MDZip

So the Big Ten and Big Twelve just need to switch names and we're good (Nebraska even has a head start). The Big Ten gains a championship game and the Big 12 loses one. Looks like this might be just about the end of it right now, except maybe the PAC-10 looks to pick up one more team for a Championship game for themselves. I still think this is good for the Zips. Money matters a lot, but it is still possible to compete at least occasionally even at the lower level. Utah, Boise State and TCU don't exactly have overflowing coffers. Even Miami, Fla. was pretty much a nothing program before the mid-eighties, so it is possible. I'll be happy with a Zips team that can win the MAC and maybe compete on a National stage every few years (both CMU and Ball State have done it in the last few years so its not impossible).

While I am a little disappointed in what appears to be a few mis-steps with the football program, I'm going to chalk it up to newness. Yep, I think there have been issues but I have no choice to see how this plays out, I don't really have any other options (well other than to make ZW's "Quit on the Zips" list ) Not concerned with soccer in the least. Another great recruiting class and I have a lot of faith in Coach Porter and his program. If there is any program on solid ground, it is soccer. I will be senidng in for my season ticket as soon as they are ready. Basketball is a little disconcerting but again I trust Coach Dambrot. He has been very successful and if he felt that the program needed what happened to become even more successful, then I'm all for it. Even if somehow his hand was forced, seems like he had a reasonable backup plan. Womens basketball and soccer are both on the rise and track has sustained an excellent run. Even if those are more minor sports, its still nice to see some success there. A lot of my uneasiness stems from all of the realignment going on right now. Akron has made big strides in the last several years and I would hate to see us sliding back because of it, but I think it is a very real possibility, I have, however, sent in my Z-fund donation and will continue to support my alma mater. Go Zips!

It's time we started acting like a big conference. Lets just go grab the remaing four Big 12 schools and drag them into the MAC (Temple gets the boot unless they join in all sports). Then we could call it the "Big Mac" and get an obvious commercial tie-in.

Temple itself is not the problem, it is the football only situation that causes the problem. If they were a permanent member of the MAC, that would be great, because then we could maybe add a 14th school and balance things out. Does anyone really think the MAC was better off when UCF was a football only member? Especially with the terrible geographic issue? So if Temple leaves, I think it helps the MAC. Do we really want an East football champion that doesn't actually play all of the teams in the East? It is going to be a problem at some point. Marshall's exit was definitely a loss. If Temple joined as a full member, WKU would be an excellent addition if the Sun Belt implodes.

Height: 6 ft - 2 inches Weight: 195 lbs Position: SS-Strong Safety And his name is actually Mark.

In my opinion, nothing. This article makes a big deal about how the MAC is making contingency plans should the Big Ten expansion affect the MAC. While it's always good to be prepared, I don't think I'd put too much effort into this one. The MAC looks like the only conference that won't be affected, as a matter of fact it could even be positive because it might get rid of Temple.

Can't believe we're lower than that, and stop calling me Virginia (otherwise I'd be VAZip). Oh you meant the team. Now I'm going to guess we won't be lower than 90. If I'm wrong long enough, we can get to #1.

We have a winner, yep the Huskies are the only team to beat the Zips in the MAC in the Caleb Porter era. Zips haven't lost a MAC game in over three years.

Good guess, but not the Falcons. Happened in 2006.

A little trivia off of the article too to get people to start thinking soccer (too early to book tickets to Santa Clara?) - it states that Caleb is 20-1-1 in the MAC since he started coaching at Akron. The tie was against Hartwick in the MAC tournament (which the Zips won on PK's). Who is the only MAC team to defeat the Zips? Hint - it wasn't FAU .

Speaking of that, College Soccer News has released their report on this year's recruting class. Once again, one of the best in the Nation. My favorite lines - "They’re talking national title in Akron in 2010 with eight starters back from the 2009 team that was 23-0-2 overall and advanced to the national championship match" and "If ever there was a school on the rise nationally, it’s Akron".

This link was supplied in another topic but seems to fit in here even better. The Orlando Sentinel also does a countdown and they are down to #98 and still no sign of the Zips. I say no way we slip past #95. http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_co....html#more-6409 No. 120 Eastern Michigan No. 119 FIU No. 118 Western Kentucky No. 117 Miami (Ohio) No. 116 Tulane No. 115 Memphis No. 114 San Jose State No. 113 North Texas No. 112 Washington State No. 111 Toledo No. 110 UNLV No. 109 New Mexico No. 108 Colorado State No. 107 Rice No. 106 Ball St. No. 105 Utah St. No. 104 Syracuse No. 103 Louisiana-Lafayette No. 102 FAU No. 101 Louisiana Tech No. 100 Wyoming No. 99 New Mexico St. No. 98 Buffalo

Again, you are thinking in the extreme. Morgan State is I-AA. One Morgan State is fine. Two probably not. Three, no way. One PSU is fine, two probably not, three, no thanks. Is it exciting for me to watch UofA take a beat down three of four ooc games against BCS teams? No. In fact, it is a comlete waste of time. Would I be more excited against Colorado State or New Mexico State or MTSU or Marshall? Hell yes! I want to watch the Zips play good competition against teams they have a realistic shot at beating and the other team has a realistic shot at beating the Zips. That's good competition. They are guaranteed to beat Morgan State. They are guaranteed to lose to PSU. They could beat a non-BCS team. I'll take the excitement of the unknown in a game matching two well equal teams rather than a certain loss or certain win. I would love to see teams on the lower end of the BCS success cycle(Maryland, BC, UCONN, Syracuse, Virginia, Iowa State, Indiana). Who cares about MTSU (Besides Mr. Holcomb) and New Mexico State. Colorado State would be ok and Marshall would be better than average. Schedule up and play up. The key factor is getting them to Akron. Buffalo has done what Akron only can dream of. I still remember the hype surrounding when Wisconsin visited Can't. Bringing top teams to Akron will do more for the program and the school than even joining C-USA. Grab the attention of local fans. Orlando Sentinel Link No. 120 Eastern Michigan No. 119 FIU No. 118 Western Kentucky No. 117 Miami (Ohio) No. 116 Tulane No. 115 Memphis No. 114 San Jose State No. 113 North Texas No. 112 Washington State No. 111 Toledo No. 110 UNLV No. 109 New Mexico No. 108 Colorado State No. 107 Rice No. 106 Ball St. No. 105 Utah St. No. 104 Syracuse Would you really like to bring in some crap teams ad "enjoy" the game? I know they ar preseason rankings and all but either traveling to or getting them to travel here would be a huge waste of money. I'm more amazed that we are not in the bottom 15, I'm betting we show up pretty soon. Not surprised that EMU is ranked last though, but the stadium they had in the picture in the accompanying article looked familiar.

Peter Noone would beg to differ.

GP1--- ????????????????????????? Its hard to see but the word If in GP1's post is linked to the story he is talking about. Its about a coach who got a pole vaulter disqualified for wearing a string friendship bracelet.

You know, I have to think there must be someone sitting over at Lee Jackson Field who has no hope of figuring into the futbol team's future, who nonetheless is capable of kicking an oval football through an upright pair of goal posts. From at least 40 yards with consistency. Trying to remember the mid-to-late-80s Copley HS product who transferred back from BeeGee and didn't figure in Lolla's (or his predecessor's?) plans, but became a consistently successful kicker of American footballs. Was it Andy Graham?? --edit-- Memory returned. Dennis Heckman! You don't even have to go back that far. Just go back to the 2006 season when we borrowed Jon McClain from the soccer team when we didn't even have anyone who could kick an extra point and he did a pretty good job.

David Aldridge just mentioned that LeBron was going to be getting some sort of award at the University of Akron on Monday after the game on TNT. Nice little plug.

C'mon, LeBron James arena ...

I missed 9 but there is another section where you can do division I basketball conferences, by school name and nickname. I did the MAC just to see how well known the Zips are (it gives you statistics after you play the game). The Zips are 4th in school names (all three directional Michigans were above us) and first by far in Nickname (even above several other school names). Don't think it means much but at least someone knows us.

Keep this up and you're likely to get a Stern warning from the other moderators.

If we get them both, we should change our name to Aakron for those years.

Guess I can't cheer for Akron since I never went there. And no "Joe Akron" can cheer for the Zips because they have no connection besides living in the city. What a ridiculous argument. Cross me off too fellas .. never took a class at the U. Sucks I'm not welcome. Hold it - weren't you just named basketball fan of the year? (Congrats by the way). You better get that registration together in a hurry before you get banned from the games. Look guys, I get the point some of you are trying to make. For a long time OSU was the only major program in the entire state. I remember it being fun listening to the radio in my dads old truck when I was a kid when Archie Griffin and Cornelious Greene and Pete Johnson were playing. That was back when Akron was still a Division II school, so people who have been around long enough still remember the era when that was the case. I think it's great that Akron is developing a more passionate fan base but a little historical perspective can sometimes make you view things in a different light. One of the best things about Akron athletics even at this point in time is getting in on the "ground floor". Its fun to root for a school that has some really good things going for it, whether it is your alma mater or not. And like it or not, one perception of a school is is public sports profile. As an example, I guarantee you that applications to attend Butler will go up next year. I get good comments almost every time I wear Zips gear anywhere I am in the country. I don't care in the least what happens at any other school (well maybe Can't if it's bad) unless it directly impacts the Zips.

Taylor Miller, to whom this links refers, signed with Toledo. While none of us is too surprised by Howards decision, I am OK with a couple of high-risk, high-reward, type players a year (Devoe Torrence, Erick Howard, David Harvey). I know none has panned out as we'd like so far, but if you have a chance at a high level talent, you go for it as long as those players don't dominate your roster. Also, if they leave, it gives you an open slot to grab someone who may have slipped through the cracks up to this point. I try not to take it personally when these kinds of situations occur, after all I'm sure the kid doesn't care about what decisions I make.

Only five MAC players were drafted over the entire 7 rounds, none higher than the third round. I think that tells you a little that this was a down year in the MAC. The biggest surprise to me was that no one took a chance on Freddie Barnes out of BGSU. He'll hook on somewhere as an UFA, and I'll bet he sticks with some team. Pretty tough to set an NCAA record, even out of the MAC, and not have some talent backing it up.

Philip Michael Thomas - I win. I'd like a basketball player named Lebron James or Micheal Jordan.