Captain Kangaroo

As an Akron alum, I think you are a stone-cold douche.Please spare us all a 2nd all-time post. Take your Golden Douche award and go out on top, my man.

Highly Scientific, Undeniably Accurate Lunchtime Analysis:#1 - Buffalo (15-5) Previous Rank #1Tight wins vs. WMU (74-71) and CMU (56-55) plus a 13-point victory over Toledo mean 3-0 over the past week, and allows the Bulls to maintain their season-long command of the coveted #1 slot. Do the close wins vs. WMU and CMU signal a chink in their armor? We shall see…. #2 – Akron (14-8)Previous Rank #3The Zips went 4-0 since the last Power Poll, with three road wins (@ YSU, @ Toledo and @ EMU) to go with their thorough dismantling of CMU at the JAR. Let me be the first to mention the Zips Chris McKnight has decided to step up and challenge OU’s Tillman for MAC POTY. Will the media take notice, or has the award already been forfeited to the increasingly mortal OU star? Did the Zips lose to #6 OU? Yes. Does that mean anything, ranking-wise, on February 6th? No. The Zips are playing better ball. Simple as that.#3 – Miami (13-7)Previous Rank #3 Redhawks are red hot. Beat NIU by 28…EMU by 15 and the surprisingly respectable Ball State by 18. Redhawk fans have been emailing me incessantly to move them to the #2 slot, but it just ain’t happening. Miami stays at #3 this week. #4 – Bowling Green (12-9)Previous Rank # 5Won @ Athens, then reeled off another 3-in-a-row vs the MAC West’s Ball State, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan. But then again…who doesn’t get a big win streak when they play MAC West teams?#5 BSU (10-10)Previous Rank #6Now 5-3 in the MAC West. Nice wins vs. Toledo and OU. But you can’t overlook the 4-point loss to BG and a butt-whuppin’ 18-point loss to Miami. Ball State appears to have a really good coach on their hands, because they certainly are not dripping with experience or talent. Look out for these guys in 2009-10…but not this year.#6 – OU (11-10)Previous Rank #2“Who doesn’t get a big win streak when they play MAC West teams?” The OU Bobcats, that’s who. After 5 consecutive wins the Bobcats have apparently hit a wall. They’ve lost 4-of-6, including an inexplicable 7-point loss to CMU and a sorry 44-point offensive effort in their 51-44 loss to Ball State. Yes, they curb-stomped NIU by 30 last night, but that’s not enough to impress the pollsters. Jerome Tillman poured in 24 in the NIU win, but his POTY candidacy is taking on water as his team hovers around .500.#7 – K.e.n.t. (11-11)Previous Rank #7 The Golden F.lashes may finally be starting to right their ship? A 22-point win vs. EMU, and 18-point win vs. WMU and a 29-point win vs. Toledo show that the ice water the Zips tossed down their backs 2 weeks ago may very well have awoken a sleeping giant? Then again…they’re stomping the D-II MAC West. The F.lashes don’t move up, but at least their fall has been broken.#8 WMU (7-14)Previous Rank #8They’ve lost 4-in-a row. But that’s pretty much the case for all MAC West schools as they play the east “beasts.” They were competitive (by MAC West standards) in their 4-point loss to Buffalo and 7-point loss to BG. But also chalked up a 17-point loss to K.e.n.t. along the way.#9 NIU (6-14)Previous Rank #9Lost to Miami by 28…BG by 7…and OU by 30. How many Huskie fans will make the trip from DeKalb to Cleveland for the MAC Tourney’s opening Tuesday game? I’m guessing the number is somewhere between Blutarski’s GPA and Niki McCoy’s BAC.#10 Akron Women’s Team (8-13)Previous Rank #11A nice win vs Toledo boosts the Lady Zips up a notch!#11 Toledo (4-18)Previous Rank #13The carnage continues for the Rockets basketball team. Losses by 13, 9 and 29 this past week. But the utter disgrace of EMU and CMU pull them out of the MAC basement for the first time this season!#12 EMU (3-19)Previous Rank #11I’ve lost track of how many consecutive games these clowns have lost? The only team they could beat right now is one coached by Dan Hipsher in the MAC tourney (always a mortal lock for any Zips opponent).#13 CMU (6-14) Previous Rank #10Yeah they beat OU. And yeah they played Buffalo tough. But these SOB’s are banished to the basement for the remainder of 2009 in response to their pathetic “effort” against the Zips January 31st. Taking the air out of the ball in the 1st half, down by double digits!! How much money did their coach make taking Akron and the points in that game??!! Some bookie got fleeced!

I'm seeing the same thing.

From what I can gather, the 3-3-5 isn't going anywhere. The mindset seems to be upgrading the talent level of players within the existing scheme. We'll see if there's any surprises in spring ball, but I don't expect any.

This comes to mind -

The early rumors of Mr. X's identity pointed to either Chris Henderson or Pitt DE verbal Will Clarke.Turns out it could be both.

KD - I love the fact that you've openly stated your goals for a long win streak, 20+ wins and a MAC championship as opposed to the typical coach-speak of "we're taking it one game at a time." Why do you feel this young team can handle the pressure of it's coach looking down the road when so many other coaches are afraid to look, or admit they're looking both at the next game and beyond the next game?

We pay our video staff WAY too much! Thanks, Dr Z!

You're all welcome. It was fun to put together. I'm glad people enjoy it!

Aren't you supposed to be dead at 0.40?

I asked about it last night. The explanation was that parents shell out a ton of money for their kids to go to Milford. In return, they all want their kids to get playing time. Thus no kid really gets a ton of reps, and none really have any eye-popping stats.He's at 325 now, and his natural playing weight is apparently 310. He's a pure Jerry Ball-type nose guard. You'll like his tape. He played fullback at 285lbs and looked good! He's also 100% healthy.

Coaches for this week's Thursday night show will be Dambrot, Kest and Brookhart!

Just bumping it up. Hope to have a good showing by the 'Nation!

You got him.

Tonga, Weaver,La France and Chris Henderson!!

Thanks for taking the time to post the Valpo info!

Verbals or LOI's?

Ahhh....the prophesy is being fulfilled....

He's a non-qualifier. A school like K.e.n.t. has nothing to lose by taking him, but chances are he'll never see the playing field.

That's like the 4' 1" midget calling the 3' 11" midget "shorty."The MAC and the Horizon are both midgets. 14...18...who cares. You guys have Butler, and we have Eastern Michigan. Swap them and see where the RPI would pan-out.

Alexander is in. I'm guessing the west coast guys will come in a little later.

Petrides is in.

Why would I re-list verbals?

Verbals received thusfar (10am) include:NicelyGreenwoodDillardProctorWilliamsVidovicHomayedAndersonFraleyDelmonicoHouserRootFrieson