MDZip

OK this starts the turnaround. Zips have been close many times in the last few weeks, this time they finally bring it home. The road, conference and 1 win a year streaks all go in one fell swoop. Zips 31 DeadHawks 17.

As I suspected. The Zips have still avoided the official list and beating Miami might well keep them off the whole season. Miami is #2 and WMU is #4 although I think WMU is worse than Miami - and WMU has become the first team to be eliminated from bowl consideration. We can make Miami the next. The Michigan Wolverines know about gravity all too well. After avoiding disaster against Bottom 10 stalwarts Akron and U-Conn't earlier this season, Michigan's luck finally ran out in a 43-40 loss in four overtimes at Penn State on Saturday. . . . While "Gravity" brought in a whopping $124.3 million at the box office in its first 10 days in theaters, we're guessing ticket sales will be significantly smaller for Saturday's Pillow Fight of the Week between winless Miami (Ohio) and 1-6 Akron. Like Bullock and Clooney in "Gravity," the RedHawks and Zips are tethered to nothing but each other, while spiraling into darkness.

With the Zips currently at 40th in the RPI a loss could mean no NCAA tournament at all without winning the MAC (which is no foregone conclusion this year). This is a highly unaccustomed situation. Zips need to win here and against Michigan State to have any chance to climb back into a seeded position.

Betcha this game gets "pillow fight of the week" on ESPN's Bottom 10 (which the Zips have somehow avoided this year).

His accuracy was really off today seemed to overthrow and underthrow all day. On that 4th down pass where he went deep to L.T. Smith, it appeared there was a high percentage pass to a Zips receiver in the middle of the field past the first down marker. This was not a good game for him but I thought the defense was terrific.

Still a chance .... that missed extra point is huge.

Yes, but if we played him and he was found to be ineligible, we'd have to vacate all of the wins.

No dammit! They will lose this one but they will put up a fight. Last week was an abberation, the previous four games were better. NIU 42 - Zips 23. Beat the spread.

I think Chisholm gets a little bit of a bad rap because he does do a little too much dancing but I think he does have the home run potential. He had a 23 yard run against OU, 55 yards against JMU, 50 last year at Can't, and I can remember several big passes that he has caught and turned into touchdowns or big first downs. He might not be the guy to always pound ahead for three yards but he absolutely has some explosiveness that others don't possess. I think they should use him as a receiver out of the backfield a lot more often, he has good hands.

Looks like it's official. The MAC will have additional bowl opportunities. The five non-BCS leagues have banded together to make three more bowls. The Miami Bowl, created by the American Athletic Conference, is expected to be held at Marlins Park, home of the Miami Marlins. The American Athletic will be the "anchor" conference, and its opponent would come from the other four non-power leagues, a source said. In August, ESPN reported that the Bahamas Bowl will be held at Thomas Robinson Stadium and would be the first postseason bowl played outside the United States since the International Bowl in Toronto (2007-10). A news conference will be held Oct. 14 to officially announce the Bahamas Bowl. All five non-power leagues will rotate in the game. The Boca Raton Bowl will feature teams from Conference USA, MAC and the American Athletic. The game will be held at FAU Stadium on the Florida Atlantic campus.

NIU #23 in both polls. This is going to be tough. I think they'd beat Michigan. Maryland went from a #25 ranking to receiving no votes in either poll after their 63-0 beatdown by FSU. Ball State got a few votes. And in NFL news, the Broncos have tied for the highest point spread in NFL history, 28 points, against the Jaguars.

Absolute ass whipping by OU and losing to freaking Hartwick in soccer? Was this the worst on-field performance day in Zips history when balanced against expectations?

I won't give up and I knew this was going to be a really rough stretch but with the pouring down rain, trailing 30 to 3 and generally looking completely inept I did something I've never done at a Zips game before. I left the stadium at halftime. Not happy I drove several hours for that

I think we haven't seen any final score predictions partly because of that and partly because no one wants to predict another loss. The sun doesn't start shining until another two weeks - Tettleton is a good QB, another close and hard fought loss. OU 28-24 and I will be there for this one hoping I am very, very wrong.

Despite the fact they didn't win the championship that year, I believe that was the best Zips team of all time (and better than the one that did win the title the following year) and one of the greatest in college soccer history. Bet it would be pretty tough to find too many teams that didn't give up a goal during their entire tournament run, whether they won the title or not. That was what was so frustrating about the PK loss to UVA, I really believe the Zips could have beaten them had they been at full strength. (sigh)

Proenza is a lame duck - what does Tressel think?

Boy, it's all perception, isn't it? NIU jumped up 20 spots (and is now ranked #25) by beating a bad Purdue team (who they have now ranked 89th).

Go Explorers!! Always liked that name with the school tie in (as well as Revere Minuteman - but as they were in our league we would pronounce it Minoot - men). When I was on the JV wrestling team as a freshman the Varsity team got new warmups and we were supposed to get their old ones, but when they came in we got them because they had it spelled Explores (maybe the french version?) but the school got some big discount because of the mistake. Ah, high school sports.

As disappointing as it is to lose week after week, this team isn't that good yet, but I believe they are much better than in past years it just isn't showing up in wins and losses yet. That was a damn tough opening schedule, UCF almost took out #12 South Carolina, Michigan is Michigan (although I do not think they stay in the top 25 at the end of the year, even though they have a soft schedule, did you see what Buffalo did the Connecticut a week after Michigan struggled with them?), Louisiana didn't play this week but they haven't looked too bad to start and then we probably the #1 and #2 teams in the East and then NIU who is #23 in the AP poll (tehy'd beat Michigan right now and they just pummeled Purude) coming up. That's a rough start and the Zips could be looking at a 1-6 start. It gets much better after that, I believe the Zips are superior to Miami, Can't State and UMass. It's going to get worse before it gets better but the team (and coaches) have not quit, they are still playing their hardest every single game and that's all I can ask for right now. The wins will come, just continue to fight every week. We will upset somebody along the way here (could even be this week). On the bright side we haven't even been mentioned in the Bottom Ten yet. And I think the MAC might have a vested interest in NIU doing well again. Their crossover games are Akron, Can't and UMass.

I hate that the Zips open with the Falcons as I believe they will win the MAC East East this year (I also hate that OU gets a week off before we get them next week but that's a topic for next week). I think the Falcons win this one handily 35 - 17. So ZN.O what say you for this week?

Wasn't this originally a UA/OSU soccer game thread?

The best site I know for football statistics is NCAA.com, they have a lot of that kind of data. You will need to select sport and divsion on the left side of the page. Did not see Mizell and I know they don't have it to the depth of each players snaps but it might help some. Freeman, March and Holmes are listed among the tackling leaders, Justin March is tied for 5th in interceptions per game.

I think we're starting to understand why you are so tolerant of athletes smoking pot.

Poor Browns - can't even get tanking the season right.

It was a good game - look forward to the rematch next year.