GJGood

Wasn't Sconiers a pretty darn good receiver a couple of years ago? Why does it seem they only rarely look his way now? Also, should Imani Davis be targeted more if the usual suspects aren't stepping up? I also agree with increased offensive pace and a little more running game to set up a play action passing attack.

I'm surprised so many are picking an NDSU loss and a Middle Tennessee win. I am inclined to think the opposite on those. I also think that a win over USC is attainable. I do fear, though, that with so much youth there will be a few "off" nights against teams we should beat, particularly in MAC play.

I wouldn't want to play Louisiana in a bowl this year simply because the Zips have/had them scheduled last year and next year. I'd prefer the Zips go to Nassau over the projected sites. What has to be done to get into position for that? After the Bahamas, I think I'd most want to see a Mountain West opponent so I'd be OK with the Potato Bowl. Truthfully, though, the most beneficial bowl for the Zips to go to may be the GoDaddy in Mobile, not playing until January 4th would allow for a lot more practice time not only for the game but also for next season. The MAC has five bowl tie-ins. I really wish they could be opposite five different conferences. I have no problem with a MAC vs. Sun Belt bowl game but I don't want three of them.

The black doesn't look bad but still wish it was the regular Akron font so we looked less like Baylor or Western Michigan.

I really need to learn to stay with my initial impressions sometimes instead of overthinking things sometimes.

Teams tend to run more when they are ahead late and pass more when they need to come back from a deficit and need frequent clock stoppages so I would say that could skew the numbers a little.

All offseason I said that I thought Marshall was our toughest non-conference opponent and that I thought we'd match up best with (other than Howard) Pitt because I thought they'd be power run oriented and that we'd have an extremely solid run defense. Now, after the Marshall game, I am quite a bit more concerned with our run defense. I hope Marshall just had us off balance and out of our comfort zone with their play calling and that my intial thoughts turn out to be fairly accurate concerning this week's game. Plus, how about a little more emotion this game? I thought that from he time the Zips took the field last Saturday that they looked less excited and less energetic than Marshall did. I understand the game not going well can do that to a team but I noticed it even before the opening kickoff.

For what its worth, both of the ESPN website bowl prognosticators have Akron in the postseason. http://espn.go.com/college-football/bowls/projections

OK, fair enough. There are numerous problems to be sure and I know its not as simple as I laid it out but I still think playoff access would be a critical and positive step forward. I agree the attendance issue is a terrible problem and that weeknights over weekends definitely contributes to that, as does a 'losing culture' and the perception of irrelevance in the national picture. There has to be a way to get more people to attend even if it doesn't fill the stadium to at least give it some more atmosphere and a somewhat of a crowd appearance. I know that is an often discussed topic on this forum and I won't go into it more here as I am no marketing guru but hopefully ways can be found to improve that aspect of the Akron program and the Mid-American Conference as a whole.

I totally agree on the cash register thing. That is obvious and is a large part of the reason for a playoff and a selection committee in the first place. On the conference champion thing, though, I think we all know that all conferences are not equal. I don't know that I really believe in the concept of there being one truly best team. Winners on the football field at the FBS level are really determined by specific matchups and adjustments to styles of play and coaching abilities in addition to the athleticism and talent on the field. I just think it makes sense that conference winners should be rewarded with moving on to a playoff. Isn't that the way its done in almost every other sport as well as in college football at the other levels? I also believe that one of the huge keys to closing the gap between the "haves" and "have nots" in the FBS is simply inclusion and realistic access to the big rewards. I honestly believe that if recruits saw that every conference champion would get into a playoff for the mythical national championship that it would have a substantial positive effect on recruiting at the non-power conference schools which in turn could lead to much more gridiron success. Change takes time. Sure in an all conference champion playoff the non-traditional conferences would take some serious lumps at first, there is no denying that. It could be downright ugly at the onset. I just suspect that if you gave it time those lumps would start to equal out somewhat and that the smaller programs of today would genuinely close a lot of the gap in financial resources and football talent. I'm not saying everybody would be at the top of the mountain, just that the mountain could feature much less homogeny and be much more diverse. To me it only makes sense that every team should be able to see a path to winning the grand prize if they win every contest.

At least not with the four team playoff format. I could see it if it ever expanded to eight or ten teams. I just don't understand why they don't just take the ten conference champions and have them in a playoff (well I do, but using logic I don't). After all weren't all the playoff proponents clamouring for it to be "decided on the field"? Conference championships are determined on the field, but a participant selection committee is certainly not on the field.

An undefeated Group of Five team (AAC, MAC, C-USA, Sun Belt, MWC) can certainly make a major bowl but just like before it is not guaranteed. What is guaranteed is that one team from those five conferences will be playing in a major bowl. This year the Rose and Sugar Bowls serve as part of the playoff so a Group of Five team will be in one of the Fiesta, Orange, Cotton, or Peach Bowls. This team, as far as I know though, has to be the highest ranked conference champion of the Group of Five conferences. So if a 10-2 Group of Five Champ, lets say UCF, is ranked #16 and an undefeated MAC squad is ranked #17 then UCF goes to the big bowl. Technically, the committee could put the undefeated MAC school in a major bowl as an at-large but one would have to doubt that they'd ever pick them over a second place power conference team.

I certainly agree that is a big one and it could conceivably be the biggest reason but just not the only one. You still get the high profile non-conference game or games and then actually have a chance to win a majr championship at a good FCS school. I think the fact that every recruit knowing that an undefeated season means virtually nothing nationally for a MAC-like team hurts the recruiting versus FCS schools where you can have two or three losses and still win a national title.

I won't get into a debate about one conference versus another because I believe it is all about strengths and weaknesses of a team against the strengths and weaknesses of their opponent that day. I will say, however, that I think the top FCS conferences are getting closer to the FBS conferences, particularly the "Group of 5" conferences. In my opinion this is because they continue to allow FCS wins count toward bowl eligibilty for FBS teams. This really is a terrible thing for the G5 schools when you look at the big picture. We all know that most recruits prefer to go to power conference schools. What happens, however, when those schools don't come calling? If a recruit has to choose between a G5 school or a good FCS program what advantage does the bigger school really have? Both schools get the paychecks and exposure now for playing the big boys but only the FCS school will ever be admitted into a championship playoff at the end of a highly successful season. It only stands to reason that as more and more recruits embrace that reality that they will see FCS schools as more viable options. With the new autonomy, the rule allowing FCS wins for bowl eligibility, the not having to sit out a year when transferring from FBS to FCS rule, the droppong of the 7-win priority for at-large bowl eligibilty, etc... it is the non-power conference FBS schools that are getting the shaft. Don't get me wrong I have nothing aginst FCS schools, they are only doing what is best for them, and I enjoy watching their teams and games but I still think that 85 scholarship teams should only play other 85 scholarship teams and 63 scholly teams should only play other 63 scholarship teams. Some FCS teams could be successful in FBS leagues but they still are composed differently and play for a different national championship while taking away opportunities for those lesser-known FBS programs to continue to prove themselves and close the gap in their own level of play. At the very least if FBS vs. FCS games are going to be played they should not count toward bowl eligibility. If that were the case I think they would be scheduled much less often. I don't mean for this post to offend any FCS followers, it just seems that the priorities of the CFB powers now seem to be #1 FBS power conferences and then #2 protect the little guy (but usually when they say little guy they mean FCS and not FBS non-power conference).

I always assumed the Akron-OSU series was dropped when UA hired Tressel and that the school in Columbus would not want the media frenzy a matchup between the two would cause. Maybe that had nothing to do with it at all but the two did seem to coincide.

Check that 16-0 FIU less than a minute left in the first quarter.

Pitt is down 9-0 against FIU in Miami late in the first quarter. The game is on Fox Sports 1 if anyone is interested in scouting.

I would like to see what Harrison could do too. I know he has looked good so far this year for Dayton Chaminade-Julienne and he has nearly two full seasons of high school ball yet to improve before setting foot in Akron.

I'd like to eventually see the MAC Champion always go to the Bahamas if not taken by one of the premier bowls or playoff. That seems like a great reward for a championship season. I still say the MAC needs one 'destination' bowl the champion is always tied in to. The power conferences have historically had that, why can't the MAC?

Devan Ahart after batting .358 for the Ogden Raptors, the rookie league affiliate of the Dodgers, has officially been promoted to the single-A Great Lakes Loons. The Loons are in the Midwest League and play their home games in Midland, Michigan (not far from Mt. Pleasant). I have read some Dodgers minor league review articles that say Ahart may be having the best offensive season in the entire Dodgers minor league system. I find that very cool. Hopefully in a few years the Zips can oats one of their own gracing a major league diamond again. Congrats on the promotion Devan, and congrats on getting to go home (from Detroit).

After a three hit three RBI night on July 19, Devan Ahart is now batting .366 for Ogden with 12 RBI in his first 26 games. His OPS is .912, hopefully this is a god start to a long professional baseball career.

I think I am with you even though I am not a big fan of the 'Z' logo. I like the gold A-Roo the most. I also like the white even though I think a lot of other schools have already gone that way and I'd rather we be more original. I think I'd really like a white A-Roo helmet where the 'A' portion of the Roo logo was now gold.

I really do miss the BracketBusters and their return games.

I hate it but understand it for Akron customers. Why buy the paper when it is free online? From a business standpoint is has some validity. It really stinks for people like me, though, who are no longer local to the Akron area. I do not have the home delivery option.

I agree. Use the school colors and the Akron font. If we need or want an alternate color jersey then make it gold with navy trim and lettering. The black and the gray trends happening now are overdone.