Zipsrifle

At this point, none of our games are a given. Hope for some decent results today....maybe something close like later in last season?

Some of you need to understand something. We may have no choice in the matter. It may not be us dropping. It may be us getting dropped by the BCS level schools wheny they start their own division.There are a limited number of schools with a limited number of scholarships at the BCS level. If a player wants to play college football and all of the scholarships are taken up at the BCS level, he'll have to go somewhere. Our division would be the next best thing. It's already happening.With all that is going on in college football, change is needed. Either we make the change with like schools or we get handed the change. Better to make your own change than allowing someone to make changes for you.If the BCS schools leave the NCAA, who knows if the scholarship limit will remain intact. If they bump it back up to 120, us "smaller programs" will be doubly hosed. Greed is alive and well so I would expect it to happen.I doubt it will happen. less than 1/2 of the BCS schools are profitable and adding 35 scholarships will be very expensive. Remember...they would be obligated to increase women’s sports to be in compliance with title IX...adding more to the costs. And they may be paying players a salary (or allowance). Remember...if the BCS does leave...it WILL be about the money. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_IXI do not think it would be bad for the UofA in football if they created their own division...but basketball would suffer. Those who see us eventually competing for the national title will be disappointed (and delusional)Why not just kill off a few of the sports that don't make money to get your additional 35 scholarships? If this really boils down to money, then why not cut costs and increase income? I'm not saying I'm in favor of this but if this is a money grab, it makes some sense.

How does RI compare to JD in terms of red shirting? It seems like RI is red shirting more talented players that would typically see the field with JD. Any thoughts??

WOW. Way to take a simple open discussion nuclear. :rolleyes:There is no need to interpret others ideas other than what they are, opinions. By blasting ideas that do not align with yours you are trying to control the forum which ruins the experience for all of us. Chill out! No need for personal attacks. I think you miss the major thrust of my proposal. I am looking to drive cost out of the Ohio public college education system NOT create one mega university and destroy college athletics. In fact, nowhere in my comments do I mention sports… Anyway, because I am focused on public colleges and not private, my proposal would actually eliminate some of those programs that have been hanging around because the public schools would not let them go. A private school would have canned those programs years ago. I am simply looking to eliminate waste and increase efficiency by leveraging new technology. Yes, it would bring the schools within the state closer together but that is not entirely a bad thing. In this discussion, there are other considerations that are also important and I do not discount those. Again, my frame of reference is clearly stated as "Saving Money" and I can easily take another point of view that would highlight issues with my proposal above. You made several valid points and trust me, I love the current "College Experience" and would hate to destroy it! As for online learning, I was skeptical of it at first, but I was forced to take classes online due to my work schedule. I too felt that you needed to be in class to connect with your professor and other students. Once classes started, it was not as I imagined. There were both online and classroom students for my first class. I did not have any issues. I called the professor on the phone if I had an issue and the students used SKYPE for projects. The university was actually able to have some classes "off session" with no physical class in session. I simply reviewed previously recorded lectures and worked directly with my professor and classmates. It allowed the university to reduce cost and increase income. I could review the classes when it was convenient for me anywhere. It was great. Now, I understand that this is not for everyone, but I for one loved it and I think many people will prefer the online method. Oh, and my classes started 10 years ago and were through a well known private university, NOT the UofP.

Nice article, thanks for posting the link.

Some good points here. In a thread some time ago I proposed and idea that would take some of these concepts even further, though it would likely damage or even destroy the "College Experience" as we know it today. Why stop with 2 schools close together? From the standpoint of saving money, I like the idea of linking all the schools and allowing the students to get their degree for any Ohio College. I took quite a few classes on-line and I think it is the way of the future. Common classes and degrees would be available at the schools as they are today and over the internet. Schools with weak/low demand programs would have those programs cancelled. Schools with strong programs would keep those programs. Undergraduate students could take any class from any school online with the exception of hands-on classes/labs. These would need to be available for those students within a reasonable driving distance. It is likely that a school with a strength in that discipline would be nearby. Rare or exceptional programs may exist at only one school. My thought process is that we drive out the inefficiencies due to redundant/low demand programs and leverage technology (the Internet) to expose more people to what the schools throughout Ohio have to offer. It is conceivable that students may not even need step foot on campus.

Notre Dame.....I'm there. At the top of my College Football Bucket List!

I'll probably be going to games alone also. There are some people who want to go to some later games with me, but frankly, I know by that point I'll be too embarrassed by the whole situation to have them show up. In the past there were SOME people in lot 34, but there will be NOBODY later in the year and the team is so bad and the crowd is so small that I don't want to ruin what has been a pretty good experience the past two seasons for them. I used to really try to get people to the games but it's not worth it. I'm also a little frustrated with UA, after having season tickets for 12 years and donating money to the athletic dept., I don't get any communication about the OSU game and they give me a parking pass for the parking Deck AFTER I requested one for Lot 34. I do as much as I can to help their program and they just kinda treat me like some new guy who has season tickets for the first time.... This is our low point and if it isn't fun for me, it won't be fun for anyone else. This year I'm just going to try to learn more about the game and hopefully there will be some high points. I really want to be there the moment things start to turn around, if they turn around. Don't know, we'll see what happens...

Maybe that is a sign the trolls have just given up and the only people left are the "Nice" ones. You know, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all? Me, I'm just waiting for the 24th when we play someone NEAR our level.

I agree, we should be combining some of the curriculum. Personally, I think there is a LOT of money to be saved but nobody wants to reform the college education system we have today. People will pay the price to get a degree and why ruffle feathers????

A few things stuck out for me. First, we are young. I don't know all the players, but every time I looked at the scoreboard, our guys were freshman and sophomores whereas most of the Temple guys was on the board, they were a Junior or Senior. There is usually a big difference between an 18 yr old and a 21 year old physically. Second, their guys were very physical. Not only was their D-Line pushing our line back, but they were using moves I didn't see our D-Line use to break down the protection. Of course, maybe this is just my untrained eye interpreting things wrong. They also could HIT! Rossi (Solid dude) caught one pass, turned around and was just decked by one of their guys who just stood there and looked down on him. Rossi had to have the weight advantage. Third, their guys were just plain more athletic. Our guys were just a step behind theirs. This was apparent last week at one point when one Zip had a clear shot at Bauserman and it took FOREVER for him to close. I don't blame the Temple coach for the fake punt, I blame our coach for not having our guys prepared for the situation. I have to think Temple is looking to break into the top 25, and what better way than to try and beat the Zips by more than OSU. They had no respect for us and why should they? That said, I THINK I saw some bright spots when compared to last year. How many passes did we drop last night? I'm not saying Moore is awesome, but at least our guys had a chance to catch them. The team seemed to be involved in the game, even when on the sideline and I don't think they lost hope even when they got down. I also didn't give us ANY chance at making that field goal. We hung with those guys for a while before they just pulled away. Yea, my standards are low, but I'm looking for SOMETHING! Very well might be a one win season. I want to see how this team responds in a close game, and I'll have to wait two weeks to see that.

Put me in the same camp! I'm amazed at how everyone knows the personal work ethic of all these people in the athletic dept. Now I'm not "In the know" but a head football coach or DI-A Athletic Director has built a reputation prior to their current position. I don't see how UA would have hired a bunch of lazy people who just want to collect a paycheck. Dr. P and the gang MAY have stumbled here, but come on, lets be realistic, I have to believe these guys are busting their tails and doing their best. They may fail, but that doesn't mean they aren't trying. As for TW, for me he started off slow with the RI hire. But, since then, he has impressed me. He has done an excellent job doing what was necessary to keep Porter here and getting the soccer team what it needs. On the other hand, regardless of how the soccer team does, IMO, TW was brought in here to fill that football stadium and THAT will be his legacy. IF ALL the other sports are successful, and the FB team sucks, nobody will remember his name 10 years from now. If RI was the right hire, and the FB program takes off, they will name a building after the guy. As for RI, again, I was never very excited about his hire, but we are one game into the season and we are ready to fire the guy. Yes, last year was a disaster, but if that is what is necessary to put this program on a solid long term winning course, then so be it. I expect to see improvement over the season and I expect 4 wins by the end. I have been thinking over the past few days how excited I was when JD had his early success. How everyone wanted to lock him into a very long contract and how sure we were that he was going somewhere else in only a season or two. It was all downhill from there. We were so sure that he was the real deal and look where we are now? Time will tell for RI, and I'm willing to give him some time to do his work.

Absolutely, what an EMBARRASSMENT to see that on National TV. I don't want to even consider what anyone watching that game was saying about the University of Akron after seeing that. Yea, what's the deal with that!?!? TW needs to pull him to the side and have a little talk about how we look on the sidelines. I can live with the glasses, but man, keep stuff out of your pants, get some assistant to hold your papers.

I feel worse now about the Zips than I did this morning,.... and I didn't feel very good about them then. Ugh, I hope I'm wrong but it looks like it's going to be another LONG year. God I hope I'm wrong.

If we need to go 1-11 to build a football program that does what our BB program now does, sign me up! Long term success is what I want, and if that means redshirting players, then that is what we should do. Sure, RI got the job because he knew TW, but that isn't his fault, he took advantage of a first time AD who felt he knew more than a professional search organization. Again, I didn't like the whole process that led to RI, but we've got him for a few more years and let's hope he is a lot better than I think he is going to be.

Moore is the starter, but I-coach said both will get playing time. I-Coach also said in the preseason that Moore made a lot of boneheaded plays, but lots of spectacular ones as well. He seemed to step back from his boneheaded statement a bit once Moore was named the starter. I think what it comes down to now is how they perform in the game. Sure, Moore might start, but I think if he makes some of those boneheaded plays, Nicely will be in. I think whoever steps up on the field, will be the starter.... I don't see D'Orazio playing this year, I think he will redshirt.

I absolutely love this tread and I can't believe more people aren't posting. The more you read about this case, the more you realized how out of control college athletics has become on every level. Are the players corrupt, or has the arms race in the form of building one facility after another caused this environment? College kids are college kids (not just athletes) and if you put a free hooker in front of one of them (imagine the quality of hooker one can get in Maimi), there is going to be some sex going on in 99% of the cases. College kids are not able to resist the temtations presented to them. A kid who grows up in a ghetto, in most cases, is not going to turn down a ride on a million dollar yacht in Miami, or a free $1,000 per hour hooker, or a dinner at a high end steak house, or anything else ("Is there a bigger racial divide in American than the difference between the players playing college football and the high end donors?" Mrs. GP1, the luckiest woman in the world). Universities have spent millions in building facilities. Ashland University just spent $20 on athletic facilities for a D II school....a D II school... and $70 million on school buildings...talk about a school that doesn't have its priorities straight. The money doesn't fall out of the sky...it has to be raised. At a school like Miami (and there are others like Miami), there aren't that many high end donors so if you find one, you let him basically do whatever he wants in order to keep up with the Jones. If you don't, you are finished. What's the ncaa's solution to this problem it doesn't see as a problem? Create more rules preventing the kids who have no chance of turning down a free hooker from getting the free hooker. It seems to me that the arms race has created the problem, not the players. If the people at the ncaa had a combined half a brain, they would restrict the "building processes" at these schools that are at the core of the problem. The players aren't at the core of the problem. The problems are the athletic departments who haven't seen a stadium building project they would turn down and the ncaa who is obsessed with making college athletics bigger and bigger at any cost. Nobody will say it, but that's the problem. It's so out of control now that no control can be established and every off season we are going to hear these stories until the ncaa reforms or is eliminated. The main stories of college football are now about teams in a scandal and not, you know, actual college football. It's terrible for college football. Never thought about it this way.....interesting.

Put me in the same boat. Last year I said I wasn't excited for the season and THIS year I'm even LESS excited. I am willing to give iCoach this season to see what happens. 4 solid wins (no miracles) is a minimum in my book. To be honest, I know little about football and right or wrong, I'm putting my trust in the people in charge of this program to turn them into a winner. I'm very frustrated that our new stadium will likely be 4-5 years old with the sparkle gone before we have something decent on the field. We put a lot of money into this thing and right now it looks like we blew it. On the other hand, if we have to tear this program down, dig up the foundation, fill it in, and start over to have a long term winning program, I'll sit through a few more crappy years. Like most, I wasn't a fan of the iCoach hire, but this is where we are and I'm not one to turn my back when times get tough.

For someone who primarily follows football and makes one BB game a year, you guys are really getting me amped up for this BB season. I find myself looking forward to BB now more than FB.

My pleasure. Not many comments so I guess if nobody has anything to bitch about, they don't say anything. It was a good article. What happened prior to yesterday is important to get guys in shape, but not as important as it is once pads go on. You never know how good someone is until hitting starts. In other sports, you wear to practice basically what you play in; unlike football, where you sometimes don't wear what you play in. Players don't earn starting positions in helmets, shorts and t-shirts. That's why I didn't care as much for those silly videos UofA puts out after every practice. The reason Coach I said nothing is he had nothing to say so he stood there babbling for 60 seconds and ended up looking stupid. UofA should not put those videos out until pads go on. Or have a warning saying, "Attention! What you are about to hear is meaningless and you should spend 60 seconds of your time doing something more productive. Pads go on Date X. Come back one week after that and he will say something more meaningful." And then they should do a meaningful five-ten minute interview with him for GoZips.com. This week is a good tone week. I expect the coaches to pull back a little after this weekend. By mid week next week, the coaches should have a good idea as to who the starters will be. After that, they can firm up the starters and really work on timing for the first game of the season. I think if Akron can be very physical against Temple, they can pull off a win at home. Temple may be coming to town expecting a push over and if they get smacked around, they may crack on the road. MAC teams choke all the time. Physical play could make Temple choke. I'm going to be positive about this upcoming season until they give me reasons not to be positive. I'm going to hold my prediction on how the season is going to go until after the Temple game. I think it is that important and will be a good barometer. I also appreciate the insight and I'm not going to make any predictions. I'm in "Show me" mode. I really have no idea where this program is headed right now and given the way things went last year, will the first MAC game be enough? So I'm just going to do what I did for the past year, sit back and prepare for the worst.

There was a podcast on Freakonomics a while back explaining what is the best strategy to make a penalty kick. According to them, it is best to kick it in the middle of the goal but nobody does it because if they are wrong, it appears they didn't really try. Same goes for the goalie.

I give RI to the end of the season to prove to me if he is the guy or not. I think 4 wins is the minimum for me. Now, if we barely win 4 and get blown out in the remaining games, that doesn't cut it. We made progress last season, but it was a bit slower than what I was hoping. I'm willing to accept some rebuilding pains IF we can build a solid program that wins over the long term. As for the OSU game, I think we get blown out, lets's say 52-17. Luke Fickell has his dream job and has one season to lock it down. I don't think he'll let it get close if he can help it. I'm still on the fence as to if I'm going to the game in Columbus....

Opening day, went to the concession stand when the game was just starting to get out of hand. Don't exactly remember what happened, but out of no where I hear the crowd noise above me quickly build to a deafening roar! It was so loud, the structural integrity of the stands above me crossed my mind. I've been to lots of Zips games with lots of big plays, but never before or since have I had that experience at a Zips game. For one day, Akron had the feeling of "Big-time" football.

Great listen. Thanks for posting this!