jupitertoo

Troy beat up on Ohio in New Orleans a couple of years ago and Solich remarked that the thing that hurt them most was the disparity in the number of plays for each team. He typically has a pretty high scoring offense and decided that Ohio needed to up its average play total from 65 to 75 or 80 to better leverage that advantage. Troy's controlled "no-huddle" accomplishes that. He and his coaching staff approached Troy's and traded information - Ohio providing information on defensive schemes, Troy sharing concepts behind their no-huddle. Ohio has taken it slow this year - it's not a hurry up offense by any stretch, but they've boosted the number of plays to well over 70 per game as a result.

Here is a quote from Ianello's press conference yesterday (reported by Gaffney): "There is no magic wand. If you take shortcuts and you compromise, you really won’t get it fixed." I find it hard to believe that the guy who said this would bring in several fifth-year seniors to play one year and piss off recruits. Sounds like a Gerry Faust pipe dream.

My father was part of Akron's Notre Dame "mafia" in the 1960s-90s. They hung out at Eddie Niam's "Fighting Irish Parkette" restaurant on Locust Street and discussed all things ND through the years. We're talking big-time contributors to the program, plus Eddie was Ara Parseghian's best friend from childhood. According to my father, Ara was called in by ND's president during Gerry's second year in South Bend because the president was CONVINCED Gerry had what today is known as Attention Deficit Disorder. Assistant coaches had complained that he was absolutely incapable of focusing during their strategy sessions. The prez asked Ara to spend half a day with Gerry during the off-season to emphasize his need to get organized and focused. He had players in the wrong positions, coaches handling the wrong duties, etc. Ara arranged to spend 5 hours with Gerry in his office. Within 5 minutes of his arrival, Gerry excused himself to wish happy birthday to a co-worker and didn't return for 15 minutes. Over the course of the next 90 minutes, he left the room 3-4 times, took several calls and placed a couple more to say hello to old friends. The last time he left the room, Ara asked Gerry's secretary where he had gone. She replied, "Your guess is as good as mine, but he took his car. I think you might need to make your own lunch plans." Ara left and told the prez that the coach was a hopeless case. I worked with him on one project several years ago and, true to form, he over-promised and under-delivered. He was WAY out there. If you want someone to make you feel important for 10-15 minutes, Gerry's your man. If you want someone to remember and follow-through on details for you and/or accurately collect and process information, you've got the wrong guy.

"vehemently disappointed," eh? If you want to be taken seriously, write a serious letter. Suggesting that the recipient resign so someone else will fire the football coach is not a serious suggestion. Proofreading the letter might also help, given that you want Dr. Proenza to take you seriously as well. Here's how change happens - people with money start spending it elsewhere. During the Brian Knorr years at OU, a group of alumni purchased billboards around town and ads in the local papers so the president and AD had no choice but to seriously consider their arguments. Think about buying ads in the student paper - I guarantee you'll get an audience with Wistricill, if not Dr. P.

This could be a Zips fan.

I'll handle this quickly, Zach, since I know your mom almost has dinner ready and "Gilligan's Island" comes on in 45 minutes.The Zips' captain, a Brookhart recruit, made the decision on the coin flip. He misunderstood the coach and didn't think through what he was telling the officials.Ianello didn't miss chip shot field goals and an extra point against Gardner Webb.Ianello did assess the talent and attitudes of many existing players and urged some troublemakers to leave. He made demands of several other players to "get with the program" and accept their responsibilities, and they failed to do so. It's his program and they're his rules - if you don't want to follow them, then move on. It's best in the long run that they have left. Why should he encourage the university to continue to pay for the education of malcontents? Do you think Urban Meyer would be any less strict?When you build a house and it's going to be a colonial with a basement, you don't use the slab foundation left over from the previous home. No, the move to a Pro style offense didn't suit the existing players, but why build your program around a short-term strategy? It's hard, but it doesn't get you where you ultimately need to go. The fact that he's using the pistol now is simply a recognition that his QBs are not very talented under center.The field goal decision? I can argue either side, but when you have zero chance to convert a 4th and 18, why not get the points? The games were not winnable - everyone knows that - and we're just watching him get young kids some reps so they can mature faster. I did and do question the decision to go for two early in the CMU game.Yes, many of the current players are Ianello's recruits...and they are very, very young. Winning ain't easy with a bunch of freshmen. As as much as you guys like to assail the quality of MAC football, there are some decent programs with established coaches, and if you think Akron should be able to match up with them right now, you're out of your mind.It hasn't been fun for anyone, but it's wrong to pillory the coach at this stage; all it does is send the wrong signal to potential recruits. What blue-chip player would want to sign on to a program where the fans have already abandoned ship?And finally, I would not be surprised by another loss this week. That team in Portage County is VERY physical, especially on defense. Ohio lost three linemen against Can't earlier this year. Not sure how a young team like Akron will handle that.

While Rob Ianello and staff haven't covered themselves in glory thus far, the mess at InfoCision still belongs to JD Brookhart. The guy left almost nothing for Ianello to work with, despite what the AD might have stated in a Gordon Gee-like moment. If things are still as ugly this time next year, yeah, start calling for Ianello's head. But Brookhart really screwed this program with his recruiting "prowess" over the final three years of his tenure. He clearly expected to move on to a better job before reality caught up with him.

Fixed it for ya, JZ. BTW, didn't the blackout crowd look cool?I thought they stole the idea of having the crowd dress up as empty bleachers from us.On a related note, the Red Hawk's crowd for a Thursday night game is a 4 star lock to look the same.There was a legitimate 17,500 there.Visit My Website

I screwed up and did not get any results. What's the process again?? Something tells me the Zips deliver best performance of Ianello era. Not saying they win but will be surprisingly close.

Really inappropriate to joke about something like this. The victim was in full army uniform; he was scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan and ended his life very tragically. Tears and prayers for his family. The person who asked if it was the coach should be ashamed of himself.

Solich is a little guy. Hard to believe has a Hall of Fame fullback at Nebraska. But he is very tough. It was reported that during a full-pads preseason scrimmage last year, there was a fumble along the sidelines and he jumped into the pile and came out with the ball, along with some cuts and bruises.

I may have to suspend my betting theory this week. I expected a lower line also.First of all, put it all on the Zips. Then you won't have to worry about having any cash the rest of the season. These games have a tendency to be close if not really competetive. Akron looks like they are playing well ...but...not really. This is a week Solich has to love. Hunker down and tell his team its a must win. Go out and bust them in the chops.There's no "supposedly" to the injury problem in Athens. First of all, the entire defensive line graduated last year. Every starter from this year's line is now out with injuries - three with season-ending knee injuries. One linebacker (leading tackler) has leg issues and is only 50%. Starting corner has a broken shoulder.

Oh, come on. The topic of this thread shifted to NE Ohio's ranking in the media hierarchy and whether Akron, based here, would be more attractive than other schools for a larger conference as a result of this ranking. You then stated that OSU's hold on NE Ohio isn't that deep. Clearly you are (or were) implying that Akron could become the media's primary college program in this region based on your belief that people aren't really devoted to OSU and haven't been on a historical basis. Both of those claims are patently untrue. Believe me, I wish they were true, but they are not. This thread isn't about pro football - the discussion was and is about college football or whatever it is Mr. Ianello's team has been playing for the past year and a half. Oh, and the reason why the Football Hall of Fame is in Canton is because that city put together the best financial proposal, based on its own central role in the founding of the league. Neither the Browns nor OSU is #1 in Canton - it's all about high school football.

I'm an Akron faculty member and season ticket holder. I think I have a right to be here. So I give you lots of evidence that you are wrong and you respond with attacks. Very adult of you. Back in the 1980s when Dr. Muse was president of UofA, he commissioned a study of NE Ohio fans' interest in collegiate sports. Local universities were ranked pitifully low - less than 15%. Ohio State was above 75%. That was 30 years ago. You, my friend, started this debate by claiming, ludicrously, that Ohio's State's hold over NE Ohio isn't deep and is more of a recent thing. You are uncategorically wrong. Am I happy that Ohio dominates this area? Not at all, but I am not deluded enough to think we can change it.

You can ignore the facts all you want. The Akron Beacon Journal had an Ohio State beat writer living in Columbus as far back as the 1950s. I'm not comparing Ohio State and the Browns; I'm telling you that OSU is the dominant college program in this area. Go to bars around Akron's campus on Saturday and they are watching OSU. I graduated from Firestone High School in the 1970s and twice as many graduates in my class went to OSU as Akron. I am a lifelong resident of this area; my father was an editor at the newspaper. OSU has always dominated college sports coverage and discussion in this area, with Notre Dame a distant #2. This isn't anecdotal evidence. If you think the Zips or any other team will ever dethrone the Buckeyes in NE Ohio, you need to up your dosage of Lexipro.

Ohio State's hold over NE Ohio dates back at least 50 years, perhaps longer. I was in elementary school in the early 1960s and our principal had OSU pep rallies twice every fall. OSU has more alumni in this area than virtually any other school. Their domination of this region is total. To believe it is somehow shallow-rooted is absolutely ludicrous. It's cultural, and it ain't gonna change. Accept it.

The Cleveland-Akron-Canton market. Can you say OSU? I don't really think OSU has very deep hooks into this region. I think there is considerable interest in the Buckeyes as of today, but not so much historically. Wasn't the area Browns dominated back in the day? I'm talking 20-25 years ago. Back when the Browns put a good competitive product on the field. I don't recall much hoopla over OSU at that time. When Modell moved the team to Baltimore, it created a football vacuum in NE Ohio. When the Browns returned they consistently dissapointed while the Buckeyes enjoyed an almost unprecedented run of success under Tressel. I don't think OSU has the region sewed up by any stretch of the imagination. The degree of wrongness in your post defies description.

If Akron keeps improving over the next two weeks, they could beat Ohio. The Bobcats have suffered an incredible number of season-ending injuries on defense, which explains giving up 38 points to Buffalo yesterday.

Further straying off the topic of Sconiers (why not...we're actually talking some football for once?)-- I hope Ianello brings in several JUCO's next season. We need "mature/seasoned" help at a lot of key positions. IF we want to win some games in 2012. If we are committed to The Process and wins don't matter...bring in 22 freshman and redshirt 'em all. I would think it VERY likely he will bring in multiple jucos next year. The administration might have to force his hand, but it will happen.

An absurd falsehood. Nobody is blaming show style bands for the downfall of public school music programs. If you were really in those circles you'd know the biggest problem is funding. period. Let me clarify. The 110, not OU itself, is considered one of the biggest problems with music education in Ohio. There is no doubt funding and the subsequent cuts in staffing, bussing and general music budgets is a huge problem but there are successful bands with almost no funding. Fruit sales, car washes, bake sales and other fundraisers are all ways a band can be self sufficient in this respect and get the essentials for a music program. Of course nobody at OU is blaming show style bands for the problems musicians have coming out of those places, but it's happening at a LOT of other places. There's a reason no other D1 school is doing it. The goal of marching band is to entertain the crowd and to serve as an educational experience, but not at the expense of musicianship like with the bands that emulate the 110. Yep. It's a great recruiting tool too. A lot of university marching bands (Cant State) require music majors to participate because they can't find enough willing participants. That is not a problem at OU. Competition is fierce, most music majors don't march, a lot of non majors come to OU specifically to be in the marching band. Akron and Can't require music education majors to march, not any music major. While it's true this helps the numbers did you ever think there is another reason they are required to do it? A lot of students coming from show bands come into the Akron program and have never known anything except that style. It's as much a learning experience in effective teaching techniques as it is about putting on a show for the music majors. There are a lot of band directors who run their marching band like they did in high school because they don't know any different. Trust me, that's usually not a good thing. That has absolutely nothing to do with the style of band. I've worked with both corps and show style high school bands and I've seen good and bad from both. Logan High School near Athens is a show style band and they regularly produce musicians that kill it at state solo and ensemble competitions every year. A school like Logan is the exception rather than the norm. A lot of students coming out of these schools come and audition here and they can't read music, they can't march in time, and they have no basis for good tone or technique. There are a lot of schools, especially with that style of marching band that come back for concert season and are playing pep band like charts for their spring concert. There are exceptions of course, but dancing on the field, doing horn swings and splatting isn't what makes good musicians. Not true. But they do love to overblow in the 110, no doubt. On the other hand, the former percussion instructor at OU didn't like his students marching in drum corps because it is the antithesis of the jazz style drumming he taught. Obviously you would know the current affairs better then me. I was told by several people that at least two of the previous brass instructors did not allow students to be in the 110 because they believed it created issues with their playing. To discourage people to march drum corp because you teach jazz style drumming is a little silly. I could understand if you're referring to the match/traditional grip argument to an extent, but why would you discourage a student from traveling the country and playing their instrument for a few hours every single day? I think if you look at it from an outside perspective you will see differently. I've been to OU and know some music majors from down there, and a majority of the ones I've met seem to be nice people and know what they're doing. There are also a lot of band directors that mimic that OU style and it does nothing good for the students. Like I said, there's a reason no other D1 college is doing that kind of thing; It is not educationally sound for the college students or the high schools that emulate them. If you can give me a reason how putting on a uniform, splatting and dancing is good for a high school student and their development as a musician other then "their self confidence grows because the football crowd claps for them" I'd love to hear it. So why, pray tell, has the 110 been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall multiple times, the only marching band to be accorded that honor? Sounds like jealousy to me. Oh, and the video count is over 1 million now. But with that, I suggest we end this thread 'cause it's not going anywhere.

If you click and watch the video, yes. Not if you simply land on the page. It is also featured on CNN Headline News. What all this means, who knows - but there's certainly a growing following for something one poster thinks he was doing regularly back in high school. (Or one of the things he was doing regularly back in high school.)

540,000 views in the past two days. I think there's another reason.

The music's fine. Let me clarify. I see HS bands on Friday nights do stuff like this at least 2 or 3 times a season. Why is a college band standing still playing a song and then doing some jumping jacks in place that awesome? 20 years ago, my friends & I were in HS doing this type of thing on the muddy fields of the old Metro Conference. This clip just doesn't show me anything out of the ordinary. I also am disappointed by the performance of the one flag-line person. Perhaps #1 flagger had an ACL tear? The student side is always packed at halftime for band performances in Athens. Saturday's game was played in very wet conditions, so the home side turnout is pretty decent, considering. The dancing style has been the Marching 110's signature since 1967, so that predates any Metro Conference high schools. This band really is outstanding - they were chosen to represent Ohio in the last Tournament of Roses Parade, even though OSU was playing in the Rose Bowl. Also the Macy's Parade multiple times and NY's Carnegie Hall 4-5 times. They raise a lot of money from alumni...many of whom never had anything but bad football to watch for two decades.

Both wrong. Miami uses a pro-style (or did) and OU runs a variation of the Veer/Option. They RUN the ball. Look up Solich's history. You are starting to post like Zach. Looking up Solich's history won't give you the correct answer. OU this year is running a variation of the spread.

Yes, you're coming across as a homer, and a wildly uninformed one at that. Each of the schools you mention has significantly better academics and is at least on par with Akron for facilities. And when did Akron put $300 million into football? The football stadium was $62mm, plus the fieldhouse (which is shared among sports) was $15ish, excluding the student recreation facilities. You do realize, don't you, that SMU brings with it the Dallas metroplex and was a national power before getting spanked by the NCAA in the 1980s?