skip-zip

Regardless of how we might feel right now, a game like this should be all about talent. They don't have D-1A level players. We do. I'll be happy if we beat them by 20, and really happy if it's 30 or more. Please please please don't allow me to even have to think about the idea of Gardner Webb all over again.

okay what about the pick 6's he just chucks it up just like he did in juco that wont get it done hereWhat is your relation to Nicely? Seriously. They're equally terrible, but we've already seen almost two full seasons of Nicely terrible. I'd like at least a half season of Moore terrible before I call for the other awful guy.It's about time. Someone had to say it. Great post.I just find it amusing that some of the PN supporters from last year are so quick to excuse his 1 for 6 performance on Saturday as "dropped passes". However, has one of them talked about the half dozen Moore passes that were dropped in the Temple game?I have news for you. The receivers aren't suddenly performing any differently based on who is the QB.

Let's talk about the Steelers for a bit here, because to me they serve as something of an example.You talk of NE Ohio dying for a winner, and that is why you are starting to (sadly IMO) grasp on to Pittsburgh. Now I am still a relative youngin, but I don't ever remember hearing about a time when there were as many Pittsburgh fans in NEO as there are right now. Why? Because the Browns we're out of football for a number of years, and have been pretty terrible in the 12 seasons since they returned. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh has won Superbowls and been a staple in the playoffs. People get tired of rooting for the team that consistently looses, so they decide to adopt the team that consistently wins. Classic bandwagon.Now lets revert back to OSU. The Buckeyes have consistently been a top-25 program for a number of years (if I read correctly this week is the first time in like 7 years that they aren't in the top-25). They have been regular national title contenders, and they regularly win big games. People in NE Ohio have already bandwagoned on to them as winners. It doesn't take a genius to see that. To the general population in NE Ohio college football begins and ends with the Buckeyes. Sad, but true. Now the only way that is going to change, and in turn the only way that the Zips are going to make in roads with those bandwagoner fans who are "dying for a winner" is if OSU goes through a sustained dry spell, while the Zips get hot. Let's just say, I'm not holding my breath on either of those things happening any time soon.I guess the point I am trying to make here is that while NE Ohioans are desperate for a winner, they have already found their winner when it comes to college football, and I just don't see a set of circumstances under which they are going to let go of that and meander over to the Zips. That being said, I do agree that the Zips can find their niche. I just feel that said niche is most likely as an FCS team where we can theoretically be more competitive.Your point is proven with the soccer team. Our soccer team fills the stadium and soccer isn't even close to the popularity as football. If UA ever started to consistently win the fans would flock to see this team. If we could start winning the MAC and being competitive with top 20 teams, we would start hearing the Info needs expanded. The OSU excuse is old. Many other states have multiple schools that are supported. Ohio could certainly support another winner. Especially NE Ohio. This is a hotbed for talent and for football in general. People in NE Ohio are starving for a winner.If this school ever gets it's proverbial head out of it's butt, we could be a real player in getting people to fill the Info. WE have invested in facilities, stadium and the campus. It's time to invest in the right coach and staff.Enough of these position coaches of other schools. We either need a consistent, proven winner from a smaller division or a good coordinator from a winning major program. Not a position coach. Come on Dr P get us the right coach and let's start winning.You already know my response, Buckzip.Akron Soccer competes for National Championships. Akron Football competes for a chance to win a title in a bottom level conference.OSWho Football competes for National Championships. Akron Football competes for a chance to win a title in a bottom level conference.Big differences. You want proof? Check out Akron Soccer's attendance before National Titles became a real possibility.

I just bascially said this in another thread. It's about the only thing we have to hang our hats on right now. But, lets hope that it leans towards the "better" mark. And lets hope Cincy's backups are a lot better than VMIs starters.

You must have missed my direct question to you in one of the other threads as you never responded to it, so I'll copy and paste it here:So, akron football, could you please expand a little on how you've reached the irrevocable conclusion that Nicely is clearly superior to Moore.You say that the only reason Nicely can't get more completions is because the receivers drop his passes. Would this not apply equally to receivers dropping Moore's passes?Or, if receivers are catching passes from Moore and dropping similar passes from Nicely, what's the reason? Is it that Moore's throws are weak and Nicely's are too hot for them to handle? Is it that they like Moore and want to catch his passes and don't like Nicely and deliberately drop his passes?Seriously. I'm open to hearing your rationale for posting all the one-liners about Nicely = good, Moore = bad.I'm really open to any thoughtful arguments.Dave,That's been going on for two seasons. It's not going to change. Roo makes some good comments too, but I want to address what you've been saying specifically. I think you said last week that Moore wasn't ready to try to carry a bad team on his shoulders. I really think I was seeing a lot of that on Saturday. The over-scrambling got him in trouble a couple of times. Plus, I think he still needs to learn that the timing on those out patterns is just not going to be the same on a Saturday against a Cincinnati defense as they were on a Wednesday against an Akron defense. I think he might be trying to do too much right now, and pulling him out of the game for a couple of series might have been a good decision by the coaches to settle him down a bit. On the flip side, what do you do as a QB when you realize you are on a bad team, and you are a player who is used to winning? I like seeing the fight in him, and that he is trying to make things happen, even thought the OL and WR issues might be worse than ever. Maybe what we saw in the 4th Q. on Saturday can be a good starting point, for both the QB and everyone else, who all need to be accountable to make things work as the team hopefully grows. The next few games against lesser opponents could be a continuation of that Cincinnati 4th Q. If that doesn't start to turn around, then I hope we start to look at other options. Especially at the QB spot, I don't want to see another 2-year long experiment that fails. What I hope to see next Saturday is a team that comes out ready to show what they've learned. I want a repeat of the Morgan State game from two years ago, and not the GW game from last year. That would restore a little bit of my confidence that we might be headed somewhere positive.

IMO TBD.How about we GO with a NEW COACHESThat might not hurt either. Unfortunately, that won't even be a thought until this regime complete at least 3 seasons.

Against Temple and OSWho. ....when we played Temple last year, we were SHUT OUT !!....when we played OSU last time, our Offense was SHUT OUT !!So, as I keep saying all along, please explain to me why we are any worse off because we're taking a chance with a new QB to see if we can turn things around?

Then can we count on any UberZips in the future?Well I don't think I created any UberZips in those pursuits, but i guess one never knows .But seriously, my wife was a college track runner at a smaller school. Hopefully our genes will combine to create some UberZips. And my kids will have no choice btw... if they are good athletes, they are going to be Zips.I wish all ex-Zips thought like you. It seems like once most people leave here, they forget about where they came from, and go back to becoming fans of the "bigger" schools.

That's because it never was about those things...unless we go back to the 1800s and why would we want it to be the 1800s again?Oh come on. Have you ever watched an Army - Navy Game? That's the way it should be. Unfortunately, some schools ran afoul over the years and saw ways to get more out of it. And plenty of others followed. And there's probably not much of a chance of being able to reel them back in.

I have been saying the same thing. The UC game almost does not matter= I am expecting to get trounced. The recovery has to begin by beating VMI, getting some confidence and then taking care of EMU. Get those 2 wins and get some momentum and let the kids see some level of success and the FIU game becomes one where MAYBE we can get something good rolling.Said it after OSU game...Ianallo has 5 weeks for me to not become another member to completely turn against him. Temple game was WORSE than I thought, but I am sticking to my 5 weeks.My mindset is right there with yours. Development HAS to become apparent on Saturdays at some point soon. My biggest area of concern is the offensive line. Pughsley (sp?) has been out all year, Straight is questionable for Saturday and the guys who have played have struggled in the 1st 2 games. Hopefully, some of those guys will get healthy and the unit as a whole will start to improve. Otherwise, it's hard to envision even a slight turnaround occuring this season.I sit right behind the bench. Wasn't Pugsley only in on special teams plays last year. He was on the three man punt protection wall and that is as I remember from last season. I don't think the season was by any means resting on his shoulders.When I see this kind of talk about someone at a key position coming virtually out of nowhere to be the starter, it obviously raises even more concerns about our talent level. And is that true that he is not even able to go now? Oh boy.

For me, that should have sent PN to the bench a long time ago. So, I will hold Moore to the same standard.Remember...he hasn't had the luxury of throwing against EMU, Buffalo, Can't or a 1-AA team yet either, which better be enough to bring those numbers up significantly. I'll say this again, even though I do NOT want to be put in the same category of those making excuses for our QB for the last two years. But....most people think that our protection and dropped ball problems were worse than ever Saturday night. Losing all of our skill guys, and a few OLs HAD to be a big concern to all of us going into the season. Our backs are having problems even holding onto dump passes. And Carter and LaFrance suddenly must be looking like All-Americans to us, compared to what we saw last weekend. But again, in my opinion, I could see a QB using this as an excuse as to why his numbers should be better. But, regardless of the circumstances, I still believe that somewhere in the 50-60 range should be an ABSOLUTE MINIMUM for a college QB.Please don't assume that games against those teams will prove to be any more productive. Frankly when Ianello decided to go with a QB who had never played in his system,and,as far as I know never threw a pass at the DI level and didn't actually show anything more in 'pre-season' than Nicely,it said to me that he was starting all over again. Ianello isn't in it to win much if anything this year. He knows he as at least 1 if not 2 more years before the AD actually expects any consistent winning.WAIT,, Didnt Coach I have a QB last year who had never played in his system? Hadnt been impressed with the Lone Ranger. So why not try Nicely again,,maye give him more then 2 minutes at the end of a game and were not DOWN by 40Just a question: Are you saying that about 20 games of starter duty over a two year period was inadequate as far as "giving him a try"? Just like everyone else, I don't have any idea how this QB switch is going to work out, but right now, Moore is the one who looks better to the coaches, and apparently earned the right. Would 2 games against two of the strongest teams on our schedule seem adequate to you, considering the 20 games during which we "gave a try" to the alternative?Unless the coaches see an established platoon situation as our best option, I don't want to see us scrapping everything we're doing in practice and switching starting QBs back and forth on a whim.

It reminds me that it's highly unlikely that college athletics will ever again be just a competition between young athletes for school pride and bragging rights, while getting an education that is paid for. And that's NOT to say that we should just let the whole thing run out of control, like it is right now.

I'll take one for the team and volunteer for this duty. :DSeriously though, I like the future opponents for the most part. I don't think we've ever played TN, ND, or UMich and we have a home-home from Pitt and their fans should travel well. And if they break the contract early, that's just easy money for the athletic department and we can schedule an easier team. UCF and Marshall are familiar opponents from their days in the MAC. The other opponents should be at our level and winnable.I'm a bit surprised we haven't scheduled WVU for a 2:1...I'd expect their fans to travel well too.WVU would be a great 2:1 if we could get them to do it. I think they'd travel much better than Pitt, although I'm thrilled the Panthers are on the schedule for a 1 and 1. I grew up watching Pitt and went to several games as a teenager at Pitt Stadium during the 1976 National Championship year.The Zips actually have played in Knoxville, but it was way back in 1989. I remember current UCLA offensive coordinator Mike Johnson making some plays at QB against the Vols that day.Wow Johnny. I had almost forgotten about that Tennessee game.I'll take a repeat of that 1989 shutout win over Cincinnati on Saturday

I've never thought about a cumulative number like this. WOW. It does make me want to also.

Skip will soon be pointing out that Winters still has a sub-0.500 career record, but he won’t be able to claim that for long. The article does a good job of illustrating just how big of a rebuilding job Paul faced when taking over at Wayne St.I’ve said it earlier. This is a huge season (and a huge game on Saturday) for Paul. His Warriors have struggled a bit in the past to close out the big games. They’ll need to get past that to win the GLIAC and go far in the D-2 playoffs.Good memory Johnny. I haven't changed my mind about how I'd feel about him running a major program, especially ours. But, I'm glad he's doing better, and wish him the best of luck as a former Zip. When I see D-1A schools start clamoring for his services, maybe I'll change my mind.

If you've ever been in a position where you have to deal with the press, you'll find that many of them are very nice to coaches. For the most part, I think it's because they want to maintain access to you. So, it's not surprising to me when I see a relationship between a local writer and a local coach where you don't see the tough questions that the fans would like to see.

I keep saying it over, and over and over. That game DEVASTATED the regular Zips fans. Forget about "Joe Akron". That one made disbelievers out of many of the most faithful, and certainly resulted in many non-renewals of season tickets.I don't think a week goes by where someone I know does not bring up that game, and uses it to illustrate how far we fell as a program last year.

Why exactly?This is good scheduling for the program and good for the fans. Marshall at home, Pitt at home. That creates great interest. UCF to open up with next year? Yes the team needs to play better, but these are teams fans know and are familiar with. Who cares when and who schedules it?He may be indicating that there is a risk of losing some of these future games in ADs change.

I was already told a while ago that Tennessee was going to be finalized. I was pretty excited. That's one of the two noisiest venues in the country, along with LSU. That will be an incredible atmosphere, and it's a very cool city.

We've hired a couple of names. Faust was one and Brookhart was sort of a name at the time. Faust produced a 7-3-1 record that still stands as the best year in the D-1A era. Faust knew what to do...the University had no idea what to do and the ship sank. Brookhart won a MAC Championship.Well Said, GP1.The saddest part of this is that in all of our years in D1, our best record is 7-3-1.At many other schools, that record gets you fired. Buckzip...you are right....it is sad that it's the best record in a 1987-2011 time frame. But, how much would we love to have that record right now?Zipwatcher..you are only one year off......it was 1992.

We've hired a couple of names. Faust was one and Brookhart was sort of a name at the time. Faust produced a 7-3-1 record that still stands as the best year in the D-1A era. Faust knew what to do...the University had no idea what to do and the ship sank. Brookhart won a MAC Championship.Well Said, GP1.

They used to count them with hand clickers when a student ID was shown. I don't know if they still do it that way.They swipe Zip Cards now on electronic readers. You can't be counted twice by leaving and going back in a different entrance like you used to.I guess I just revealed my age My memory is how they checked us into games in the early 80s.

I had 2 friends try to buy tickets in section 210 on saturday because they wanted to sit with us. The ticket salesman said that no tickets were available in that section because of the groups that bought the tickets to sit there. Needless to say, the section was 95% empty.That's precisely my point about companies buying large groups of tickets. I was told I couldn't get any extra tickets in my section for a few unexpected guests also, and was told nothing was available nearby, although I was surrounded by empty seats.

They used to count them with hand clickers when a student ID was shown. I don't know if they still do it that way.

I believe that Tressel could help our recruiting. No doubt. He probably still has plenty of relationships with Ohio HS coaches. But, how many of those coaches now feel negative about him and wouldn't risk recommending to a parent that their son should go to a program that is run by him?Personally, I'm just against putting ourselves in the category of a program that would stoop to any level to win. And maybe we would win more games, but I don't think I'd want to see my alma mater sell themselves out like that.Whoever takes him (unless he gets banned from coaching) will have plenty of negatives to deal with.