Quickzips

BC would be nice.

I can't see it being a big powerhouse like Michigan, OSU, etc. that would be a pipe dream at best to think that someone like that would come to the bowl. I've gotta believe it would be a mid level Big 10 team like Minnesota or Northwestern. Maybe a Big Least team like Louisville or Rutgers? I have a hard time believing it would be a part of the deal w/ Army (if I remember right that was a 2for1) because why would ESPN care about an Army/Akron matchup next year but not this year. Logic though would say it is more than likely one of the top CDOA or MWC teams. Another mid-major, but one with a good following and traditionally good team. Fresno State? Boise State? Utah? I dunno. Sure is nice to think about though. How big of a crap would you guys take in your pants if we landed OSU in the Rubber Bowl to start off the season?

They had that at the basketball game Wed. night too. I liked it.

UA Pro, what kind of dirt cars do you race. I've been running dirt sprintcars for the past 5 years but I think we are going to switch to asphalt this year out of practicality. Nice to see another racer on this board.

Ok Rockets what do you suggest we do then? What will get us out of the cellars? You can bitch, moan and complain about how bad Akron is all day long but until you offer solutions all of it means nothing. Whats the answer? I'm waiting to hear it.

So what do you want to see us do to build this program up? Lose? Yeah, that makes sense. Let's lose all of our games, never make it to MACC games, never win them if we ever do, and let our entire athletic program regress. That will put butts into seats. Hey it's working at Can't. I mean when they started losing their crowds got HUGE. They could have filled up an entire elevator all by themselves. Ok, now getting a little serious. I agree that the talk of switching to the Big Least is a pipedream and I hope we NEVER again become what Syracuse is now (at least in football). To say we haven't won anything those is a slap in the face to all of us. I've made the point numerous times that it really doesn't matter how we got there. Sure if BG has Omar maybe things are diffrent. Ya know what, that is what they get for basing their entire season on one player. Sure we got our asses handed to us by Army, but ya know what, we could have tanked it then and went home. But we didn't and we made it to the MACC. Ever since I've become a Akron and MAC fan all I've heard out of Toledo, BG, Miami, and even NIU is that the bottom feeders need to get better overall if the MAC ever wants to go anywhere. Guess what, some of the bottom feeders are doing that and it isn't just Akron. Its WMU, CMU, Ball State, and maybe even Ohio too. The problem with the MAC right now is that the top tier teams aren't holding up their end of the bargain. Instead of continuing to strive for future success teams like BG and Miami are content to rest on their laurels. This brings them down while other teams are going up. Toledo really hasn't suffered from this that much, but they could always be better. To sum it all up if you don't want to read all of that. The only way Akron (and other MAC teams) gets better is to win. The traditional powers must decide what they want. To continue their domination, or to build a more respectable conference. If you choose the former then you have every right to be pissed w/ this season. If you choose the latter then be happy and enjoy the MAC.

Frye looks good but god are the Browns cursed. Now Braylon Edwards goes down to what looks like a surefire ACL tear. Frye is the QB of the future though. No doubt about that, and if Dilfer see's the field again this year I will be 100% convinced that Crennel is not at all ready to be a head coach in the NFL.

At this point, I don't care who we play. We're in a friggin bowl game.

How bout a zipsnation gathering/tailgate prior to the game. I know I'm planning on going to the bowl game. I won't be in class, won't really have any huge commitments the day after christmas, and will be closer to detroit at my house than I am on campus.

We found out earlier in the year against NIU that you have to play all 4 Quarters of a football game to win it. NIU found the same lesson out tonight. Prevent defense does one thing, prevents you from winning. As a NE Ohio sports fan I swore it was over after that INT off of Kennedy's hands. "No way," I said "do we stop Wolfe and the Huskies 3 and out and get this ball back." But hats off to our D man. When we needed the big stop they came up with it. For that I am forever greatful. If you told me Wed. that Garrett Wolfe would run for 270 yards I would have told you we would lose by double digits. If I wasn't so jubilated by the win that performance by Hixon would have brought me to tears. Kid was on the sidelines flat on his back, throwing up, with ice packs under his shirt not more than 10 minutes before that play. He wills himself up and back out onto the field, knowing at may be the last time he plays on the zips and makes the winning TD. That will forever be a part of Akron lore. Getsy finally seemed comfortable with the little dumpoff route to Kasparek and it was there all night. If he can build on that for next year it is definitley a good thing. Other than the dropped pass for the INT Kennedy looked pretty well tonight. We need to hand the RB job to him and let him work it out as the feature back this offseason. I think he could be an adequate replacement for Biggs. This team is pure, 100% heart. No other way to put that one. ESPN showed a shot early in the 4th when it looked like we were cooked on the sidelines of one of our players (I forget who) getting the team up and you could see the sparkle come back into their eyes. I've complained about leadership most of the year, but tonight the entire team stepped up and lead themselves to victory. Props, major props. I don't care if they are fair weather fans, I will take them. We just got to keep them coming back now. If we start off the season pretty well next year I think we could easily draw 20K averages in the bowl. For those of you who haven't been on campus lately I suggest making the ride over. The atmosphere is changing big time here. I know in my dorm there were people yelling up and down the halls after that one (myself included). I know it's a little late. But JD deserves to be considered as MAC Coach of the Year. I know we've all given credit to LO's players, but noone can honestly say they think that LO's coaching would have won that game. JD is flatout a ball coach. You look at him and he was born for it. Tonight just proved it. One of the big things that helped us win this game was we never really allowed their passing game to get things going. Minus the one big play on 3rd and 13 where the DB's gave their guy a cushion that I could have thrown the ball into they never really looked comfortable passing the ball. With that they had to make Wolfe responsible for most of their offensive production. It is hard to win ballgames like that. Final thought: This is a program on the rise. We've all said it many times before both here, in real life, and on MACbbs. Last night we proved it. Now lets go out and get a win this weekend from the soccer team in Maryland and pin down that NCAA Championship. FEAR THE ROO!!!

We need a full time AD STAT. Gotta get JD locked up as best we can for as long as we can as soon as we can.

Good, get out.

Go talk to the NIU fans. Hardly any of them were there either.

Thanks NIU 79. I won't go further than that b/c the more I say the more I will look like I'm gloating and I don't wanna do that.

GUYS WE DID IT! WE FINALLY GOT TERRY PLUTO TO START POSTING ON ZIPSNATION!

OMG ZIPS WIN!!! That was better than the Marshall game last year.

I think the big diffrence b/w Gradkowski and Frye is what they are/will do for the program overall. Charlie is by far a big reason why this program is moving forward. He has become sort of the face of the zips and that is going to help at least short term with recruiting and attendance. I see Bruce on the other hand who has had more accomplishments, but is more of a product of an already good system in a school that already has a pretty good fanbase. In the end I think that will be the diffrence between the two in regards to what they do for their respective colleges. I hope this doesn't come off sounding like a slam on Bruce b/c I think he is by far the best QB in the MAC right now praticularly concerning a pro-prospect QB. Omar Jacobs on the other hand has Andre Ware style bust written all over him and his draft stock is falling b/c of it while Bruce's is rising.

Diffrences in the Zips now as opposed to our first meeting. -We've taken the game out of Luke Getsy's hands on the offense. Brett Biggs is the player who controls things on offense. Getsy merely has to hand the ball off and make sure he can hit recievers occasionally to keep the defense honest/when the opposition starts stacking the box to stop Biggs. -The defense is playing a ton better. We gave up on that prevent defense at the end of the game shit and kept the pressure on right to the end. I know a lot of NIU fans like to call our win a fluke due to the miracle 2 point conversion and Wolfe being banged up, but fact of the matter is if we don't go into prevent at the end of that game it never even see's OT. Thankfully JD has learned that lesson and the last two games we have kept pressure on our opponents late into the game despite having a big lead. Those are the two big diffrences to me. And I definitley agree with you that this is going to be a very close game. I think we match up pretty well against you guys. Unfortunatley many of your fellow Huskie fans see this as a blowout and may very well end up biting a lot of nails tonight at the very least.

I know it sucks, but I'm gonna have to back out on this one. I can't make it for the busses b/c of class commitments and it would be irresponsible of me to be trying to drive an 8 hour round trip tonight by myself and then try to go to class again tomorow. Looks like Pizza and get the rest of the gang that can't make it up there rounded up in the dorm room tonight. For those who will be there. Represent well guys. Be loud and try to sit together. That way if ESPN does show shots of the crowd it will look more impressive.

400 yards and 5 Tds against the MAC West Champs wasn't impressive? Not when he goes out and lays an egg for the next month after that game. Championships are based on consistency, and to be honest, if I knew nothing about the MAC and looked at the box scores from our games this year and saw how incosistent we have been I would say no way we were in the MACC. Not complaining about being there. Just saying, if we want to get back we are going to have to learn to be more consistent and Getsy at the reigns really scares me in that aspect. Praticularly since Biggs will not be behind him next season.

Sorry GP1, but you can't tell me that a hurt Getsy (if that was the problem) is better than anyone else on our roster. Also I feel that a lot of the reason why we are in the MACC is that we finally stopped trying to throw 40+ times a game and realized that if we put the load on Biggs' shoulders good things would happen. Getsy still hasn't done anything to really impress me. That said I am impressed that we've realized that Getsy doesn't need to be impressive. Hell Trent Dilfer won a Superbowl. A stud QB isn't always necessary if you are committed to a good ground game.

Just stopped by the JAR ticket office today. From what they claim they are just about full on their third busload going to Maryland over the weekend and are debating whether or not to add a fourth bus. Just thought you guys would like to know.

Or how about a whole row with this.

Why? I know they are talking like they will slaughter us, but so is everyone else in the MAC. I think the only people who think we will win this game are zips fans, and even some zips fans don't think we stand a chance. Their fanbase at least is underestimating us again and I've tried to warn them on their bbs board. Whether or not their team follows the same trend or anyone listens is not for me to decide. I can handle some smack talk which is about all it is. It doesn't bother me. I've done my fair share of smack too. What I can't handle is the blatant disrespect that many Toledo, Miami, and OU and some BG fans have made towards our team and our fanbase. The last straw for me was when a Toledo fan confidently claimed that Akron will not bring more than 50 people to the game. That goes beyond smack talk and into blatant disrespect.

The point of the matter is that 8K is a huge upgrade from what this game would have recieved just a few years back. A game with no meaning for one team and with an inconsistent team playing on the other sideline in 30mph winds, snow squals that left you wondering where the players were, and wind chills below 0 may have only garnered 500 people if it was lucky a few years back. 8K compared to 500 is a HUGE jump and it shows that we are making progress not only on the field but as far as our fanbase goes and with the community.