MDZip

Its possible it could have been a LeBron sort of situation from a few years ago where everyone just stood around waiting for the superstar to make a play but I really can't see that with this player, this team and this coach. Steve gave us two great years so if he's moving on, best of luck to him. Really would be nice for him to pick up the Hermann trophy on his way out, and he should, after all it is handed out by the MAC (OK, that stands for the Missouri Athletic Club, but still ... ). And I just saw UNC got into the final (against Maryland). I hadn't paid any attention to the tournament until now after we got jobbed, but to see UNC in the final when we could well have played them on our home field, it still just sickens me. Thank goodness Coach Porter wil be hanging around in the future, I was really worried about that one too.

The MAC has three bowl tie-ins. A few years ago we had one. I think the MAC rightly does not want to risk those tie-ins (we're already a little tenuous in the GMAC bowl) on a one year undefeated season. If it was a BCS bowl, our partners would understand, that's understood for the non-BCS conferences. But if we start taking away a major draw for our bowl partners on a year they should get it, they might reconsider for all of the other years in which the MAC is less than spectacular. We need to honor those commitments.

While the thread may be dead, there is still some interest for the league as a whole. We have 6 teams bowl eligible, 4 are projected to go. That seems about right. Neither of the 6-6 MAC teams (BGSU and NIU) are projected to go. What it means is that our game against Temple really was pretty meaningless. Buffalo is projected for the International Bowl, which is a great spot for them.

I did get a response to my note to Ms. Keller (I have to give her credit for sending a reply Thanksgiving morning). I responded to her in saying that I certainly understand the safety concern but do not understand why in four days, at least a neutral site could not be found and I do not understand how it is in any way fair to move the game to the opponents site. I do not expect a response back on that one.All of the other things people have cited against the Zips (the NIT snub, being the only team left out of a bowl in 2005) really had very little to do with NCAA decisions. This one does. That's what made me mad enough to write to complain. I wish more people would do so. I was hoping to see the game with my son and nephew while I was back for Thanksgiving. I will concede some blame on UA for the field conditions but I cannot accept the fact that it was moved to an opponents field. That is just wrong. At least her answer does indicate that when the Zips take out NW on their field, there is at least a chance that the next round will be back in Akron (of course as an out of stater I won't likely get to see it).This was Ms. Keller's response:Thank you for your email. The overall safety and experience of all student-athletes participating in the 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship is our utmost concern. Appendix G in the men's soccer championship handbook clearly states that if a seeded teams' field becomes unplayable then they will lose the opportunity to host championship competition. Reports from various staff including those from the University of Akron indicated that the field had become unplayable. Therefore the decision was made to move the game to Northwestern University. The goal of all preliminary round competition is that it be played at one of the participating institutions. In light that Ohio State had already arrived in Akron and the game needed to be completed as soon as possible in safe conditions was the main reason that particular game was played at the local high school on an artificial turf field. In the event Akron wins this weekend, a review of its field will be made and only then will a decision be made to determine whether or not Akron will host quarterfinal competition.

I sent the same note from above to both ladies that were listed in Rasor's blog. Same tone, not accusing, but asking for an explanation.I got an out-of-office e-mail from both. Ms. Smith's reponse directed me as follows (Ms. Keller's said she would be out on the 27th and 28th). I will be out of the office the week of November 24 without e-mail access. You may e-mail Nicole Boles (nboles@ncaa.org) with anything that is time sensitive. I will respond to your message Monday, December 2. Thank you and have a Happy Thanksgiving.I have also e-mailed Ms. Boles.Ditto. Keep sending those emails guys, it can't hurt.Aaaaannnndddd .... she's out until December 1st.Thank you for your message. I will be out of the office until Monday, December 1. I will not have access to e-mail during this time. I will respond to your e-mail just as soon as possible.Nicole BolesNCAA Playing Rules Administration

I sent the same note from above to both ladies that were listed in Rasor's blog. Same tone, not accusing, but asking for an explanation.I got an out-of-office e-mail from both. Ms. Smith's reponse directed me as follows (Ms. Keller's said she would be out on the 27th and 28th). I will be out of the office the week of November 24 without e-mail access. You may e-mail Nicole Boles (nboles@ncaa.org) with anything that is time sensitive. I will respond to your message Monday, December 2. Thank you and have a Happy Thanksgiving.I have also e-mailed Ms. Boles.

I sent the same note from above to both ladies that were listed in Rasor's blog. Same tone, not accusing, but asking for an explanation.

I just gave the NCAA my 2 cents...I just did the same - for whatever good it'll do, we at least need to let them know our anger over stealing a hard earned right away from the team. I was not profane not accusatory, but I think all Zips fans are owed an explanation. This is what I said.How is it even remotely fair to have a team get a high NCAA seed in soccer only to have their game moved to an opponents field (not even a neutral field)? I am talking about an apparent decision to move the Akron-Northwestern playoff game to Chicago! I am bringing my family to Ohio over Thanksgiving to support a Zips team that absolutely earned the right to play at home. I understand that if a playing field is unplayable a new venue can be selected. There is no alternative field anywhere other than the opponents home field? Could someone please explain this to the legion of loyal Zips fans as to how this is even remotely a fair situation? What happens if the Zips advance yet again in spite of this extreme disadvantge? Will they yet again go on the road despite being a #5 seed? Explanation, please?

This is semi-related. I was just watching Colts-Chargers and they still do the player intro's where they name their college. When they got to Antonio Gates, he said "Detroit Central High School". Did Can't change its name - maybe as part of the Ohio Higher Education Realignment or was it to conform to the truth in advertising laws?

Here's a difference though. My dad graduated from Ashland, played football there, was named as one of 24 players to their first 50 years of football "dream team" and is inducted in their athletic hall of fame and even he didn't know they lost today. He was vaguely aware that they were playing but didn't pay much attention to it. Huge difference between the level of interest and degree of difficulty between D-I and D-II.

Domenik Hixon had another big day, two huge kickoff returns. Given that he is also a better receiver than Josh Cribbs, if I was looking for a young returner, I'd take Hixon - I don't expect to get a lot of argument on this board.

The real irony of this quote from the OSU site is the fact that is exactly the kind of language you'd see at our site after playing OSU in football like last year. We gave them a tough game. That is the kind of language that is used to give yourself some hope. Kind of cool to see it turned around our way.

Bowling Green has actually tied for the lead twice in the last four years but both times have lost on tiebreakers, so that means Akron, OU, BGSU, Miami and Buffalo have all won the East division in the last four years. Temple is a very new member so we'll cut them some slack. So that would leave ...

My son goes to Pitt and we got to see the game together last night - lots of fun (except he spotted Zeke and I never did). He also saw the Miami game and it is his opinion that the Zips are far better (of course his tuition is coming due so that may also be a factor . He was very impressed with B. McKnight (so was I), and despite the fact the Arena announcer had no idea how to pronounce Cvetinovic, he was a force, especially as a freshman. Adding Zeke to this team next year could be a pretty darn good team (couldn't we get Linhart another year of eligibility, he had a very good game too), but year's team could pull off some surprises as well. Great effort, Pitt has an outstanding team., Zips didn't back down at all, just got beat by a superior team.

I'm happy for for the Bulls too. They've been a beat-down team for a long time. NE Ohio fans will understand what that's like (as a matter of fact I'd rate Buffalo #2 as the most tortured sports city in America, behind Cleveland. Philly fans can no longer complain for a few years). Anyway, we may have been fighting karmic convergence this year anyway. I'm sure some people know this story, but for those that don't, the Bulls have been invited to only one bowl game in their history (in 1958). They have never played in one. They had two black players on the team who were not permitted to play in the bowl game so the team turned it down. Here is a terrific link to the story if you're interested:http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=buffalo58So EXACTLY 50 seasons later, with a black head head coach and class act like Turner Gill at the helm, the Bulls are going bowling. Congrats to them. The way the stars (Drew Willy, Namaan Roosevelt, James Starks ) were aligned was too much to overcome for us. Time for some small payback for that 1958 team most of whom will get to see the Bulls in a bowl game in their lifetime.But for being so magnanimous in losing in 4 overtimes, our turn comes next year (Drew Willy will be gone plus we'll get to play Miami ).Go Zips

They have been claimed - good to see a couple more Zips rooters in the crowd.

I know its kind of late but I had acquired two tickets off StubHub and then my company came up with two in the Club level so I took them, so now I have two extras. My son attends Pitt so I told him to offer them up to see if anyone wants them but at this late date I figure I'd also offer them up here in case anyone still wants to go but hasn't gotten tickets. PM me if you're interested. No charge.

The first question I'd ask is have you ever attended a game? A lot of people have an impression of soccer that isn't matched when they attend in person. Watching it on TV (like during a World Cup) is just not the same thing, think of how different it is to attend a football game in person. Our players play the game at a very high level and its pretty intense and is far from a non contact sport. I never liked soccer when I was younger but now I do have some exposure to it watching (and eventually coaching my kids through many years of it) and I do appreciate it a lot more now. It does help to have some understanding of the game. I attended the Akron-Maryland quarterfinal NCAA tournament (tickets were all of $7.00) in 2005 and quite frankly it was one of the most tense, exciting sporting events I have ever attended. The game is a lot better than most Americans give it credit for (but I admit I don't enjoy the "flopping" and that secretly I'd love to see what would happen in a game if the offsides rule was eliminated. )

And nowhere in the article did it mention this years (or next years - or the year after that ) loss to "lowly" Akron. If I was Buffalo I would also be worried about losing Turner Gill. He is a heck of a coach and they could have lost him to Nebraska last year. If Syracuse is smart, they would at least schedule him for an interview. Of course, I'd like to see him out of the MAC, so maybe someone should call Darryl Gross . Or maybe someone should just tell this Kenny character. Anybody checked his web site lately? Is he celebrating? Would it be possible to tell?And as an aside, Chase Blackburn got a start today and a nice mention (even where he was from) from the crew announcing the Giants-Ravens game today.

Zips have done evrything that could be expected of them, and others are trying to help out. Wake will still probably get the top seed, but I expect nothing lower than 8 (and will be disappointed to not be at least a 4).

It is frustrating because we were so close. But if we do win the next two (and hey they are both on the road against losing teams), we end at 7-5. That's not a bad finish and with the big conferences looking to be having trouble filling their bowl slots, at 7-5 there is a very good chance we could go because 7-5 teams have to go before non-bowl affiliated 6-6 teams. Its not over yet, even though the odds of winning the East are very, very, small now.

Neither was Dru. I think we need at least a half dozen games under our belts before we can start making any realistic assessment, especially with as young as this team is.

In 2005, we were the number one ranked team in the country for a while and I think we finished around #4. When the seeds came out, we were #9 which meant we got an opening round game at home (I belive it was WVU), but then the next round we were on the road against #8 Connecticut. After that win we went on the road to #1 Maryland (outstanding game, I went to it), but a disappointing loss. Anyway, if you are seed 9-16, you get one home game, if you are 5-8 you get two if you win the first round, and 1-4 could get up to three - and then next step is the College Cup. I also believe that if a higher seed gets upset, the highest remaining seed gets the home game. And there are no regional seeds, just 1-16. That is how I remember it.

OT - Lets go Zips!

TD Zips! All tied up!