MDZip

The bottom line really is that it is all about money. There is no way that MAC schools are going to compete against $60M budgets that the BCS schools get. I'm not saying that is fair nor right (and the NCAA ought to be sued over it - hey I think someone tried that) but it is reality. Basketball is a little different, since the team is much smaller a couple of very good players can get you into that atmosphere, but in footbal the financial landscape is so much different. Hard line to walk, do you play name schools to help with recognition and money or do you want to have more wins? I know several people (including me) have espoused one big money payout game, one I-AA "buy" game for us and then a couple of mid-level/low-level BCS teams for a 1-1. Problem is that even with the two we have now (Indiana and Syracuse) are both 2-1 series and I think we had to make some guarantee on the games they are playing at our house. So we need to work it out with whomever will work a 1-1 deal with us - which means WAC, C-USA, Sunbelt and maybe MWC. How about a Houston - we have a connection there , a Rice, a UAB 1-1 series?. That should help with getting 6 homes games and get a more realistic schedule in place to hopefully eke out a couple more wins.

Hard to do much worse - it is a little display of hubris to think that anything we do on this site actually affects a game anyway. Do it!

Nice Article on Anthony Schrock today. He is happy to be coming to UA and playing close to home in the new stadium. Let's hope even more other quality local athletes think like him.

This may be the nicest opening sentence I've ever seen for a Zips-OSU contest in any sport:AKRON, Ohio - The No. 15 nationally-ranked Ohio State men's soccer team suffered its first loss of the season at the hands of top-ranked Akron, 3-0...

You know in other years I would agree with you, but I think the talent on this team has become very obvious, I think it would take a major stumble to drop like that in the polls right now. Very few teams are having good years, a lot of them are dropping games they shouldn't. The other remaining undefeated teams (we just reduced that number by one today) have not played the kind of schedule we have. Do you think there is a chance we could have won the Big Ten this year? I certainly do.

w00t wins on the score, 3-0, but from now on to increase the degree of difficutly, we need the names of the goal scorers too. And the ladies I posted from tOSU were pretty close too. They were only off by one shot on goal and had the rest perfect. So some people at tOSU are smart.

Nice job Zemanski - 3-0! Nanchoff with another assist. Nice to have him taking free kicks.

Game stats can be found here too:http://www.gozips.com/newLiveStats/Soccer/...db_oem_id=10800

I just hope we can fill it with that many people at one of the evening games. By the way, the Stadium in half-finished form now shows up on the aerial map for Mapquest as long as you don't get too close. It changes to the old dorm shot if you zoom in. Google Maps still has the old dorms. Looks like the stadium shot was taken about a year ago. Maybe we get lucky and next year's update is a stadium full of people?

Yep, see McClanahan, Brett.

I think the flaw in the "let's not burn his redshirt" logic is that it assumes that we won't recruit another quarterback over the next four years who is also worthy of getting playing time. Is Nicely the last good quarterback we'll ever recruit? And we don't even know what kind of a player he will be, it's all conjecture at this point. Play the best player, period. It's not so hard. So far JD believe that's Rodgers. That's fine, but if he felt Nicely would give us a better chance to win, I don't believe he'd hesitate to put Nicely in. His job is on the line now, not four years from now.

I looked closely at the picture but I'm not sure what you were referring to. Was it something specific to the Zips? So get your lazy butt out of bed and answer my question. It is nearly 4 AM there, the day is already wasting away.

They are signaling, in order for them, Shots on Goal, Halftime, Number of Assists, Number of Goals.

What?! Now you want him to start Gary Pride at QB (is he even still on the team?) What fickle fans!

2-0 Zips. Bunbury and Ampi.

I will reserve all judgment until the season is over. Regardless of how many want the King's head, taking it now and letting the prince take over doesn't do much good. Pretty discouraging so far but let's at least see how the season plays out. Then rational decsions can be made instead of those made in the heat of the moment. That's means don't fire him now.

0-10 on third down. Only heart I've seen has been from Tuzze and Wagner.

It's disappointing to those of us on this board, but that's because we want it to succeed so badly. But keeping it in perspective, it's not so bad. When Va Tech came in to the Rubber Bowl in 1996, there were only 12993 in attendance and that was with a top ten team at the time. The facility matters a little (do you think we would have had a sellout crowd for Mogran State at the Rubber Bowl?), but over time it is the team and the excitement that brings people back. For our typical past attendance, 18000 wasn't that bad. If the Zips start doing better the crowds will come. It will be far more interesting to see what the crowds the rest of the year are like. If the Zips are a middle of the pack team again, I'd take 18000. Something other than the stadium needs to draw them in. I remember in the early 80's the basketball team was not very good but they had a guy names Jakubick who drew people in just to see him. I'm thinking Zeke could have that same kind of effect if he ends up being a defensive monster who gets a lot of publicity. It's still going take time for the football team, but with the Rubber Bowl, we would never have had a chance to get there.

Maybe HoohooHoosiers knew what he was talking about. They are up on Michigan by two at the half.

I'm a big fan of JT and have followed Akron for years. By little publicity do you mean no publicity? I have never read or heard of any such gifts to the school or football program.He is a true gentleman. He wants it that way. When the program has needed financial support in the past, he has come through. I've heard that one day when his playing career is over they may name something after him. The should do that Hall of Fame weekend five years after this season.They should, and I think he deserves a statue (immortalized) to show how much he meant to the program and University and to remind the players, recruits and fans that greatness can come from anywhere.He was also named to the Sporting News all-Decade NFL team.

I was Checking out Top Drawer Soccer for Zips News and I found a little pre-season tournament that the site ran and the voters (there weren't all that many) voted the Zips to win the Championship.http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/contest?contest_id=450I was, however, a little confused by this entry where we beat the WVU Minutemen. Anybody familiar with them - or the classic gold and purple team colors? Maybe that's why we won, playing fictional schools.

From that article:The Zips played from behind the entire game, giving up a touchdown on the opening kickoff to the Hoosiers. Akron battled back to close within 17-14 at halftime.Actually, we did have a short lived lead, 14-10, after the blocked punt, not that it ended up to matter all that much.

Since we finished 5th in the regular season in 2009, I have to think there are a few teams @ our level. BG comes to mind. OU will be back. Miami had a good recruiting year. K.e.n.t. ... they suck. We were seeded fifth, but finished the regular season tied for third. I think the point was that several teams were very close in talent level (hopefully Zeke is our missing piece to take us up over the top in talent level), so we can't take anything for granted, especially in a one-bid league. I think our main threat is still going to be Buffalo, they return quite a few players and most of their inside game. Ohio is very much an unknown, they are going to be young this year, same for Miami and BG (I am looking forward to Zeke matching up against Otis Polk). Guess that leaves Can't for the three spot. I'll rank them this way.1. Zips2. Buffalo3. Can't4. Miami5. BGSU6. Ohio7. Everybody in the West

I'm not going to be able to make it back for the game, so since it is sold out I thought I would offer up my single season ticket if someone would like to go. No charge. Just PM me.

Thanks for the history lesson grandpa. No go put your gloves back before you get chilled and wait for dinner to be served at three o'clock.Exactly what I expected from you. I used facts, I backed them up, I didn't insult you directly (I even complimented your contributions on the Zips), and you resorted to pettiness. Thank you for proving my point.