MDZip

Debbie, try to enjoy it while it lasts.

14-0 Z-I

Started great, lets end it now. Then an idiot penalty on the kickoff. Grrr.

If Akron beats WMU, NIU can be no worse than the third seed, because either BGSU or WVU will have a loss or they will tie and both have a worse record than NIU, giving NIU the 2 seed. How embarrassing.

Yep, someone forgot to mute the mic on the last break, badmouthing the hell out of OU.

Video feed is working fine, Tiffin hanging a little closer than I'd like to see. Forsythe with a beautiful pass to Harney for a layup. The big man can pass and shoot. I'm excited about him. I also realized just how much I'll miss watching Zeke next season (oh well, its only the beginning of this one).

The top half of the MAC is pretty impressive, but the bottom half is woeful.

This is complicated. With WMU's win over NIU today, there is a four way tie (3-2-1) for the last three MAC tournament spots. All four have a "win and you're in scenario", because two, WVU and Bowling Green have an elimination game if that happens. That's not likely to be an elimination game as that assumes WMU beats Akron. Buffalo is even still alive (2-3) because if they win their last two, they get in ahead of NIU (they play each other so it would be Buffalo 4-3 ahead of NIU 3-3-1) and either possibly WMU or the loser of WVU-BGSU. Bottom line, any 3-2-1 teams are in for sure if they win. In head to head matchups, WMU holds the tiebreaker over NIU, BGSU over WMU, NIU over WVU and WVU effectively over no one. WVU has a pretty good chance of missing the MAC tournament entirely. I can't even conceive of the scenarios right now if a bunch of these games end in ties and I can't find the MAC Men's soccer tiebreaking procedures. Well, we do know one thing - the Zips are the #1 seed and will host the conference tournament. Remaining games of importance: Wed: Buffalo at Hartwick Fri: NIU at Buffalo Sat: WVU at BGSU Sat: WMU at Akron

Stewart Mandel apparently agrees with you, but Jeff Sagarin still has it ranked last of all FBS conferences. There has been definite improvement though. The same could be applied to the Zips, they have definitely improved but the results aren't showing up statistically in wins.

I believe you're thinking of someone else. Never made any comments on Penn State's season this year. My only comments have been on OU's weak schedule so I am not convinced they are anywhere near an elite team. Beating weak MAC teams and no one of note out of conference other than Penn State (which I gave them some credit for but noted it was under obviously very unusual circumstances) I'm not buying in yet. Beat BGSU and either NIU/Toledo (whom they can't play until the MACC) and I'll give them their due. I know they can only "play who is on their schedule", but beating 3 of the 4 worst MAC teams (Buffalo, UMass and UA) by an average of about 5 points doesn't inspire a lot of awe. I believe BGSU is a better team and beats them in Athens. Take heart though, they should still beat Can't and Miami.

After looking at CMU, I don't like our chances here either. CMU's record is deceptive, they have played a very hard schedule this year. Their last six games have been Mich St, Iowa (which they won), Toledo (now #26 in the AP poll after beating Cincinnati), NIU (41st in the AP poll), Navy and Ball State (wins over Indiana and South Florida and are third in the West). The West seems way better than the East this year, which is why I am now much more worried about CMU. Still think Can't and OU are a little bit of frauds (very weak schedules especially when you compare them to the West, I can't believe OU is showing up in the BCS standings), I still think there is a reasonable chance Bowling Green passes both. The MAC is very odd this year, with two pretty good teams (NIU and Toledo), four OK teams (OU, Can't, Ball State and Bowling Green) and everybody else is pretty bad. Unfortunately for the ZIps, we played most of those good teams and couldn't quite get over the hump with the few bad ones. Terry said one more than last year, right? We're running out of chances, if we can't take out CMU, please don't let UMass get their first one.

I really like Scott and hope he wins, but I'm sorry, I just can't bring myself to lick him (plus I think that would really annoy him too ).

You may need to re-read my post. I was the one who said that team deserved an NIT bid, not an NCAA one. That was someone else.

That team definitely deserved an NIT bid, but not an NCAA one.

Interesting map roughly allocating fan bases for mostly FBS teams across the country. Not surprisingly, MAC teams get little more then a blip in most places. It's from last year and could use some adjustments but I thought it was kind of cool.

Not a single team from the Big Ten in the to 25 in the BCS standings. Thats partially because OSU in ineligible but not one other team Big Ten team is represented. The ACC has two and the Big East has three. Shockingly Ohio U. is not on the list either. According the Jeff Sagarin's ratings, OU is the 72nd best team in the counrty and has the 161st hardest schedule (includes FCS teams). For comparison, the Zips schedule is rated #112.

Yep, OU now #25 in the AP poll. Completely undeserved, they have pretty much played no one and barely beaten some bad teams (including us). Their schedule is pathetic, they could actually go undefated against that awful lot, but I think BGSU exposes them for the frauds that they are. No way is OU the 25th best team in the country,

I was actually at this game, and while both teams were good (Marquette had a real Mutt and Jeff team, a monstrous defender, a 6'7" guy from Sweden and then a 5'5" forward who played quite a bit), I don't feel that either could have beaten the Zips this year. That's a good sign.

I didn't know Zeke was Irish, since that's the defender in the picture and that is clearly Brett McKnight in the Akron uniform. Sad part is, Zeke actually played in that game and there is a great shot of him blocking a ND shot from then.

No argument there as I am also disappointed in the lack of Beacon Journal coverage, but to cite George as the sole cause of that problem is certainly unfair.

Well the name would work since we are building a "New House".

George does a great job on football, he can't be everywhere.

Crudely done in about 5 minutes but here is an idea. And the good part is if we lose you can claim its works either way.

I think I have given the Bobcats too much credit. I went back and looked at their undefeated record and this Bobcats team also could be a bit of a mirage and could easily crap the bed with any of their remaining games. So far they have played probably the two weakest teams in the East (Umass and Buffalo) and both were close, they beat a Penn State team in one of the all time weird situations (I'd like to see them play again now), beat a bad 1-AA team (Norfolk State), a team who's only win was over a 1-AA team (New Mexico State) and a poor Marshall team (who's beaten only a 1-AA and Rice who is terrible this year). Only the Penn State win is impressive at all and as I said that was in fairly suspect circumstances. If they win the East, it will probably be due to also having a very weak West schedule (Ball State and EMU only). This is no juggernaut team, they are going to get a couple of losses along the way. A good day by the Zips and they could be one of those teams.

I've never posted in one of the recruiting threads but saw this on ESPN today. Anyone heard anything about Heath Harding? It might not be against the stiffest of competition, but 20 yards per carry is still 20 yards per carry. That is what Dayton (Ohio) Christian senior athlete Heath Harding is doing this season. Entering this past weekend’s game, Harding was leading a 6-0 Dayton Christian squad, carrying the ball 64 times for more than 1,200 yards and 22 total touchdowns. Last week, Akron became the latest program to offer the 5-foot-10, 170-pound running back/cornerback. Actually, Harding said the Akron offer has been out there for a while, but he just did not know it.