UAZipster0305

You are going to make a comment like that and not leave a link?

This is actually the way most 4-4-2's are played. One forward drops short to collect and distribute the ball while the other stretches the defense and looks for holes behind for through balls. The difference is semantics. It matches up well with a defense that plays a stopper and sweeper because it can require the sweeper to mark and thus not be completely effective in covering space and passing lanes.

How can you not love TB?

WVU is a great addition. They bring a name brand and a perennial Top-25 program. They have met us twice in the NCAA Tournament recently and got whooped both times, once in the snow. They don't like us at all. This has the makings of a strong rivalry! Kentucky and South Carolina are two schools similar to WVU...they are in BCS conferences that don't sponsor men's soccer. They would be great additions to the MAC, but I believe they are both currently affiliated with CUSA.

I could care less about the MAC regular season championship! And in seasons where we won the MACC, no one else did either. It's a consolation prize and only bought us a first round NIT loss. And besides, we've now been there and done that. Keeping this on-topic, do you think anyone from OU cares they finished third in the MAC regular season? Of course not! They will remember it as the best season in their program's history. I want post season wins and preferably multiple ones. This team has the talent. Anything less is underachieving anymore.

Thanks!

Anyone have a link to stream tonight's game?

If Groce and Cooper return, I fear we may be second best again next year.

Brilliant! I love it, Dr. Z!

This could be taken in two ways. I know which GLASS most ZNO members would be hitting hard!

It's more like, until we consistently lose to another in-state program, we own the Ohio fan base, and if we don't schedule them, we can't lose. Sickening. Says a lot about where MAC football's level of competitiveness is too. Even though arrogant supremacists, I can handle the OSWho alumni fans. It is all the casual fans and especially the OSWho fans who attended other Ohio D-1 schools that I can't stand. Sadly, my brother is among the latter. I hate that THE Ohio State University crap too. I will never pass up an opportunity to root against OSWho. They are a very small step below Can't among schools I can't stand.

I'm not sure about books, but I bet I know who hits the video games harder!

Canada, hands down.

Nice to hear KD talk about scheduling and playing for an at-large bid. We had that schedule this year, but we were about 3-4 wins away from having a viable at-large resume. Unfortunately, as a mid-major with no NCAA Tourney success, I still think we would have been on the outside looking in.

What I found interesting is that every MAC school was labeled as: "Not a viable candidate [to move to another conference] at this time." ...except UB: "Not a viable candidate at this time. If there is continued growth of the athletic programs, the school could one day be a Big East candidate after decades of success." UB has terrible facilities. Their only advantage is academics because they have a huge research budget. Our profile currently favors athletics with an expanding research profile. So I ask, over the course of a couple decades, what is easier to grow: athletics or research? My answer: research because athletics relies more on tradition and alumni interest. UB has no more potential to change conferences than we do. I actually think UA and UT are the only MAC schools with a shot at upgrading conferences.

The only positive I would pull from such a situation is the paycheck we get from the MAC distribution.

If we had won an NIT game or were in the midst of a deep NIT run, I might agree. As it is, OU is straight up the better team, and we are sitting at home envious of another program, again.

Spotted. Along with DiG's "Unfinished" theme, we "Spotted" the opposing team large leads in many games by starting very slow and played undisciplined and disorganized. Against lesser competition, we were able to overcome the deficit. Against teams at our level or better, we lost. DiG mentions we need to finish stronger. I disagree, we finished plenty strong! We even played the last 25+ minutes strong in many games (e.g. NW) just to make them competitive, but when the other team is "spotted" a large lead (10-20 points), a play or two that were not made at the end of the game cannot be attributed as the reason for the loss. Those games were lost due to a span of play in the first half that is inconsistent with even being competitive in the MAC West. "Spotted" also refers to the corresponding inconsistency of play. I will chalk this up to being a young team if the issues are corrected for next season. Fun thread topic, GP1. Good form!

Impressive second half thus far!

Finishing the half on a 7-0 run was huge. We're still in this one.

We're getting waxed on national teevee (again), and you think it's a good thing? Our defense is terrible!

Thanks. I did. I assumed your reference was to UA. Interesting nonetheless.

Can you please be specific, CK? I am unfamiliar with this situation.

This has been KD's mantra since taking over the program. Things have changed a bit this year, but I am yet to hear him speak about the OOC as an opportunity to build an at-large resume. Instead, I get the feeling that the OOC is the preseason to the MAC schedule. I want to hear him talking about doing well in the OOC for the sake of March in November. Yes, he and the Athletic Department were mentioning an at-large bid prior to the ORU game, but we were more in that position because it happened rather than it being a goal. To the contrary, prior to the ORU game, he also publicly said something to the effect that we would play more important games during the remainder of the season. I mean, come on! If you are playing for an at-large bid, the very next game is always the most important game of the season! Would Coach Porter say something like that?! Again, see Rule #76! I love KD and what he has accomplished here. He has few major flaws, but this is definitely one of them. To take the program to the next level, he has to stop playing MACC roulette. Period. I said in another thread prior to the MACC that there would be seasons where we are the best team, but would not win the MACC and automatic bid due to bad luck. And here we are, the best team in the MAC going to the NIT courtesy of a low percentage, off-balance, deep DJ Cooper three pointer late in the game. Before the shot went up and as it was on it's way to the hoop, you could almost hear Coach Croce saying NO!!!...until it went in. No soup for U(A).

WVU beat us head-to-head. End of story. Hence, I am willing to concede anything overall record and RPI say in this case regarding who is the better team.