Captain Kangaroo

It looks to me like someone handed the column to The ABJ, whose only responsibility was to write the headline.

Most-detailed MAC Pregame Write-up in the History of the World

Congrats to the soccer team! Awesome win!

Bowden reflects on the game

Who could?

One team knew how to win, and the other didn't. Plays like lobbing that 2nd qtr end zone INT into triple coverage or missing a 34 yard field goal just aren't want winning teams do. To allow the opponent to go 97 yards for a TD at the game's end shows you don't know how to close it out. Our offense had time to drive down the field and win the game. Not a ton of time...but getting possession with 1 minute to go was enough time to work with. TW tossed a quick INT. It reminded me of the end to last year's App State game. We made a nice comeback (down 31-14). We had 2 minutes remaining to tie, or win it, and ...and sack-sack-sack. Their defense knew how to close a game out. The Zips really needed that win. And gave it away. The margin for error on a bowl-eligible season is now razor-thin, with WMU and Toledo looking like losses. I hope the team and staff figures it out. There's no way the Zips can afford a loss this week. They need to pull off a convincing, statement-making win. Make it fun to be a Zips fan...for the first time in...in way too long.

My conclusion is - we lost Lane, Natson and Wolf for the first 3 games of this season. And Woodson is shaking off some rust. So our passing game is off to a slow start. After last game, it's time to give Stewart more snaps.. He took advantage of his pt. Kato had his chance to make an impression and whiffed. I liked looking at our defense last week and seeing do many underclassmen. Amato will be having them playing some great ball at year's end if everyone stays healthy. Win or lose, if this week's Zips team plays a good football game they will be bowling come December. If they completely suck this weekend, it's cause for concern. Hopefully a healthy Wolf at wide out is the jumpstart our offense needs. I have no concerns regarding the D. It will continue to get better every game.

The next time he referrs to Brock Boxen as anyone else but Brock Berlin it will the first time. He isn't good with names. Can we please return to the discussions of why the Zips can't competete with Big 10 and Big 12 teams? I can't quite grasp that concept? We should be able to wax the programs that draw 60k to 100k fans to their stadiums? Must be bad coaching? Go Zips! Beat Troy!

Embedding issue is hopefully fixed.

Will the Cyclones overlook Akron?

I voted for Williams because we need some downfield plays from our WR's. If Burkhart and his 40-inch vertical give us that threat, then by all means let's see more of him. Our edge rush has also been "meh." If Sampson can put some heat on the opposing QB, get him some reps. This is week #3. There really hasn't been any reason for Bowden to open up the playbook in week's #1 or #2. Incumbent players have had their fair chance to prove they should be starting. I expect to see some new wrinkles in the Zips offense and defense this week. And, some new, younger faces getting more PT too.

Tough to retain a guy that quit to pursue his "Dream Job." Do people think we were going to pony-up $1,000,000 for him? If you were a KD Fan more than you were a Zips Fan, you probably won't be missed. Hopefully the KD Fans leaving open up some good lower-level seats for Zips Fans.

Maybe 17k announced/10k butts in seats. Hopefully we get decent weather and a real 15-20k this weekend.

He played a lot until he got injured. I would really be interested to know his status, but I don't expect to see any announcements.

Gavin returned 2 kickoffs 98 yards each for 2 TD's in Aurora's loss to Twinsburg Friday night. Also had a 17 yard rushing TD. Good night's work.

Worst referees ever.

Iowa - Iowa State this Saturday

I don't think the conventional wisdom regarding scheduling has been the Zips primary problem since they've been in the MAC. I could write a book on all the problems...I probably already have...I just need to compile my posts beginning in 1997. Looking forward to seeing everyone in Lot 9 this weekend. Weather looks to be perfect.

I would say as a G5 program you play for two things - your conference championship, and a bowl berth. If it is legal to play a cupcake, and the cupcake game counts towards bowl eligibility, you need to do it. That game automatically puts you 17% of the way to a bowl. Bowl berths are important. The $600,000 price UNLV paid for their poison cupcake last weekend is way above the prevailing scale. Historically black colleges can be scheduled for under $400k. The $1,000,000 the Zips got for Penn state pays the appearance fees for Iowa State and Pine Bluff. With some change to spare. That's a fair use of the money. The beating incurred by playing two Top 10 P5 teams in September will kill most G5 teams. Playing a smaller program like Pine Bluff after a physical Big10 team is perfect. For comparison, here are the "major" (non D1-AA) 2017 MAC opponents: Akron Penn State, Iowa State (Home), Troy BG Michigan State, Northwestern, Middle Tennessee Buffalo Army, FAU, Minnesota Kent Clemson, Marshall, Louisville Miami Marshall, Cinci and Notre Dame OU Purdue, Kansas (Home), UMass Ball State Illinois, UAB, WKU CMU Syracuse, Kansas and Boston College EMU Army, Kentucky, Rutgers, Charlotte Northern Illinois Boston College, Nebraska, SDSU Toledo Nevada, Miami FL, Tulsa WMU @ USC, @ Mich State, Idaho

Unlike last season, the Zips have 4 available QB's. Kelley and Johns were specifically added because of their college experience, and the fact that Woodson's health was/is still questionable. Bowden will be fair to Woodson, but won't hesitate to play any of the three guys behind him if he falters.

Glad we didn't schedule Howard this season

It's been a hectic Labor Day weekend. Here is the belated write up on the Zips/Nittany Lions game. Thanks to Dr. Z for taking the time on his holiday weekend to create the layout. Akron - Penn State

How much does Ball play? Does he tear through the Penn State defense like he did in his short stint against Wisconsin? Is Barkley in a ball cap on the sidelines at halftime? Does Franklin try to get him some gaudy numbers to aid his Heisman quest?

I would contend that, since the Zips have won 7 games in a regular season twice in the past 30 years, that 7 is a realistic positive expectation. If winning 7 is a letdown...there's a 28/30 = 93% chance to be disappointed. Hate them odds... The Zips play a very difficult schedule in 2017: Really tough games: Penn State, @ Toledo, @ WMU, @ Troy, Home Iowa State. If you are an Ohio State fan, that's easy stuff. But for just about any G5 program, it's damn difficult. If the Zips are a GREAT MAC team, maybe they'll win two of these games. Difficult games that I expect to win this season due to our "High OFI" include: @ Miami and Home OU. Games I chalk up as sure 2017 wins include: BG, Kent, Buffalo and Ball State. The realistic ceiling on this Zips team is 9 wins. Give me a healthy Tommy Woodson and Ball for 11 to 12 games, and it is achievable. The bowel is 5 games. That would be a repeat of the hellish 100 year injury flood of 2016. And that shouldn't happen again until... 2116. Hope my great grandson is here to type about it.

I don't know if "ooze" is the best adjective, but there's no doubt the Zips team that takes the field against Penn State will be dramatically more athletic and deeper than the one that exited the field against OU last November. Woodson is an awesome QB when healthy. And if he's not healthy, we have 3 guys behind him that can play. I rate that an Ooze Factor Index (OFI) of 89, on a scale of 0 - 100. Warren Ball is an absolute beast. And a healthy Van Edwards is backing him up. OFI of 91. WR's are completely unproven, and their chemistry with Tommy Woodson. who's reps have been limited, is a big question mark. But we have a bucket full of potential at WR. I think everyone's gonna love Williams. So I give the WR's an OFI of 51. With upside. The OL lost LTT, and is probably better for it. Deep and experienced, they're a team strength. OFI = 84 Defensive line numerically lost players, but production-wise, lost nothing. Returning are the injured Moore and Boxen. Reinke looked good at year's end last season, and made huge off-season progress (per coaches). Jamal Davis III and Gilbert are expected to give us the Marcus/Brown disruptive edge rushers we lacked last season. Josh Ward is looking great at end too. Camera and Copeland will adequately plug the middle. OFI = 81 Hauser is back at LB. And you have returning veterans Bell/Lako/Bishoff/Junius/Lloyd/Gilbert too. There's experience, depth and talent at LB. Not "Linebacker U," but certainly in the upper half of the MAC. OFI = 78. The staff says the secondary is the best in the Bowden era, and that says a lot because there have been some good ones. Jordan George isn't even one of our top 2 CB's (per the depth chart)? That's group's OFI is 96.5. Special teams - OFI = 76. Coney does a nice job returning punts. Edwards is solid on kickoffs. O'Leary looks to have improved his leg strength noticeably in the off-season. Punting has competition this year. If Gasser can't hit a long punt, there's three other kids waiting to do it. I'm bullish on this Zips team. They obviously don't match up with a Top 5 program like Penn State, but no one else on the schedule scares me. I expect 7 regular season wins and a bowl game. We'll see how it plays-out.