Blue & Gold

This is a very big part of the problem. An 8-team playoff would be nice. A 16-team playoff would be great! But I think most of us would settle for an 8-team tourney IF - IF we do away with the abominable preseason polls. The preseason polls stack the deck in favor of the Big 6 conferences. Neither Utah, Boise State, nor TCU will be anywhere near the Top 10 in the preseason polls next year. If they're in the Top 25 they will be between 20 - 25. Who will be ranked preseason? Your typicals. OSU for sure Heck, Michigan and Notre Dame will probably be preseason #3 & 4, respectively It's a scam and they know it.However, the preseason polls aren't simply unjust to the non-BCS conferences, but to any team not ranked highly in the preseason rankings. Wasn't it just 5 or 6 years ago that Auburn began the season with a low preseason ranking, went undefeated, and was yet still unable to climb out of the hole that the low preseason ranking had put them in right from the start? The Big 6 conferences & $$-struck media know how this works (and are quite happy about it). Oh, and both TCU and Boise State would run all over OSU. OSU's D wouldn't know which way was up. It's still so wierd to me, and I think everyone else as well, but the Big 10 really does suck. Not quite as bad as the MAC, mind you, but almost. I can't believe it's come to the point where I'd actually say that and sincerely mean it. Oh, well. Not that I mind!

Once again the BCS is a mess. We need a playoff system; a plus-1 system wouldn't cut it this year. Utah is definitely deserving of a shot. USC looked scary good until they got bored after halftime. After Texas beats OSU they'll be deserving of a shot, having beaten OU on the field. It's a mess. Utah is my national champion. Florida & OU are playing for #2. Computer geeks can go make their sims characters cry - Utah is 13-0 on the football field. Screw the BCS. Screw the NCAA. Screw the "Big 6" conferences. Screw the cigar-smoke-filled back rooms. Screw the status quo. And screw OSU for stealing Boise State's spot in a BCS game. What a mockery of justice.

I agree with those of the sentiment that presently, we should be primarily concerned with competing in the MAC, not making a jump to the Big East. With our simply outrageous athletic facilities and suddenly beautiful campus adjacent to an increasingly vibrant and growing downtown nightlife scene, I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that we could become the Boise State of the MAC. Wouldn't you all love that?

I was loving every minute of the game last night. Utah's coach did say that he would vote his team #1. But I was hoping either he or a player would have said "The BCS talking heads can, and obviously will, say whatever they want to say, but we are the REAL National Champions!"

I'm planning on parking downtown and getting a bite to eat before the games (and after ). According to MapQuest the distance from Bricco to the ZLB Plasma Services building is 0.70 miles. I think that's a more-than-manageable walking distance for nearly anyone.

I found this to be well-said. "Ill-fated and awkward," was the OBC - Damon's arrangement. When I'd take newbies there I didn't even know how to tell them where we were going. Were we going to the OBC? Were we going to Damon's?I'm hoping the OBC hiatus is a brief one. Since they support the Zips, here's to Zips fans supporting them!

I think we desperately need a low post presence. Is SS really that ineffective? I just don't think we can win consistently by simply continuing to pass the ball around the perimeter looking for the open 3-ball. We need to throw it down low to either score or pass it back out for open shots. Throwing it down low at least give the D a little something else to be concerned about.I liked how McNees drove to the hole. Again, something different than simply passing the rock around the perimeter. When you drive to the hole you can score, draw a foul, or dish it back out. McNees did all 3 last night.Jimmy Conyers looks like our best all-around player. Good job Jimmy!

If this is really true, lord help us all. There's nothing I look forward to more than sleeping through a UA v. MU game. Bring your pillow in a hotly contested 43-42 final. Yawn!!!P.S. Can we change the shot clock rule to 20 seconds when we play Miami?It's funny you mention this. I was talking with a friend just yesterday about how intense the UA - Miami rivalry is but how very boring the game often is. Now last year, McNees went off from behind the arc which added some excitement and moments for the crowd to explode, but often Miami's style of ball really does lead to slow, boring games. Whenever I'm trying to expose someone new to Zips' basketball I never take them to the Miami game. It's a shame because it is usually one of the better crowds of the year, but the game is almost always dull.

What's up, John D?! Nice to meet you & I'm glad you're a part of ZipsNation!!! We have a lot of fun discussion on this board so we all hope to hear your two-cents' worth soon and often! Go Zips!

That's because Keith is a native Akronite, not a Youngstowner or other varietal outsider, Cap'n Like KD, I grew up with everyone around me calling our university Akron U. In fact, I can't remember ever hearing anyone call it by that long, drawn out name in an actual conversation.However...in official publication, like that Cali paper, someone should tell the author it's THE University of Akron. In fact, let's remind all the folks down Bucknut way about that also. What I really hate is when I tell someone I'm from Ohio, and they respond, "Oh, you're a Buckeye". Aaaaaaahhh! Mele kalikimaka from ka pae 'aina 'o Hawai'i nei to all the Akron U fans in the audience. You do realize this is the Buckeye State...Right?We get it. You like Ohio State and Akron. Some people disagree with you. Let's get over it now.That's not it at all. You are not being objective. Not everthing is sports related. When someone says you are a Buckeye from Ohio, they don't even need to be a sports fans.I know, and doesn't that stink to high heaven?! I know it pisses us Zips' fans right off!!! If someone assumes I'm a "Buckeye" because I live in Ohio I'm straight "Hell no!" I'm an all-too-rare independent thinker who is from Akron, not Columbus.Again, if someone justifies their front-runnerism by saying they're an OSU fan because they represent our state, then say, "Oh, really? You're not a frontrunner? Oh, then you must be a huge Ohio University fan too?!" And then they shut up. But you're doing them a favor, because before you enlightened them to the fact that they're nothing but run-of-the-mill front-running sheep, they actually thought they were okay. Remember, folks, tOSU is NOT friend of Akron. You may like them, but they don't like you. If they could wipe us off the map and suck all of our $$$ down to Columbus they'd do it in a blink of an eye. Burn in hell OSU.

Yep. Huge win for them. Why haven't we been able to win one of those over the past 4 years?! Agh!! I'm SICK this morning!!!

I don't wanna speak for Capt. K, but I do believe he was saying that Jake Brandt is now a verbal for the Zips!

Here is some good news. Akron Children's Hospital is teaming up with Aultman Hospital to offer some pediatric services on the Aultman campus. http://www.ohio.com/business/36215119.htmlThe Akron-Canton hospitals need to work together. We've gotta keep The Blob of Cleveland OUT of the Akron area! Tell the Cleveland hospitals and universities to go take a loooong hike off a short Lake Erie pier. The Cleveland powers-that-be would like nothing more than for all of NEO to be considered nothing more than Cleveland suburbs. Go to hell, Cleveland. Akron-Canton, we need to work together more to maintain our autonomy and identity.

Aaah! CSU, you RAT BASTARDS! The Vikings were the lead story on SportsCenter this a.m. They got a good 3-minute-ish story on their game last night complete with highlights, commentary, and a player-bio on their G Cedric Jackson. I wish the mistake up north would just fall into the lake. Then our local media would not be able to ignore us! (and the Mistake by the Lake wouldn't be trying to steal NEOUCOM from us!) Burn in hell Cleveland and CSU!!! Go Akron and go Zips!!!Remember folks, economically speaking, Cleveland is NOOOOOO friend of Akron. Don't deceive yourselves. They'd ABSOLUTELY WIPE US OFF THE MAP if they only could!!! Screw Cleveland! Screw CSU! Go Akron! Go UA! Go Zips!

To answer the question, NO, I - as everyone else - do not miss DLM one bit! TG is doing a great job! And, by the way, until Pluto's name was mentioned in this thread, I hadn't given his existence a thought in about 5-6 months!

ah that's too bad, but good for CSU...besides the Zips, cant help but root for them second.WHAT?!?!?! :blink: CSU SUCKS ALMOST AS HARD AS K.E.N.T!!! They are HUGE rivals whom have refused to play us recently!!! Burn in hell CSU!!!

Thanks Rocketfootball! Build that UT program back up; the MAC needs you guys strong!!!

Yeah, poor USF. My grandparents used to live in the Tampa Bay area so I followed USF a bit, and yeah, they're horrible. In fact, I don't believe they won a single game in the Big East during their 1st 2 seasons in the league.And Virginia got beat by Liberty earlier this season. Kinda pathetic. However, Niagara is a tough team and our win was a good one!

I want to see Swiech play, too. But not if the coach doesn't think he's ready.I trust a good coach to do the right things for both the team and each individual player, which includes not embarassing a player by throwing him into a situation for which he's not prepared.Any objective analysis of KD's actions and results as Zips coach leads to the conclusion that he's a good one,I'm confident that when Swiech demonstrates in practice that he's prepared to play and contribute to the team, it won't be long before we see him in a game.Spot on. Excellent post. KD doesn't want to throw an as-yet-unready Sweich out there and get him embarrassed and have his confidence shaken. He'll come around, apparently just a little bit more slowly than we had hoped. But that's fine - he's a great guy, getting a free college education and hopefully having fun being a part of a great team. No biggie.

I definitely want to give JD more time. His first few years were a recruiting learning experience for him. He went after some extremely good athletes with questionable character and, as we all know, got burnt. That has haunted the program for about 3 years now. However, these last few years he's learned from his mistakes (without becoming totally gunshy and not taking any chances at all - Devoe Torrence, Ryan Bain) and his recruting classes have been very strong and loaded with true student-athletes. We really do have a lot of talent on the field.Additionally, our offense is very good and our special teams are fantastic (except, of course, during the Ohio debacle.) Our defense is truly pathetic and, frankly, quite embarrassing. But I'm sure JD must know this as well as anyone. Fleming included. We really do need to make some rather substantial changes to the D, what those might be I don't know; I don't know enough about the X's and O's to make an intelligent comment in that regard. Do we need a new Defensive Coordinator? Perhaps.Reading other posters on the board talking about the 3-3-5 is interesting to me and one comment that I think is a credible insight is that our D-linemen are too small for a 3-down scheme. If you only have 3-down linemen all 3 of them had better be 280-to-300ish-pounders. I think our current personnel would be better suited for a 4-down scheme - 2 300ish-pounders and Lemon & Sewell coming off the corners in more traditional DE roles.Anyway, I think we're going to be an extremely good football team next year!

I'm afraid the game may be a close one. Reading the Beacon articles posted above, I didn't realize OU's defense was so stout. Take a stout defense and combine that with bad weather and OU's home field advantage and our offense may struggle today. Add to that the fact that our defense almost always struggles, and I think we're in for a tight one.UA - 21OU - 20

Ziprifle, what do you mean by this? Are you referring to a possible UA Medical School w/ a UA Hospital?

What happened to you guys this year? You should have beat OSU in Columbus! Have there been injuries?

There's a very nice, intelligent young man who attends my church named Jarrod Eich. He recently won the Ohio D-2 cross country title. (He finished 2nd in the state last year.) He is an absolutely amazing runner as he runs the 3.2 miles in 15:35. (I believe his time was the 3rd fastest in the state this year - 2 boys from D-1 finishing with faster times.) Additionally, Jarrod wants to major in engineering! To me this sounds like a perfect fit for Akron! But when I asked Jarrod what his plans for next year were (being a Zips fan I naturally mentioned Akron), he said that he hadn't heard from Akron. That surprised me. I believe, as I mentioned above, that Jarrod is the 3rd best runner in the state this year, the very best in D-2, and wants to major in engineering but Akron hasn't been in touch with him?Is there any way someone on the board who has contacts with the track or CC coaches could mention Jarrod to the CC coaches? Though I doubt they are oblivious to Jarrod's existence. Perhaps the talent on the CC team is so good that Ohio's D-2 champion isn't quite good enough to merit a scholly? I just find that implausible. But I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to CC - I know it takes me 30 minutes to run the 3.2 miles!!!Is there anything I could do to assist in Jarred's recruitment? I'd love to see him stay local and I'd love to see him be a Zip and get an education from our excellent engineering school!

:blink: Absolutely yes! What on earth is that all about?! That's exactly what the city of Akron and the U of Akron do NOT need! I thought AGMC and Summa were trying to cooperate with UA and NEUCOM for the betterment of the city of Akron?!