them in. In reality, yes, they need to perform better, but they are still kids, and they can only attempt to do what they're directed to do. I couldn't care less about the AD and the coach, but I love the Zips and I will support the atheltic programs as long as there are kids in there working, evidently even for a lost cause like this season, as hard as they can. Even though performance-wise we are the king of suck, I'm still proud of the kids busting their butts for our school, and doing it with class, week-in and week-out. If it's hard for me to watch, I'd bet it's 10x's as hard to be a part of it. So, "Go Zips" players. I've still got your back...

I think Northern Iowa vs Kansas was a pretty good application of this theory, too...

Amen to that. The guy who unfortunately and disgracefully ends it gets suspended for the season (justified). The guy who starts it...nothing happens. What's up with that?When something this bad happens, there is usually more than one person to blame. Boise State needs to step up to the plate here and suspend that bum who started it with his loud mouth.The funny thing about this is I think the more people watch the film, the more disgusted they get with the player from BSU. Not that the guy from Oregon was not to blame, but the guy from BSU is a boob. I talked with several people today who were disgusted with the player from Oregon, but were happy he clocked that THUG from Boise State.My thoughts:Hout didn't start it. Blount started it weeks ago when he said to a newspaper reporter (direct quote): "We owe this team an ass-whoopin'." Picture Eugene Jarvis talking smack for weeks before they come to town. Then he has a terrible game as we blow Can't State out of the water. Sewell lets him know about it after the game and gets decked. Who are we blaming as Akron fans? Sewell? Of course not. Jarvis would become more ridiculed than Singletary around here (at least until B-ball season )Suspend the guy who has a loud mouth? I'll go on record here and say that I am 10000000% certain that what Hout said to Blount was tame compared to what the Goal Patrol here at UA yells at opposing players on the soccer pitch. Do I mind what we yell at soccer games (yes, I said we...I do it too.)? Nope. But don't cry just because someone who's on the field says things to opposing players.I think my favorite part of the video was how utterly retarded Blount looked. Gets pissed off for someone letting him know how he should've kept his mouth shut before the game, punches him, then backs away from him, hopping like he just won a prizefight. Newsflush, @$$hat, your team lost a game that you personally sucked in and you cold-cocked someone that could eat you for lunch in a fair fight. Don't act like you've done something worth celebrating.^^Exactly. Blount was talking trash for a week, yet somehow the Boise kid is the "thug" for "provoking" him. I'm not defending the Boise kid - I'm a proponent of sportsmanship, and I can't stand to see these kids "talking smack'' to each other the whole game. But, if you want to use the "provoked" logic, then Blount provoked Hout with all of his trash talk coming into the game, and I'd bet the ranch Blount ran his mouth during the game, too. I think Oregon was too easy on Blount. If it were my program, I'd kick him out for good.

I think size is irrelevant, at least to a degree. Give me a football player. I don't care if he's 5'11" or 6'11"!There are plenty of examples of guys in college who didn't have the "measurables" but who were excellent football players, and vice versa.

I thought that might be the case, too... However, I was hoping for some more talent to come our way!

Devo was never at OSU, though, right? They just pulled his offer. He could've played last year, so he wasn't subject to transfer rules. I wonder if it's somebody else?

Boy, these last few years with BG sucking at hoops were pretty sweet, but it sure looks like those days are over for a while. How long before MAC hoop announcers start whining about how the divisions are "unfair" BG played at Minnesota and only lost by 7 or so. They'll be good for sure this season.

What about Marquinn Davis?

Alex Allen just went down... it doesn't look good.

I live in Columbus, and it looks like they're showing volleyball down here at 3:30. I also checked the "Zips Zone" webcast stuff from gozips.com, and it looks like they only have the audio for the game. Checking the entire schedule, it looks like the only football video broadcast will be Ball St.! Is that right? Man, I watched several games last year on the webcast. If that's the case, I'm very disappointed, and I won't be renewing my subscription...ZipGrad93

Alleman was claimed by the Dolphins today. I didn't think he'd be unemployed for too long...ZipGrad93

I think Getsy is a grad assistant for the coaching staff now...not sure where I saw that.As is Kris Kasparek. It's in the media guide.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...in.3a0d323.htmlThis surprised me. I thought he was a legitimate pro prospect (and I still think so). He does have a pro day coming up, and he certainly didn't hurt himself at the Hula Bowl, so hopefully he'll still be on some teams' radar.

I thought it was really cool that they added the recruiting videos at GoZips. I believe it was Jared Province (#20) who was very impressive at DB/KR/RB. There were a few other guys that had impressive tapes, too, like Bowser and Schuler, among others.

The Zips play too many guys. They need to get the rotation down to 8 or 9. With all of the substituting, I think it's hard for the team to find a rhythm and a personality. That's what it looked like to me, at least on offense.Disappointing...

I see your shift at Taco Bell ended at 9:00...Although I agree with you in principle, I have no problem with a coach protecting his players - especially one who couldn't come back into the game because of the cheap shot. It would also have been nice to see some sportsmanship from the kid that hit him.