Lone Zip in Col

No doubt we need to put a winning team on the field in order to help attendance and the new stadium will certainly help. Obviously the current home for Zips football kills our recruiting. Seriously, why would a high school recruit up until this year pick Akron over any school, let alone another MAC program? The RB is outdated, broken down, and located serveral miles off campus. I remember high school players complaining about playing playoff games in the RB in the 80s. There have been posts on this board in the past discussing that high school coaches in the area been advising their current players to look elsewhere because Akron did not take its program seriously.With the only new stadium in the MAC scheduled for construction (that I'm aware of), I don't see the same hurdles. JD's strengths are in sales so he now has a lot more ammunition when going on the recruiting hunt. The MAC is pretty bad and not much separates us from the top. The future looks good.

As Zippy has already made it to the playoffs, a vote against Zippy by anyone other than S.C. is a vote for Cocky to occupy one of the other slots open for their mascots. It would seem to be in everybody's else best interest to vote with us for Zippy.

Attached???? If the underwear fits wear it. Whatever mojo the MAC had a few years ago is completely gone. This week the only MAC victories were a D1aa and in-conference. The previous weeks were not much better. I know this is a topic best discussed at the end of the season, but is the thought of Akron moving to the Big East in the near future remotely realistic? As a whole Akron has a lot of momentum including a steady increase in enrollment. While it has momentum, why not keep it going with a conference change.

If you have low expectations the MAC did well. N. Ill. who was supposed to be a front runner to win the MAC champsionship went down to S. Ill. a Div IAA school better known for B.B. Can't got waxed by Kentucky who is by far not a powerhouse. Although Miami took Minnesota to overtime, they still lost to a team who will likely be at the bottom of the big 10. Ohio had a big scare from a weak Sunbelt team. To be honest, I just don't see the MAC as a whole improving over the past several years.

The foundation is building for a larger fan base. When I attended UA, a student based fan organization such as the Rowdies was a foreign thought. Certainly, they have a lot of pride for their school. UA students with school pride, that is a huge start in and of itself. By the way big props to the Rowdies today. They were giving it to the Buckeye nation even before they entered the stadium.Everybody knows the formula for more fan support; better recruits = more wins = more fans = bar and restaurant staff wearing blue and gold. With more on-campus residential units, upgraded facilities, and most importantly new stadium that will hopefully be ready by start of 2009, JD is bound to get better recruits this off season. A lot of local talent that passes on Akron as they do not see the prgram as a serious player based upon the RB alone.

I recall a few years ago when Texas came to Columbus, many Longhorn fans were subjected to objects being thrown at them as well as verbal abuse well over and beyond 'friendly jests'. However, when Longhorn fans were given the chance to return the favor last year, I don't recall any Buckeye fans being mistreated. Instead, the Columbus media mentioned that Buckeye fans were treated to nothing but Texas hospitality. Living in Columbus, and despite not being a Buckeye in anyway, I admit that I felt a little ashamed that a certain element of the community I reside exists that perhaps doesn't in Austin. Stooping to that element's level would only reflects poorly on the Zips.

True, but you must consider that if the price of scrap alluminum increases, UCF may simply recycle the stadium and make a profit.

I personally don't dislike you at all SGM, its fun that you stir the pot a little (o.k. a lot). However, don't you think it is unfair to compare anybody to Russell. The so-called pundits pretty much agree that a player with Russell's physical gifts comes around only once every 7-10 years. Of course he still has to prove himself in the NFL and he will be playing for the Raiders who are on par with the Browns on offense. I believe it is highly questionable that BQ will be any upgrade. Before Weiss went to ND, I remember BQ being fairly average (too lazy to look up stats, just going off memory). If Frye played for coach or coordinator such as Weiss instead of the chaotic coaching mess that he was dealt with do you think his performance would have been different? BQ won't have Weiss with the Browns, nor a very good line to protect him. Will he be able to run for his life as well as Frye?

Didn't Schnellenberger also deprive his players water to the point of heat stroke while at Oklahoma. Probably not that big of deal in Florida.

Who in the Hell is AU

One thing I really like about Oregon's stadium is that it sounds as if there are 100,000 fans at the game instead of approx. 41,000. I remember watching a game when Michigan was there and that house rocks. Its design seems to really amplify sound.

That was Can't opening game and likely got its attention. It would be interesting to see them play the Gophers now and see what would happen though it is irrelevant. It sickens me to say the flushes are playing the best ball in the MAC now though they are.

Honestly, I can't believe they are not higher than 53. Our coaches and players had to know their play calling as they did the same thing the entire game and we were powerless to stop them. The commentators on TV stated something along the lines that Can't stresses strength training and their offensive line gained on average 40 pounds between last year and this year. Recruiting is important but perhaps just as importment is the progression of a team's players over time. In that department, Can't gained an edge that JD needs to address quickly. The team can still salvage this season but needs to wake up on all aspects of the game. And good God man, what ever they do stop those stupid 15 yard penalties.

Welcome to the board Mr. ChickenTrousers, however, I'm also in the boat that poverty has very little to do with attendance. Usually, it is places with more poverty that have more fan support. Such cities usually have little else to do. It's almost impossible to have more fan support than the Browns. Toledo seems to be a good draw and I had the misfortune to live in that city for a year and it makes Akron seem like a party. Wealthier cities such as Atlanta and Miami usually don't fare that well with community support for its teams as there are so much more things to do. With no disrespect being meant, I also grew up in Stark County and think your view of community support for a football team may be a little jaded being from Massillon. The Massillon community supports its high school team like non other. It comes from tradition (which Akron is starting to build) that comes from committment. Several months ago somebody posted an article from Massillon's coach who stated something along the lines that the reason Akron has difficultly recruiting local talent is a lack of committment from the University. I'm not blaming the University for this deficiency because it is a place of higher learning and understand that in the past it had spread its resources elsewhere as buildings, books, etc. Now resources are being pumped into the program (some level of committment) such as new athletic facilities and we are now beginning to see the results (MAC champs 2005). True committment will be demonstrated when a new on campus stadium is built. I'm not a marketing guy, but isn't it marketing 101 that location, location, location means everything.

Come on now, we should not pick on Toledo. After all its practically a suburb of Detroit, but with a higher crime rate. Rocketman, do us all a favor and catch a magic show at Tony Paco's and eat a Hungarian sausage.

Thank God Jalapeño is on our side.

From watching the game today it appears that nobody gave the team a speech like that to fire them up either before the game or at half-time. The team did not have any fire in them at all. Worse yet I witnessed a team that was strutting on and around the field beforehand as if they already chalked up a victory. Our team is talented, but not that talented to just mail in an effort. After all Akron stands for A Kickass Roo On Nitro.

Whoo, I just woke up from a horrible nightmare that Can't was killing us and Antonio Gates was spoon feeding me crow. I'm glad I was only dreaming. Please tell me it was just a bad dream.

I lost count of the missed tackles so far. We better get our heads in this game quick.

One problem that I think we'll have in dominating the MAC consistently is obtaining solid recruits year in and out. It seems to me that Ohio has more div IA schools than most states thus much more competition. Oh course OSU gets first dibs on top recruits then Akron, Cinci., Miami, BGSU, Tol., Ohio, and if you count it as Div. IA, Can't. Also, Pit., Marshal and a number of other big schools near the Ohio border to compete with. Certainly, Ohio is high profile and a number of programs come here and cherry pick our prospects as well. However, with new training facility and new stadium, perhaps we have more to offer.I believe Akron can build a large fan base quickly. In the recent past we were almost exclusively a commuter school, and now more students are living on campus that will likely generate greater student attendence at games. Athough I'm now out of the area, I believe a higher majority of Akron students will stay in the area after graduation. If those students attend games while at school, may likely return afterwards. Anyhow, thats my rant. Beat Can't.

That comment was not meant to be directed towards you. It was directed to those who give the vibe that something very negative is going to happen that I've seen even after a convincing win yesterday. I love that fact that there are those who care enough to be upset. As I said in a previous post, when I attended to U in the 90's it was known as Apathy U. I never want to go back to those days. Perhaps many of us on this board fear we may go back to those days and that is understandable. Sort of like those that went through the Depression Era always having the fear that no matter how well off they are now, they may lose everything in a moments time. However, there is so much more to be positive about. Beat CAN'T and go ZIPS.

After reading several of these posts this has become Prozac nation. Several are already suggesting a loss to Can't before the game is played as well as the NCAA dropping us from division IA status. Maybe I took too many half glass full pills today but we're fielding a pretty good team. There is little debate that our defense is vastly improved and playing at a high level. The offense is not so bad either. Didn't our offense score more points against Penn State at their house than OSU at home in similar weather conditions. At least 2 OSU TD's were interceptions that were taken all the way back.As far as the death sentense to Div IAA. It will not happen even if only 16,000 show up the entire year. We won the MAC last year, sold out our alotted tickets for the MCB, beat a BCS team this year and the University is making serious efforts to bring an on campus stadium within 3 years that will solve the attendence problem. Our real concern should be the City Health Department shutting down the Rubber Bowl before the move. Darn, now I have to take another glass half full pill.

Once we win we get to play Texas Tech in their own playground. I would love to see the General's reaction should we beat them.

We should cut Getsy a break. By looking at the numbers the running game did not put any pressure on CMU's defense and our offense probably had to depend heavily on the pass to move the ball. Unfortunately I did not see the game except for gamecast on espn so perhaps I'm typing out of turn. But I have to assume CMU's defense was robbing Peter on the run and paying Paul on pass coverage giving Getsy even more pressure. Despite that he had nearly 400 yards in passing. To date Getsy is 14th in nation in yardage, more than much hyped Heisman trophy candidates Troy Smith (16th) and Brady Quinn (17th).Regardless, I feel much better waking up this morning a Zip than a Redhawk. Time for the road warriors to to circle the waggons and beat North Texas at home.