MDZip

I think that is a truism. YSU still has to go to Pitt so that will be tough but neither team has exactly faced murderers row. The Penguins have faced only two teams that are above .500 (Niagara 4-3 and Bucknell 5-3). The Zips have faced exactly zero. So I'm happy for their start I still think it might be a little bit of a mirage. The most positive sign is that none of these teams has stayed particularly close, but I think expectations here need to be tempered a little. They did lose a heck of a lot from last year.

You'd be far from the first to accuse me of being that.

According to a check of his Wikipedia entry it does not appear he has ever done any announcing for C-USA.

This may have been covered in Cleveland better but I think it's hilarious that Fox Cleveland sent John Rinaldi to Cincinnati's press conference to ask a question after Marvin Lewis called Johnny Manziel a midget. Since I am 3/4" shorter than Manziel #Iamamidget

Shouldn't you be out making sure Kelly Leak is staying out of trouble? There have been innumerable threads about Zips scheduling explaining some of the challenges but do you want the Miami philosophy they used to employ where they played a murderers row of teams (and lost to every one of them)? How often do you think its possible to rise up and beat a top 25 team at their place - which unless you do the tournaments like the Zips do is the only way you're going to play them - I'd much rather do what the Zips do and have a chance to beat them on a neutral court (which happened two of three times this year). If you recall South Carolina destroyed the Zips twice last year, so the Zips get no credit for beating them this year? Oftentimes these games or tournaments are set well in advance and you have no idea how good the team is going to be when you actually play. EMU looks like they caught Michigan in a down year (unless you think good teams get beat by both NJIT and EMU at home in the same year), good for them, wonder how the outcome might have been a couple years ago during the year Michigan was National Runner Up? And I don't know who you think thinks the Zips are on a Butler/Gonzaga level but I haven't seen it. There are 340 D-1 teams and you're going to complain because the Zips played four in the top 109 and beat two of them? Good that your expectations are high but it probably needs to be tempered with a little realism.

I thought of that as well but I will let LZip answer that. But EMU's win was in Ann Arbor - but since Ypsilanti is only about 10 minutes away maybe it was considered a home game?

No cable company carries ESPN3. It is an online streaming service only and I think it's actually pretty good. I prefer straight TV of course but I'm happy I get to see the Zips any way I can see them.

So USC, Miami, South Carolina and Penn State weren't good enough for you (of which the Zips won 2)? And that's just this year. And Mississippi State was a top 25 team when the Zips upset them. If EMU goes on to have a good year then the Michigan upset might mean something (but people will still downgrade the win right after NJIT also upset them - to whom we would even be mad if we lost to). Think you're barking up the wrong tree.

I think Memphis and Cinci are likely heading to the Big-12, however that would also likely mean two C-USA teams move to the AAC. You might not like C-USA as much when you realize its a reconstituted Sunbelt.

Maybe that's why they think he knows something.

And the MAC East was miserable this year. The "champ" beat only East teams and lost all their West matchups (including losing to the FIFTH place West team). The Zips had the easiest schedule they could have had. And to one of the coaches wives who lectured a group of die hard Zips fans who actually bothered showing up because they dared boo after the Zips wasted their second timeout of the second half - FU. Who couldn't have been more condescending after explaining how the game is "complicated" and then whined about how she missed her box seats - double FU. Your loyalty extends as long as your husband has a job (which he owes partly to those fans), we have a life sentence.

Never expected that after losing 5 quality players - including a couple of all-timers. Kest must be a heck of a coach.

I believe he is referring to Janoris Jenkins a DB for the Rams who benefitted from a second chance at North Alabama under Terry.

And Ohio becomes bowl eligible as Miami chokes away a first half lead as badly as the Zips did against Penn State (sigh).

Really disappointing loss. :-(

Not unless we beat Can't it doesn't. Miami up 21-7 in the 3rd quarter.

Wow 32-18 at Penn State. They just mentioned no MAC team has beaten three power conference teams in one year in over a decade. And a 90 point pace at halftime. Who are these guys? :-)

Miami also won the title game handily over Charlotte 77-58 (and in a weird scheduling quirk like we had at last years tournament with South Carolina will face them again Tuesday night) so its possible the Zips could have been the second best team at the tournament. Miami is still undefeated and is now ranked #17 in the country so the Zips don't have too much to be ashamed of. This Penn State game should be a really good test. Anyone see a line yet? Bet its close.

Wasn't quite sure where to post this, but this seems like as good of a spot as any. Was seated beside Kwan Cheatham at the team dinner on Saturday night and I just have to comment on what a terrific young man he was. Really polite, obviously very smart, good sense of humor, seemed very serious about both court work and classroom work, just was a really delightful guy to talk to. Love to see players like him on the team and really love it when they also start playing well. I will be rooting hard for this player for the next several years. Go Kwan!

I've long advocated for reducing the number of players on the field for each overtime. Go to 9 then 7 then 5 with no goalie. It opens up the field and at least would be a little more "soccer like" to decide critical games like the playoffs. Regular season games have no shootouts but they do have overtime.

Dammit two touchdowns lost. 11 points off the board.

Nice to see D'Orazio playing well. :-)

Actually it would be more like Akron was the 33rd seed (and Ohio State 32) since they wouldn't have the highest seeded from the first round play the top seed in the next.

We need the Ewing theory to kick in quickly.