exit322

I feel it may be time to move the MAC title game back to the top seed's home field.

I think there's a very very real chance of this. Chaos reigns supreme!

This is a 2026 thing but... If we get Duke, Troy, and UNLV Conference champions, UNLV at 11-2 (having avenged one of the 2) is a very possible playoff team Which means Akron could possibly host a playoff team next year.

Good way for NIU to finish its MAC run, 3-9 with their QB throwing for 27 yards in a loss to Kent.

This is why I don't see Joe as an actual candidate for any of the HC jobs that are open.

Technically, NO league has an auto-bid. It's the top five ranked conference champions that get a bid. Obviously, the B1G, SEC, B12 are 100% of the time always going to get there. The ACC usually, too, but that's more tenuous than they'd like. Then that leaves one for the top ranked G5 conference champ, which I think happens much more often than the PAC would like, will be the AAC.

The PAC is not going to get an auto-bid. The AAC is in the driver's seat for that G5 bid every year IMO. But an 11-1 PAC champ would have a good argument.

The biggest thing for Joe will be to triple his pay in a "well Akron was hopeless too so who cares."

Still better than Arth and iCoach

This is why I do think some of the transfer stuff will kinda even out and calm down. If guys keep transferring and basically going AWOL, SOME of the transferring will slow down.

Sorry for a late reply here. Conference USA gives the MAC a very serious run for this title.

Hosting the Avon-Walsh state semifinal isn't going to solve $5M worth of issues but every little bit helps. Doesn't hurt getting people on campus either.

Good point, I didn't even think about that side of it.

I think it eventually stabilizes a bit. But certainly there will always be some that are going place to place.

It sucks, but that's the life of things. The thing hopefully Akron can do a bit to help is to get the amounts these guys end up getting elsewhere. Akron isn't going to be able to pay much NIL no matter what happens. But I would think there's something there with "we can develop you, and look at the cash our guys are getting elsewhere." Clearly, they did some developing this year with guys. Could almost convince me that Moorhead is the guy for this, haha

Nor that Goodrich will be particularly bothered either way.

Oh for sure. If they're not bringing ESPN enough viewership to hold them in places...and they probably aren't...then it's time to cut bait.

It would certainly be a big "move" for his followership if he actually did break this. But...yeah this isn't the actual story.

The only problem is that I believe the TV contract does dictate for some of the rivalry games to be played on the weeknight games. But yeah...let's open the schedule with Kent...I'm sure Miami/Ohio and Bowling Green/Toledo (that one sold out Doyt Perry this year) would also like to always keep those games on Saturdays.

With the backs and TEs we had, I don't think the 4-5 WR spreads made the most sense. Just, Ben would have been good enough in that role. Alas, here we are.

Oh, so they got serious about their program and leveraged the assets they do have. Ah, ok. That makes sense.

The issue here is more Joe's recruiting than Joe's coaching. I think he did maximize Finley...but yeah Finley wasn't it. Still think he'd be fun in a "4300 yard 44 TD 33 INT" way in a Mumme air raid. Frustrating with all the picks, but fun. Why did I not put two and two together that Ben Finley's brother was the short-time NFL backup Ryan?

That's pretty much it. Yeah, Akron's a tough job. No one's pretending it's easy. Joe isn't the type of coach that has any chance of thriving at this sort of tough job. Carney...just might be the type who can thrive at a Kent-type job. As an aside, how about a Chris Creighton at EMU (EMU being the actual type of job that many here think Akron is), who is 61-82 at a school whose last three coaches (and related interims) were 39-125. While his record isn't exactly stellar, if a guy can get EMU to five bowl games in 12 years...under current rules, between 1987 (their actual last bowl) and when Creighton arrived in 2014, they'd have had 3 or 4 bowl appearances (they had four years with an eligible record, but two FCS wins in 2011 would disqualify them without a waiver). If Eastern Michigan can go bowling about half the time...Akron should be able to reach that goal. But it will take work and the correct next hire when Joe leaves. That, traditionally, will be the tough part of this equation.

Your point isn't wrong. I just want to emphasize this item here. I don't know what the AD and the department did differently for the Kent game. But it worked. And I hope dearly they do a bunch more of it going into next year, because with actual Saturday games, they could actually get a real crowd for a couple of them (provided the team is at least competent, which was definitely hit and miss this year).

I don't know what Goodrich's plans are with football, but it doesn't feel that this would be. New logo wouldn't be awful, though, the A is incredibly uninspiring. Maybe Goodrich could also work on getting some Akron gear that's available for purchase anywhere that people might want to buy, too... The marketing and crowd they did get for the Wagon Wheel game last week gives me hope that they are finally starting to get serious about the program...and if they are going to at least even get a little closer on the budget BS...maybe you just ride it with everyone and see what happens. Guess I shouldn't be angry at that; it does make sense.