GJGood

The new MAC tourney format with the extra byes actually makes it more difficult to reach our recent run of 22+ win seasons. I didn't mind each division champ getting one bye but all these other byes and double byes just isn't as fun in my opinion.

CBS Sports has us as a 13 seed but playing Kansas in Spokane, WA. http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology

Zeke Marshall and the Maine Red Claws of the NBA D-League are tipping off now on NBATV. Just thought I'd let people know. Sorry if this was posted elsewhere.

Voted for Dru. I just loved the way he seemed to run the offense and I think nothing is a better building block for basketball success than a point guard that has a really good assist to turnover ratio.

I agree with this above, but what about the assistant coaches on the staff? How would you rate the job they are doing? Also, how much of a factor has the moving on of coaches like Shaka and Boals actually inhibited the progression of the Zips program? Just a wonderment of mine, I certainly can't claim to know much about the answer.

I like both McAdams and Kretzer and they both certainly have value to the team but I am of the opinion that Reggie needs to be getting more minutes than Jake. JK may be a slightly better scorer (although I am not sure on that one) but RM is a better ball handler, passer, and even defender in my opinion. They both deserve minutes but it seems to me that Kretzer is getting more time than Reggie and I think it should be reversed.

Every year I go to a few high school basketball games. When possible I like to go see players that have either committed or are at least being recruited by the Zips. Living in Central Ohio I have been fortunate enough to see guys like Linhart, both McKnights, Steward, Hitchens, and most recently Aaron Jackson. This year I haven't heard much on the recruiting front. Is there anybody I should go out and see if I get the chance?

OK, I am buying the six wins thing. Not sure about the bowl though. That is beyond our control if we end up with six to eight wins. Toledo is staying home at 7-5, a couple years ago when Temple was in the MAC they stayed home at 8-4.

I always look for those guys that have taken their teams to a level they have rarely or never been before as well as guys who make all-state lists at schools that aren't traditional powers. That says they are able to overcome what is expected. Those are the types of guys that Akron and the MAC need. I saw some guys that really impressed me this year that don't get a lot of pub. The one QB that impressed me above all others was Ramroth Finnegan of Columbus Whetstone. The best wideout I saw was Robert Jones of Mansfield Senior. The best lineman I saw was clearly 6'4" 310lb. Martesse Patterson of Columbus Marion-Franklin (Akron has already offered). My diamond in the rough would be Thane Hoffman of Division V Richwood North Union. He was only a junior this season but I hope somebody is keeping tabs on him.

I think you guys are jumping the gun a little bit on Michigan State being in the Rose Bowl if they lose to OSU. The Rose Bowl will take the Big Ten champion or runner-up if available, but if MSU loses to OSU they could fall out of the Top 14 that is required for at-large BCS consideration. If MSU loses Saturday and drops 5 or more spots while OSU goes to the NC game, the Big Ten is effectively shut out of the Rose Bowl this year. Assuming OSU stays #2, the Rose Bowl would have second pick of at-large teams so I am guessing a SEC team would have already been selected as an at large maxing that conference's BCS entries out.... assuming OK State in the Fiesta, it could be Baylor or Clemson in Pasadena against the PAC-12 champ IF MSU doesn't stay top 14.

I agree I love the fact that we are able to play teams like St. Marys, South Carolina, and Oregon State and that ESPN thinks enough of the Zips to put them in an event like the Diamond head and Charleston Classic but now, especially with the abolishment of the BracketBusters event, I think it would be great if there was some way more 'nid-majors' could get quality non-conference opponents for HOME games as well. I'd love to watch schools like those we can play on the road or neutral floors play in the JAR. Unfortunately to get more "name programs" to come to the JAR the Zips will probably need help from outside parties like ESPN.

Since we knew it would be an FCS team I was hoping for one from the middle part of the country or Texas just for getting the name out there for recruiting in those areas. I guess Howard will have to do though. There are still a few FCS slots to be filled the next few years on the Zips schedules. I hope they'll look west for FCS opponents at some point.

Hoping it works like you say but that Bowling Green team with their stingy defense will not just roll over. The Falcons could pose a fairly serious threat to NIU.

This is the time of year I usually take a look at bowl projections on various websites. I am noticing that most "experts" are saying schools like Pittsburgh or Washington State could be bowling in Detroit against the MAC representative in the Little Caesars Bowl. I thought, however, that this bowl game had a backup tie-in agreement with the Sun Belt Conference. Am I wrong there? I'd love to see a good MAC squad against a BCS conference team in Detroit but can it happen since the Big Ten can't fill this slot again?

I would love to see a play that got MTB the ball downfield. It seems like he always catches the ball within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage.

Playing App State in 2016 and 2017 as they are just coming into the FBS ranks is fine with me but with that being the case I'd rather not have a FCS school on the schedule those two years. We need a home and home series with a middle of the pack team from a league like the Mountain West as the Zips themselves continue to improve.

Even if the MAC sets up the scheduling to maximize bowl teams at least we have already beaten two teams in our division and have a great shot at a third. A win this weekend and that bowl maximizing theory actually lightens our schedule next year significantly as the three MAC teams we defeated would all be in our own division and likely finish behind the Zips in the standings.

Any word yet on what exactly happened to Harney?

I think Wenning may be the QB that deserves the most publicity in the MAC. BSU will have the bigger chip on its shoulder because many "experts" have no idea they are even capable of being a challenge for NIU. I think BSU shocks the pundits. That being said, I am rooting for NIU because there is no way a one loss MAC school is getting a BCS berth this year. It is better noteriety and moneywise for the entire conference if NIU wins.

Am I the only one that prefers the A-logo to the Z-logo? I like the Zipper top though. I guess I'm saying I like what the Zips wore against James Madison.

Could it be that the Zips just perform better when playing top 25 teams on the road?

I went out to a local high school football game last night and was really impressed with the size, arm strength, and leadership of this QB in a losing effort. I know a lot of times guys in high school programs that have not been traditionally very strong sometimes get overlooked by college recruiters. I really surprised to see this article below when I looked him up and I saw a lot of schools mentioned including our very own Zips. The article is now about a year old but I was wondering if anyone knew if Akron was still pursuing this big QB with a big arm and a quite distinctive name. http://deepsouthrecruiting.com/tag/ramroth-finnegan/

I am very much in the same boat with you on the UCF, JMU, and Michigan games. The Zips didn't really exceed my expectations against the Cajuns. I thought that game would be close at the end and it was. I expected Akron's confidence to be up but also was worried about coming out flat after the way the Michigan game ended. I think both of those things happened. The first quarter against the Cajuns was brutal then the Zips played even with a team that is one of the favorites in their conference and has won 18 or 20 games the last two years. I am encouraged but not really surprised. I, too, can see the team going something like 3-5 in the MAC and maybe better with some good bounces. A .500 record in the MAC would exceed my expectations. Bowl eligibility (at least 5-3 in conference) though, would stun me.

I don't see losing by five points to a team that has been to, and won, bowls the last two seasons as embarrassing when in that same time frame we are 2-22. It doesn't matter if they are Sun Belt, MAC, C-USA, or whatever. It may be true that the MAC is better overall than the Sun Belt but a title contender in that league against a MAC school that is picked somewhere between 10th and 12th in the conference should still be favored to win. I think maybe you just don't understand how successful of a program the Cajuns have been recently. That being said I do think the Zips are underrated. I still can see another 3-4 wins being quite possible despite the MAC schedule makers being less than hospitable.

On defense our weaknesses seem to be containing the mobile QB when his receivers are well covered and then giving up the big play on moderately deep crossing routes. Zips seem pretty strong on run defense and good, maybe not great, on pass defense on the edges. I just hope the offense finally 'clicked' last week and is now confident and in 'go' mode. I see a good game that can go either way but I fear experience may be the deciding factor and the Cajuns have been successful in more close games the last few years than the Zips. Plus, it has had to be difficult for the team to look ahead instead of looking back this week. At least this team should be more confident than ever before now. I'll go with Louisiana 37 Akron 31 .... but I could be and hope to be wrong.