PSU_Lions_84

So if you are admitting you go both ways, we kind of figured that out a while ago. :blink:Yeah, I play strong-side guard on offense, but I was trying to be modest.Three weeks from now, it'll be near the end of the first quarter, with the Lions leading 14 - 7, en route to a 45 - 21 victory. Barbequed roo on the menu -- sounds good!

Was Troy Smith a Zip???Call him a zip, a zero, unsuccessful, whatever you want to.Any of you guys watching the St Louis-Jets preseason game? Dang Sanchez looked good for the Jets -- picked up where he left off after carving us up in the Rose Bowl.

Cool. You might make second string on our rifle team!At this stage of my life, Zach, I would be lucky to hit a barn with a shotgun, standing just ten feet away from said barn. Haven't fired a shot since just after Desert Storm I . . . See my note to Meister I'm 51 and wear glasses now. Sins of my youth catching up to me. I was pretty good back in the day . . .

Are you telling us you guys are so hard up that you are playing a guy who is partially blind?Actually, Meister, he is completely blind, but we figure that evens the odds for you guys a bit. If he could see even a little bit, the line would be 97.5 instead of 27.5. And I'll be playing defensive tackle. I'm 51 years old, 5'6" and 165 pounds, but Joe has confidence in me. Either that, or he is not drinking the "Fear the roo!" kool-aid just yet. Guess we'll find out after I get my first sack of your QB. I promise to be gentle, and not turn him on his head like Tamba Hali did to Troy Smith back in 2005 . . .

lets not get too military nowZipseuph, please define "too" military. (Is now an appropriate time to mention that I graduated from not one, but two, sniper schools? )

I just can't wait for football to actually start.AMEN!!! 21 days and a wake-up! I am even watching the glorified NFL scrimmages that are on now.Before the trash talk gets too intense: You Zip fans continue to be knowledgeable and enthusiastic. It's college football at its best. Major props to ya.P.S. The Penn State coaches have moved Landolt, one of two O-linemen with significant playing time, to left tackle, to provide better coverage for Clark's blind side. Just FYI as you plot your defense.

You are spot on, Dr Z. This is Joe's standard modus operandi: "We ain't got nothin'. I would be afraid to play the Akron State Hermaphrodites right now. We have a long way to go to be even decent. Yada, yada, yada."Not to say he isn't concerned about certain aspects of the team (O-line, D secondary), but he likes to overexaggerate the weaknesses.Personally, I think the current line of 27.5 points is a little disrespectful to you Zips, but obviously I still believe Penn State will prevail by double digits. If nothing else, our bench is stronger than yours -- we will pound and pound on your D until it breaks.

Zipseuph, great pic, altho I must say the Lion looks bored . . . Be careful if he awakes!!!Zippy_UA, thanks for trying to educate your brethren about the diff btwn Penn State and Penn. They will come to know, and "rue", that difference on 5 Sep, which is ONLY 26 DAYS AWAY!!!

Hey, DReal, the sheriff in the county where I live here in central North Carolina just found $5.6M worth of pot plants. Looks like you got your stash before he swooped in. You were off-key in the third line of the song, btw.Just under 30 days! LET'S GO!!!!!!!!!!!

Zach, that's why I'm thinking. Akron is going to definitely have to have a varied offensive scheme to get the W. Run on pass downs, pass on run downs.The big unknown to me is team speed. As a Penn State fan, I like to think our front 7 will punish the Zips and disrupt their entire offensive scheme. But, I am trying to consider all possibilities, so enjoy kicking around how Akron may pull off the upset.On the other hand, I'm thinking the Penn State offense will lean heavily towards the run, in order to give our O-linemen a chance to get settled in.

1, the Zips are going to have to do the unexpected. With the PSU front 7 being strong, Akron is going to have to loosen up our LB's, both to establish the run and to give their QB more time. Throwing deep may push our backers away from the line of scrimmage, as our secondary chases Zip receivers while some other receivers drag across the middle field.Hey, Zip fans, we are two Penn Staters discussing your offensive strategy. Where are you guys?(BTW, 1, got your PM at that other place -- sounds like a great movie! Wife and I want to see "Hurt Locker". EOD (explosive ordnance detail) guys have 'nads the size of basketballs.)

The beautiful female cheerleaders will remain in section for our enjoyment -- Just when I was beginning to like you guys, you go and get all selfish on me. Sheesh!- most of the male cheerleaders will be playing in the game (actually we did have one last year who really should have been playing) so as not to injure our players, but we can have them stand a$$ backwards if that helps your guys! Generous offer, but I think we'll know by the end of the first half who needs the help more. That is not a prediction of any kind, just that I expect the first half to be representative of the entire game. If you guys get two TDs up on us by halftime, that may be enough to give you the W. The wild card will be bench strength, and with the idiot Penn State players not attending class, getting DUI's, etc., etc., etc. we may be asking you folks to lend us a couple players.

The Zips will put up some points, but based upon JD's defensive history Zips fans have only faith-based hope that we can stop...slow...or even mildly annoy an upper Big Ten offense.CPT K, thanks for the lowdown and for the implied compliment that Penn State is an "upper Big Ten offense". Keep in mind that Penn State is rebuilding its offensive line. There is a strong nucleus with Wis at center and Landolt at right tackle (notice that the guys on Clark's blind side are new), but you guys will be the first game and test for many of the O-linemen. And while I have slightly more confidence in our new WRs than I do in our new O-linemen, I look for Akron to be aggressive against the run while hoping the PSU pass offense sputters. I think that is your best option. On a related note, it will be interesting to see how Clark carries his new bulk around. Supposedly he is up to 240 lbs. with a 3% body mass. I guess if no one else can stop Alex Allen, we can use Clark against him.MDZip -- love your confidence! How good-looking are your female cheerleaders? They may serve as a useful distraction as well . . . I would keep your male cheerleaders in reserve for that important game against the Akron State Hermaphrodites.

That's a tricky question, most of us Zip fans hope the answer is "no". Our coach is on record as saying he is still going to use it. Some of us have heard they are practicing other defensive sets. They switched up a few times last year and ran a four man front for some series. We might know know until kickoff. I do agree with you that PSU will run all over a 3-3-5, if it's Akron or Florida. It might even have to do with the health of the guys that play up front. Two or three guys out, and we might be forced to play the stack, if we have everybody up front I can't see how you keep four DLs off the field.Thanks for the update, Doc. This game becomes more and more intriguing: Penn State will probably pound the ball, with a few passes mixed in to settle our WRs down, and it sounds like your O is geared towards the pass. Any updates there?As you know, our secondary was considered the weakest link last year, and Wallace was expected to play a key role this year. We'll have to see if he gets his academics together in order to play in the fall. If not, Penn State may blitz or pressure a lot, in hopes of disrupting your passing timing. I would expect your coaches to anticipate that, and load up on screens, short passes, and all.If I were the Akron HC, my very first play against Penn State would be a long bomb, just to gauge the State secondary. If he can get Penn State thinking they have to protect against the long ball, that gives the Zips a chance to set up the run or short passes. Thoughts?33 days to go!!

Poor assumption, ND has nothing to do with Notre Dame. I guess we'll just have to see who is really best on Sep 5th.Whew, that is good to hear, ND Zip. Not sure if you have been reading this entire thread, but I like you Zips! Oregon State fans had the same fire last year before our game with them. For instance, they are the Beavers, and they were going to own Beaver Stadium. Didn't work for them (either), but they were knowledgeable and fun.Please bring me up to date: Is Akron gonna use a 3 - 3 - 5 defense against Penn State's running game? That may not be wise, even tho PSU's O-line is inexperienced.Night, guys. Time for me to take my Geritol and hobble off to bed.

Hmmm, still very stilted and pedantic, NDZip. Guess we are condemned to reading your sophomoric posts as they are . . . Pity us poor readers.I attribute that to the "ND" part of your name; presumably a Notre Dame reference? You folks ought to learn something besides missionary position; doing so might help you loosen up a little. Your Zip brethren seem much cooler . . . Nope, I'm good without using the quote button to your exacting standards. As it is, none of my five computers have a "quote" button. Alas, they only have a button for quotation marks -- these guys """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""' -- please enlighten me as to which button is the "quote" button. Hey, I bet it's near the "any" key!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!P.S. Is it true that one reason for Notre Dame's recent lack of CFB success is because three of their stars are missing in Charlie Tuna's fat rolls?

Since the days of John Heisman, Akron has built a tradition of class. Something that Penn State fans would not know about. This is a tradition rooted in hearts of our fans, much deeper than color coordination--though I am glad you have been able to achieve this with your "white out." I also applaud that you know who you are which you display through your "We Are!" chant, though the ability to recognize belonging to a larger social group is something that even low level members of the animal kingdom, such as worms are aware of. As a matter of fact in five weeks, you will also have something else in common with worms, being stomped on under the feet of the Zips. As far as hermaphrodites go, that is a very sad medical condition and we would be more than happy to treat anyone with that problem in one of our 3 exceptional Akron hospitals. Don't worry, we also reserved some beds for your football team--where they can receive treatment for their wounds after being torn apart by the Zips. Fear the Roo.NDZippy, your delivery is a little forced -- ya gotta get some more zing into it. Check out Kid's or DReal's posts -- they have got it going on.P.S. The game is at Penn State, so your hospitals' beds are not needed -- thanks anyway. Centre County Hospital is not that great, but there is lots of farm land in which to bury the Roos. You guys will be in good company -- there is a long, long, long list of other teams whose dreams have died in Happy Valley. One reason why Penn State is only one of six CFB teams with 800 wins. Yes, WE ARE . . . PENN STATE!!!!!!!!

Slowly the Lion emerges from its hide site, beginning to stalk its pray. Roo on the menu!!

Zips fans, you know about many of the Penn State traditions now -- guarding the Lion Shrine, the "We Are!" chant that is over sixty years old (sorry, Marshall, great movie -- sad rip-off of a Penn State ritual), the white-out. How about sharing some of the Akron Zips rituals and traditions? The only ones I've found so far is how you guys crawl into your mommas' pouches somewhere around the second quarter (when the beatdowns start) and the one where your Kangaroo mascot is fed to the lions after a loss. This year, she will be lunch for the LIONS.Crank it up!! In five weeks, it will be the early fourth quarter with the Zips looking at a 3-TD mountain to climb. Can they make the miracle comeback? Maybe against the Quakers, but not against Penn STATE.P.S. I heard your athletic department got a call from the Akron State Hermaphrodites. They want a one-and-one with you guys -- not in football, tho.WHOOOOO-HOOOO!!

anybody with half an once of football knowledge would never read your hot air!!!!!!!!!! especially the players or coaches...maybe some donkeys and monkeys, that would we all....I do see a lot of donkeys on this site in fact your all a bunch of donkeys...no one owes you anything, especially the zip players and coaches.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO ZIPS!!!!!!It's quite apparent Rumplemintz needs a hug. C'mon, Rumple, your fellow Zip fans have spirit and enthusiasm; let loose, man!

Only 39 days, man that doesn't make it sound so far away now, does it?39 days = 5.5 weeks. That sounds pretty short, too!Zen, Kenana looking good!You know, guys, fans of rival teams used to come in and try to mess with the Nittany Lion statue. Syracuse painted it orange one year -- it had to be sand-blasted off. Some punks even broke one of its ears -- if you look closely at the right one, I think it is, you can see the fault line.PLEASE don't go crazy, but if a Zip fan were to knit a sweater or something (obviously in Akron colors) and drape it over the statue, it would definitely raise the stakes. Do this late Friday night, so the folks walking around campus early Saturday can see it. Tie it on real well so it's hard to get off. Of course, the assault team can get pics of their dirty deed, cuz it won't be on there for long. Don't spend a lot of bucks -- again, your emblem probably won't last.Be aware that PSU students might guard the statue, so use your discretion. You don't want to spend the game in Centre County Jail -- they don't broadcast the games in there. (No personal experience -- honest!)I wouldn't let every team's fans know this tradition -- wouldn't trust them. You guys are pretty cool (except for Kid -- he's a wild 'un. J/k!!!), so I'm trusting you to do something fun but not destructive. Good luck!! Post pics here, pls.Go to Wiki and look for "Nittany Lion". Here's most of the article on the statue.The Lion Shrine The Lion ShrineDuring the 1940s, seeking a place to hold pep rallies and victory celebrations, students launched a campaign for a lion shrine. As its gift to the university, the Class of 1940 voted to give the sum of $5,430 to pay for the construction of such a shrine, which was to be constructed between the Recreation Building and Beaver Stadium, with the lion framed against a natural setting of trees, grass, and shrubs. The sculptor Heinz Warnecke was retained to carve the lion at the site from a thirteen-ton block of limestone. The sculpture was formally unveiled on October 24, 1942. The shrine has come to be one of the most visited and photographed sites, not just on campus, but also in the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.[edit] Guarding the ShrineThis is a Homecoming weekend tradition at Penn State, started in 1966 when Sue Paterno (wife of football coach Joe Paterno) and a friend covered the lion in orange latex-based paint as a way of stoking interest in that year's game against PSU rival Syracuse. While that paint washed off easily, a later dousing by actual Syracuse fans with oil-based paint proved much harder to remove, requiring sand blasting. The shrine is guarded for the duration of Homecoming weekend by Penn State's ROTC detachment, Blue Band, alumni, current students, faculty, and by the Lion Ambassadors. The latter group brings food, music, games, and (starting in 2004) an event called "Last Guard Standing", attracting students from all over campus. Originally, the guard was manned by freshmen

That's not necessarily the best qualification, considering how our DBs got burned in a few games. I blame them in part for the breakdowns that led to the late Iowa score, and of course USC was all over us. Another part was the defensive scheme, of course, but did Bradley build a defense around the players he had or were the players forced to play in a scheme they were uncomfortable in? Quien sabes?Nice PhotoShop work on the scoreboard. Your next project is to restore Michael Jackson to his birth characteristics. (That ought keep you busy for a couple hundred years . . . . )39 days until kick-off!!

FINAL SCORE:ZIPS 42The Lowly Lions 28You guys are da bomb! I'm gonna start sending some other Penn State fans over here. I'll try to get the ones who'll debate ya on strengths and weaknesses. Their enthusiasm is like yours, tho, so there may be some smack-talking. Whoo-hoo!! Just a little more than five weeks . . . are we there yet?Penn State 45Zips 21(If it's any consolation, you guys score first. Of course, then your wheels fall off until late in the 3rd qtr, by which time the score is 38 - 7. Sorry . . . . At least you will enjoy the ambiance in Happy Valley. :blink: )

Kid, you are a piece of work! What do you do for a living -- organize labor unions? LOL! BTW, I hear the Zips coaching staff is so confident against Penn State they are going to spot us two TD's. Can you confirm that rumor for me? Thanks, David, for providing a better link to the ESPN thread.

Yes only we are more specialists here. Some of our fans are enthusiastic, others are knowledgeable.Well, ZipMeister, imho, your blend tilts towards the knowledgeable side. I get upset with some of my fellow PSU fans who act like we should get 3 TDs just for showing up.I just noticed the "comments" section for the UA-PSU game at ESPN is open. (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/conversation?gameId=292480213) Looks like the thread is wandering all over the place -- lots of Iowa Hawkeye fans have hijacked the UA-PSU discussion -- but check it out.