Z.I.P.

I don't know who you are, but anyone who ranks Ohio ahead of Miami at this point clearly isn't paying attention to the MAC!

The West is stronger, top to bottom. Oh, yeah, that's what NIU said to Temple; that's what Western said to Akron; that's what your testicular school said to Miami. Which MAC West school did YOU graduate from, anyway???

I just looked at Central Michigan's schedule, and here is my prediction: The Chipps will win the West with a 4-1 record (they are currently 3-0 with future games vs EMU and @ their arch-rivals, Western); however, CMU has road games left vs K.e.n.t, Akron, and Clemson, along with Western. They will be underdogs in all these games, so will likely finish at 5-7.This illustrates the problem with the MAC giving division titles based on intra-divisional games alone. Can a team play in the MACC even if they cannot win enough games to become bowl eligible (.500 overall record)? The MAC has put itself in the position to have to explain why they have become the "New Sun Belt", a league with a sub-.500 champ.Responses?

Okay, so what you are telling us is, it was the fault of the Akron Athletic Department that this game didn't get any national attention, not WMU's?Why am I not surprised by this?

I know it doesn't sem to make sense that the ZIPS are #5 and behind WMU...but over the season in the tougher West it may come down to Central and WMU...so...lets hear it...The tougher West??? At first I thought that was satire, but I guess not. Miami, BG and Akron are 1-2-3 in the league. The West teams can't win any big games, at home. Ball State losing to both Miami and CMU after strong non-con showings vs Navy and 'braska. CMU was nothing a week ago, but may be ready to make a run. But this is the MAC, so all you can say is, "Who knows, anything can happen." Akron managed to win a game on the road that both teams deserved to lose.

I gotta tell ya, that is some brutal reporting by Elton Alexander. Even though it may be spot on, what did Doug Martin ever do to him?

I watched Bowling Greeen for the first time this year, vs Boston College on ESPNU Sat morning, and they must be a very close copy of WMU, except they have even less running game, and a more polished passing game. The QB completed 22 of his first 24 passes before BC figured out the scheme -- and picked him off five consecutive possessions. Hopefully JD and co. can look that video over and find out just what BC knew. Eagles gave BG all the five yarders they wanted, bent but didn't really break, and then just exploded on the Falcons. And Bowling Green could not stop BC either on the ground or through the air. I think every run play gained at least five yards.So, frankly, I feel it will be easier to go into BG and pull off a win than going into Miami, where we NEVER win.

I hate to throw a damper on the miracle celebration folks, but I won't be the only one asking this question: Who should be our QB next week? Temple coming off a win. We need to score a lot of points for at least psychological reasons. I feel, as I wrote on the game thread, that Jacquemain lost the game with his inabillity to score/create the game-tying TD.If I were coach, I would do the unthinkable, and start Jackson.Go ahead and hit me with your best Z.I.P.

What happened in '92? I missed that one?I was thinking of Big Ben's hail Mary. All this one was missing was a tuba player!

Three or four years ago now, Pitt started the season 2-2 under Walt Harris and one of the local sports writers wrote an article titled, "Who Will Be Pitt's Next Head Coach?" Harris went on to win seven in a row and Pitt went to a BCS Bowl. At the end of the year he was let go and Dave Wanstead was hired. Wanstead has absolutely run that program into the ground in three years.Be careful of what you wish for......... Post of the Year nominee!!!

Well, I think the Rifle team would disagree. If the rowdies showed up to a Rifle Match, there would be problems. We like fans.....if we can't hear them!Sheeeesh! Who do you think you are, Tiger Woods?

I know very little about WMU, but they were my pre-season favorite to win the MAC. Their start now indicates otherwise. Is it true they have under 200 yards rushing for the season? That's positively Notre Dame-like! (always wanted to say that!) :PThe key is to put pressure on Hiller, and remind him why we didn't recruit him. Get well soon, Nate, and let's hope we can stop this opponent from spying on us and getting that second-half advantage!

Yes -- I was listening on-line, and as I recall, Mack's exact words were, "We plan on constructing a true world-class sports palace, seating a minimum 25,000 fans, which will make Northeast Ohio sports fans forget that the Quicken Loans Arena, or the Value City Arena or Nationwide Arena ever existed. And the name of this new Taj Mahal of Summit County will be 'Blue and Gold Arena at Blue and Gold Place', in honor of the man who's generous personal contribution will make this facility possible: that guy who calls himself Blue and Gold from the ZipsNation.org website."Hey, let me say, on behalf of the Zips in Paradise, University of Akron Aloha Section Alumni, "Mahalo, Brah!" Can we stay at your place when we come home to see the new arena?

The only poll that matters in collegiate football/soccer is the National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA) top-25 poll, in which Ohio State is #26 in the poll out on Wednesday 9/26 with 49 points. Akron has just one point in the poll, good for 38th place.Akron must win nearly every game the remainder of the way to make the NCAA tournament, if they do not win the MAC tournament. That's just the way it is. Respect comes slowly.For your interest, the poll can be found at ncaasports.com/soccer/mens/ :)There is also has a link to the final RPI for 2006, showing Akron at #46, which is why we sat on the sideline for the postseason.

THIS GAME mattered. There's a thread a little ways down about USF and how they got to where they are today (which is a team on the doorsteps of the top 10). They got to where they are today by winning games like this one against mediocre (sorry UConn fans, your team really isn't THAT great) BCS competition. This is the kind of game that can do one of two things. Establish that you are just a mid-level mid-major that can compete within the conference but is hopelessly lost against the big boys or it can establish that you are a team on the rise that can compete with the big conferences week in and week out. If you guys are satisfied with being a middle of the road MAC team that maybe will be in contention for the conference championship depending on the year then so be it, but I'm not. There is no reason that Akron shouldn't be able to beat the Indiana's and UConn's of the world. QZ,If you check it out on Sunday afternoon, you'll find that two of the three teams Akron has lost to this year are ranked in the top-25: Ohio State and Connecticut (both undefeated, you'll notice), and the other, Indiana, has just one loss -- to another top-25 team in Illinois.Akron may or may not be a contender in the MAC East (and I think Can't's performance the past two weeks shows Akron may well be), but you definitely cannot put down Akron for having lost to weak teams. UConn could be this year's Rutgers. Well, maybe not. But they have as may wins as the Knights had at this point a year ago.Relax and have a good weekend Zips' fans. There's a lot of time before basketball season begins.

I was shocked to see on the box score that Caleb used just one sub (Zemanski) -- beside the GK injury -- the entire game! I have never seen a college game with just one sub. I know we have more depth than that. Any idea what's up?BTW -- I assume that Irizarry from OA&M is the brother of their former tight end, who moved back to YSU. (??)Two big road games coming up next. Greensboro an NCAA tournament caliber team will be a tough nut to crack. Then Wright State, which usually is easy to crack.Go Zipfutbol

This is the first 2008 NCAA tournament brackets I have seen -- from ESPN's season preview. They have Akron as a 12 seed, playing the 5th seeded Bulldogs in the Anaheim Regional. That sounds good to me, but does this mean we play them twice in '08?. See you all in Orange County in March! (And Seattle in Dec?) sports.espn.go.com/ncb/bracketology

That's because "Something's rotten in Denmark"!See what a University of Akron education gets you. Smart Aleck Degree.

Is he still breathing???

Here's another related interesting fact that I had not known until earlier this year: The NCAA does not have any limit on how many players a team can have on their team or roster. The only limits are for scholarships, travel squads, and apparently training camp. Before the start of this season, one of the papers in Honolulu mentioned that after the official end of camp, the University of Hawaii added several players to their team, bringing the total number to over a hundred.

I didn't think I'd put in my 2c about attendance again -- especially since I haven't been at the Bowl since 1983 BUT here goes anyway.Like I said more than once, I was at the Browns-Giants game about 1972 when the announced attendance was 43,000+, and there were open sections in the end zone bigger than the open areas in the upper left in the photo. And I've been to games where the attendance was given as much smaller, (30-35k) that seemed more packed than the Browns game.Would the UA athletic athletic department give an attendance figure smaller than the actual crowd? Nothing about the department's incompetence any longer surprises me. For example, they have signed up a proxy organization called the Akron Oldies to do the job that the UA Alumni Department is payed to do but doesn't (thanks, Oldies!).An aside: At the University of Hawai'i, the attendance includes every body that enters Aloha Stadium -- spectators, players, officials, press, bands, ushers and the Caveman-looking mascot who can't wear Zippy's jock strap.

I just looked in at VegasInsider.com, and was really shocked to see the opening spread for Saturday's game having Akron getting 13.5 and 14 points in the underdog role by Vegas sports books.Wish I was back in Vegas (where I once lived) this week. In my opinion, Connecticut is the weakest 4-0 team in CFB history. Wins over Duke, Temple, Pitt and (forget). Let's hope they read all their press clippings this week, and fail to prepare for a good Akron team. I'm feeling very positively about the Zips' chances to pull the upset.Sorry Go Zips, I cannot offer you a ride to Storrs. I'm not driving past Makapu'u Point. And I'm definitely not taking the ferry.

You said a mouthful there my friend! Sounds like you've done the Yamhill County wine tour. Ahhhhh, I can taste the pinot noire from here. Oh -- it's the glass in front of me I'm tasting. (Without the head)

Sad result for the Timbers. They totally dominated the first 70 minutes, with a bundle of scoring chances, but couldn't put it past the Silverbacks' goalie. It went through to penalty kicks, and Portland could not shoot straight, as they lost the shootout 4 goals to 1. Cameron did not take a shot in the PKs. Seattle beat San Juan in the other semifinal. Well, at least I won't waste a trip to the Northwest for the final.