GP1

Today's lesson is an old one, but in need of repeating after the loss yesterday. The subject is, "How to win a MAC game?". This lesson applies to football and basketball. Typically, there are two steps to winning a football game. Step one, win turnovers. Step two, big plays and scoring off of big plays after turnovers. Step three applies to the MAC, Wait for the the other team to poop their pants. OU executed on all three steps yesterday. OU created more turnovers yesterday than we did, 3-2. One resulted in a score off of a turnover that won the game. The other ended the game. OU scored on a 49 yard pass their first series of the game. As far as I could tell, it was the only play over 40 yards yesterday so they had the only big play and it resulted in a TD. At this point, I'm sure the Zips felt a rumbling in the upper bowels, but they were probably hoping it was just a fart. As the game progressed, Akron almost never had the lead, which is extremely dangerous when you are trying to win on the road in your division. I'm sure throughout the game, it became apparent those bowel rumblings might be more than a fart. A player or two might even have sharted in their pants prior to the middle of the fourth quarter. Akron gets the ball with 4:01 to go and their bowels are in complete upheaval. Sure enough, Pratt fumbles. Then the defense can't force a long field goal try and worse,they give up a first down and Akron is forced to use a timeout. OU kicks what amounts to the winning field goal. Akron gets the ball back and with a large amount of poo in their pants with more to come and can't go on a scoring drive. There is one more turnover. Game over. Lots of complaining about play calling. Here is the fact of the matter. Play calling didn't have a direct impact on losing the game. Akron had the ball with 4:01 to go in a tied game and pooped their pants. Just when we thought they might be done pooping their pants, they had one more opportunity to at least tie the game with a FG and released one final, pants staining movement into their pants. I'm sure Kevin O'Connor had his work cut out for him last night. All of the bitching about play calling and not establishing the run, blah, blah, blah is just static noise around the fact that when they had their opportunities to win the game, the players didn't execute. This behavior is no different than when people bitch about KD's offense after a two point loss that included six missed layups. It ignores the real reasons for losing and replaces it with fantasy. When you are playing for something (ie: the MAC East Championship) you need guys who have "been there". We don't have any of those because it's been years since we have had anything to play for. Since we don't have anyone who has "been there", we at least need experience and someone who is accustomed to winning AND a guy that the team wins around. That guy wasn't on the field yesterday for good reason. Pohl may not be the best QB in the world, but the team was 8-3 with him as starting QB in the last 11 games. They lost to a below average team yesterday without him. There is something to be said for guys who win games and the team wins games around Pohl. It's sort of one of those intangible things that can't be measured. The sooner he can get back on the field, the better. Winners win. Woodson IS going to be a good QB for the Zips some day. He just needs some more off season development. Yesterday, he was just another back-up freshman QB. I hope he isn't too down on himself today. In summary, OU had the one big play, won turnovers and waited for the Zips to poop their pants. It was a text book example of how to win a MAC game.

Friends, Tomorrow, I will explain to everyone exactly why this game was lost. Here are some hints: 1. OU followed the fool proof method of winning a MAC sporting event. 2. Turnover margin. 3. Big plays, or the lack thereof. 4. The importance of veteran players. 5. Things that seem like they should matter, but they really don't: A discussion of direct vs. indirect causes of losing. (most fans don't understand what really causes losing...numbers one and two above are good direct causes) Thank you and have a nice evening. Respectfully, The Great GP1

They moved him around a little last week and I think it took some pressure off of him. I would like to see more of that this week. Could be the wrinkle the Zips include in the offense that has not been heavily filmed this season. Could catch them by surprise, get a couple of early scores and ride out the defense with a late TD and some field goals. With a full week as the #1 QB, Woodson should be better than last week. Let's make certain we don't duplicate what the Jets did last night. Need to score points.

The floor is open for nominations.

The start time is not impacting attendance in a significant way. One could also say that there are those who prefer afternoon games because they don't want to spend a Saturday night at a football game. Everyone has to make choices. One of the choices people who want to have children need to make is how it will impact what they like to do on weekends. In any event, this isn't the real problem. Attendance is bad this year for a good reason. We may not like the reason, but it is valid. The Zips were not very good last year. Minor league baseball teams and schools like Akron live and die on season ticket sales because it guarantees a sold seat regardless of the product. So, if you got an advertisement to buy 2014 season tickets, what would you think? Many would look at the following: 1. The Zips are an up and comer, but still a little unknown. 2. A 5-7 record doesn't inspire them to buy tickets. 3. Tuesday night games in November. While I was disappointed in the crowd size Saturday, I understand why. If the Zips continue to have the type of season many of us believe they will, fans should be extremely disappointed if the season ticket sales and thus attendance is still bad next year. Reasons 1 and 2 above would be eliminated. The only question is whether or not reason 3 is the crushing blow to MAC attendance I believe it is. If anyone wants people to believe the MAC product is exciting and worth shelling out hard earned money, playing games on Tuesday nights on national television in November in front of EXTREMELY small crowds is not a way to position your product.

Well, it's prediction time. This week offers a unique prediction because one of the key elements for Zips failure in Athens will be in play this week. One could say it has become part of Zips tradition at this point. The jinxiness of ZipsWin! as it relates to losing IN Athens is well documented and will be in play this weekend. I see two scenarios in which this this jinxiness will impact the team. The second is how to lessen some of the jinxiness which will result in a Zips victory. The documentation of ZipsWin!'s jinxiness is probably understood by the football team and basketball team at this point. I envision something like the Zips running out for the game all fired up. Upon arrival to the bench prior to start of the game, they notice ZipsWin! in the stands and all of their shoulders slump as the sense of doom washes over them. All confidence and momentum lost. If that happens this weekend, the score will be OU 20 - Akron 10. How do we lessen the jinxiness? I only see one scenario where this could be the case and it involves a costume that will allow ZipsWin! to function in plain sight while shielding the team from his attendance. Specifically, a Mariachi costume complete with over sized mustache, large hat and very large acoustical bass guitar...or a violin, either will work. If ZipsWin! deploys the "Costume Shield", the Zips win 17-13. If not, prediction one will be accurate.

Thanks Coach Faust.

God...I wish it was that simple.

Houston... We have a problem.

How many interceptions has Pohl thrown all season?

Does that tuxedo he is wearing come with a generator and extension chord, or were those items rented separately from Mens Warehouse Hardware?

Listening to a guy scream into a microphone gets me excited as watching an NFL player do a TD dance...it doesn't. It's stupid and is entertaining for only the smallest of minds. A university is supposed to be about big things and ideas. We've lost sight of what the games and sports exist for...to help develop young adults into productive citizens. If a video was presented about a player from any sport winning an award for public service, I would have a sense of pride about the school. This sort of thing brings out the better nature in people. They could also have videos about alumni members who have spent years supporting various programs. Use the entire day to market. Start with areas where players from various sports sit and meet the public. Specifically, have some items for the players to sign for kids and take pictures with them. During media time outs, have the players from one sport at a time stand on the field and do a little presentation about them and then let people know where they can buy tickets. During another media time out, do it with another sport, etc. Announce their names so people can put a name to a face early in the year. This really isn't that hard. Going back to the public service award. Let's say a member of the WBB team wins a public service award or is just given public recognition. Give her a plaque at the end of when they do the presentation on the WBB team. Set it up so she will have her photo taken with her coach, the AD and even her parents if they can make they game. I think it would be nice for a young girl who is interested in basketball to meet one of the Lady Zips, have her picture taken with her and then see her stand on the field with her teammates getting an award for something. Might even inspire that girl to ask her parents to take her to some games. It can be about selling tickets, or it can be about much more. What I outline in the three paragraphs above are the basics for what goes on at most other schools. Almost every weekend in the fall, I go to a college football game somewhere. This Saturday I am going to go to the Syracuse vs. Wake Forest football game. They will do exactly what I outline above. I've been to games at Duke, they do the same things. I've been to games at NC State, they do the same things. I've been to games at Clemson, they do the same things. I've been to games at South Carolina, the do the same things. One can sense the pride the alumni in the stadium feel when they watch a video of a basketball player going to a local hospital to sign autographs for kids who have serious illnesses. So, is it really about attendance, or is it about reminding people in the stands exactly what the event is really for and then paint an even bigger picture for that person about what the Athletic Department is doing to stand out? A guy yelling at me to stand up and cheer makes me want to sit down an boo (always doing the opposite)...in fact, it makes me feel like I am sitting at a minor league baseball game and I hate minor league anything. A person getting an award for volunteering makes me want to stand up and cheer. Again, tradition is built on pride of the accomplishments of the school and people in and around the school. Let's shout that out to people instead of shouting out orders to stand up and cheer.

I do not. Don't frequent Raleigh very often. See, Wake Forest, NC is outside of Raleigh. Wake Forest University used to be in Wake Forest, NC, but some guy years ago gave a ton of money and helped to move it to Winston-Salem, which is an hour and a half to two hour from Wake Forest, NC.

Normally I don't care about attendance and on almost every level, I didn't care about the crowd Saturday. However, it was kind of shocking how few people were at the game. Maybe at the end of the day, not that many people really care. Maybe they need to give them something(s) of substance to care about. Not sure what they are doing to market the games or the other sports for that matter. But, there are things you can do on game day to promote athletics to an interested audience. The one thing I would stop doing is the nonsense in the crowd with the guy with the microphone yelling in a very slow cadence. He's Mickey Mouse and would get his walking papers. Use that time to promote the other sports and not trying to generate fake excitement with a guy who doesn't seem all that excited to be there. At Wake games, TV timeouts have some nonsense associated with them (certainly not a guy yelling into a microphone), but they use a lot of the time to put the other sport's teams on the field and remind them season tickets are available. They run spots on the largest television in NC (their score board) about how their athletics foundation supports athlete-students and what the players of every sport are doing in public service. The time isn't wasted on silliness. Let the alumni and fans of the school know what the school is doing with athletics and build a sense of pride that way. Tradition is built on pride, not fake enthusiasm.

I won't single out a player, but I will say this about the offense. It is the one side of the ball most in need of a recruiting boost in the off season. I think the talent level and depth needs to be improved upon.

Some have speculated it is a concussion. This is purely speculation at this point. IF it is, the link below shows what kind of treatment and evaluation he will be receiving. Link

Bowden could be our Bob Pruett, the coach at Marshall who had all those great teams. Coached nine years before his retirement. If we get nine out of Bowden, I'll be more than happy if he brings the success many of us believe he will. Bowden is 58. I could see us getting 8-10 more years out of him.

Bowden is on the verge of having the same comfort level as Dambrot. There is no reason for him to leave. Some on this board need to stop clutching their pearls like old ladies.

It is frequently the case that very intelligent people get sucked into cults. I have to admit...I lived in Akron for 20 years and didn't know a single person who attended this nut farm in Cuyahoga Falls.

The only sport I want to see played with little people is Leprechaun tossing at St. Patrick's Day parties.

A bartender at the Winking Lizard in Montrose said that if Tressel came back to coach Akron and with the return of LBJ to the Cavs, it could mean a 10,000 increase in UofA football attendance and a $500,000,000 boost to the local economy. I hope I didn't just scoop the local media.

Jim Tressel

I don't disagree. Eventually though, we are going to have to be able to throw for TDs in the red zone. Miami's defense is absolutely horrible. To give up a 10 yard draw play for a TD on third down is inexcusable. That has more to do with their incompetence than our ability to run the ball. A good MAC defense isn't going to allow that to happen. I'm all for play action pass in the red zone. I've seen enough of the pass to the security guard.

The struggle with the offense as it relates to scoring TDs close to the end zone is we throw too many fade passes when it is obvious the QB isn't hitting on the fade passes....unless of course a security guard catching a pass is a completion. My guess it isn't coming of any surprise to the defense that we are throwing that pattern. We don't throw any passes close to the end zone that would create confusion for a defense. A lot of NFL teams use receivers in the front of the end zone and compliment that with receivers running across the back of the end zone. Star NFL receivers catch a lot of balls across the back of the end zone for TDs...it happened last night. I don't see us doing that. We just seem to be trying to either complete a quick pass with the hopes the receiver can make it in to the end zone or we throw a fade pattern. What makes it even worse is we have developed a decent running game that shows the ability to score in the red zone, yet we don't seem to run any pass plays that would feed off of that success. The fade pattern doesn't feed off of the success of the run...it's an all or nothing play. Lastly, I could care less what our season ranking is in the red zone. It's meaningless at this point. What a team does more recently matters than what they do all season. Michigan won and lost 20 spots. Not sure why I could care about a stat that doesn't total big plays or turnovers or even third down efficiency over the past three weeks which has improved to put us next to Michigan State over the last 3 weeks.

2nd leading WR and only two TDs? That isn't very good.