Captain Kangaroo

Heartbreaking news.

Yippe.

Why does the starting defense get blamed for all the points? Special teams can't score? Say the scrubs give up a score or two after we're up 31-10 (a la Woodson vs. Marshall)...can you say that Marshall's D wasn't dominant in that game? Even if the starting D gave up 20 points (only 1.9 above their league-best average) , it would be to a Ball State team that's scored 30+ in it's last 2 games. That's pretty good, and would be enough to win.

Zips realize they can't beat anyone when the turn the ball over, and can beat everyone if they play a clean, turnover-free game. No turnovers today. Pohl is well-rested off his bye week, and sparked by the competition from Woodson. Throws for 3 TD's. Running game is still underutilized, but effective when used. Revitalized offense + no turnovers + dominant defense = Zips 31 Cardinals 20

I agree our defense is bowl-worthy. But 7 games into the 2014 season, I have yet to see any semblance of a bowl-worthy offense. Against the teams you listed, I can't see us moving the ball at all...at least under the present offensive status quo. I'll continue to hope that Pohl's bye week brings him back motivated and refreshed, and that Chisholm and Hundley are utilized in the home stretch. If that happens, no doubt a VCU-esque beatdown (the football equivalent - Marshall 2014) won't happen. A telling game for the Zippers this week. Losing to lower-middle MAC teams like OU and Ball State might still leave open the possibility of being bowl-eligible, but it would pretty much eliminate any claims to being bowl-worthy.

VCU was favored by only 7.5 against the Zips. Just sayin'....

There's no way this Zips team loses only 4 games over the entire season. Way too much youth. I agree with '55 that PG is the easy barometer for the 2014-15 team. Losing Diggs and Harney probably dropped Dambrot's blood pressure 50 points. Now he can coach kids who'll listen. That's a big plus. Harkens back to the Dials/Joyce era. I have never seen either of the Freshman play yet, and i know they'll be an improvement over what we had in 2013-14. I'm sure Betancourt will be a tiny bit better too, but he is what he is...a bundle of reckless energy. Assuming no major injuries, I will go with 23 regular season wins. I think this team will get better as the season progresses, get worse when the Freshman hit the wall in February, then finish strong down the stretch.

Inspired by a Keener post of a few weeks ago, I am thinking of installing a new ZipsNation feature - "Grubbin' with The Grate One™." I figure a slickly-produced pilot would immediately be scarfed-up by The Food Network. Guy Fiery's schtick is getting old...they need fresh content. 45% for you, 45% for me, and Keener gets 10%. You in?

Any attendance discussion has officially become more worthless than it already was. If that is possible. Loss to a weak OU team killed whatever buzz would have been generated by entering the BG game with only 2 losses. The MAC AD's made their deal with the devil by scheduling Tuesday night games in November. Time to dig up Red Cochrane and have him hand out $1 tickets...that's the only way to get anyone to attend a game. There will be more Akron Fans @ K.e.n.t. than there will be at either the BGSU or UMass home games.

Right now, I think any of those match ups would bring back memories of the Akron-VCU NCAA tournament game. Hope Pohl's personal bye week springs some life back into the Zips offense this weekend.

Rats. Clairvoyance is a curse.

Probably why it was stopped so easily. Should have kicked the field goal. Stein has been solid, and it's going to be a close game. Forfeiting 3 pts isn't the best move. As a side note - it appears the "body bag" tweet has fired a few Zips up.

I don't foresee the Zips doing that...but they should. If "old school" is in any way used to describe our offense at day's end, I think we'll have had a successful day.

I remain stunned that wins over pathetic programs like Howard, EMU and Miami are somehow supposed to turn around a quarter century of abject neglect. That somehow there's a massive amount of locals who should be thrilled the Zips played a decent 1/2 season last year, and a decent 1/2 season this year? Is there some "1/2 Season Bowl" I'm not aware of? The revolving door of coaches, AD's and predominately horrific football is somehow all forgotten once the Zips start strolling through a few of the MAC's tomato cans? Tradition Almost Never Graduates. The Zips lousy football tradition has accumulated the equivalent of 20+ PhD's since the mid-80's. But now is the opportunity to step out from under the cloud. Keep winning. Go to a bowl. Keep your staff. Market a winner in preparation for a banner 2015 season. Lather, rinse and repeat.

If you look at the MAC numbers, OU's running game is one of the league's worst. And the Zips are the league's best against the run. OU's pass protection is among the league's worst, and we all know that the Zips D can bring the pressure. I look for Woodson's start to force the Zips offense to do what they should have been doing all year long, and that's be "run-first." Enough with 5 wide-outs...our QB isn't that good, and out WR's aren't that good. Woodson can't be throwing 30+ times. I think 25-29 throws is a good number. If we pound the ball, I think we win going away. If we throw the ball 40 times, I think we lose. Prediction: Run-oriented Zips win 26-15

Toledo had a couple players with nice showings in last week's Steelers/Browns game. The center replacing Alex Mack was a Rocket, and Lance Moore caught a TD pass.

I missed this match. The last UA/UM game I saw...I think we won 7-1? Those bastards must really hate seeing an AKRON jersey.

2014 Miami (OH) fans, and maybe Dalton Williams' fan club, or Trent Dilfer's mom, would disagree. You can go 1-11 with a really good QB. Or win a championship with a mediocre one. But if you have a sucky one, you're screwed.

...I mean a look at Ameer

I'll be bringing 10 Germans to the game, so it's "Ziptoberfest" for me.

I hope I get bonus points for being specific.

Anyone who is shocked that the Zips ONLY sold 9,000 tickets for the EASTERN MICHIGAN game is ...high on crack. If anyone think a stadium is going to fill up just because the Zips beat a weak Pitt team to elevate its record to 2-2, that person is ...high on crack. If anyone thinks decades-old attendance problems can be solved with a 3-2 record and wins over teams like EMU and Howard, that person is high on crack. If someone thinks it is a better option hang around outdoors on a blustery, tent-uprooting 30 degree day than sit on a warm couch and watch a game on the couch on a 60" flat screen...that person is high on crack. People want to plant a garden on Monday, and be eating tomatoes on Wednesday. It doesn't work that way. The Zips have stunk for almost a decade. Spraying a little Glade in the bathroom after a 10-year long dump just doesn't cut it. Zips need to keep winning. The schedule has never been more favorable. If Bowden takes care of business over the next 7 weeks, fans will come.

More people want to fret over attendance than discuss the football game.

He was on the sideline Saturday...in street clothes & a #78 Zips jersey. Big belly.

Saw this kid in a jersey on the sideline today.