GP1

Four years ago, my wife (a Miami graduate) and I went to Oxford on November 2, 2004 to watch Miami vs. Toledo. The Redhawks won 23-16 in a season where they went 8-5 losing in the MACC and Independence Bowl to Iowa State (we attended that also). On that night, George Bush, the largest government expander in USA history, beat Kerry.Since then, both the Republican Party and the Redhawks have fallen on hard times. Miami won on election night four years ago and lost last night to a team people would have laughed at four years ago. The question is who has fallen on more hard times, The Republican Party or the Redhawks.I am voting Republican Party as they are both morally and intellectually bankrupt. Miami may be intellectually bankrupt with Montgomery, but their kids are playing hard so they are not morally bankrupt. A new coach would have a lot to work with there.How do all of you vote the day after Election 2008 on this topic.

Skipping the tailgating in the grass for tailgating at the Platinum Horse is a good as a slump busting activity as you can do.

I would bet the gambling issue had a ton to do with Toledo Tom's repositioning at UT (two puns in one sentence not intended). It is one thing to have some NCAA violations impact your program like has happened to Marshall, but to have your players associate with known organized crime members from Detroit is a devastating blow to a program. In fact, this is the type of thing that should get an AD fired in addition to the football coach because gambling goes straight to the public trust and integrity of the game. In the end, people do not want to pay to go see a game they think may be fixed. I actually think this will help the Zips. While I was on the fence about the outcome, I see the Zips winning. Distractions are a big problem for college age players. It is hard to keep a team close when they have friends going to jail, inconsistent play and a coach going to work in the Alumni office. That's a lot of negative stuff day in and day out. Many of these kids may be looking forward to the end of the year.

This is a great topic. To me, it comes down to how I would want to spend my money and in 1991 I was a graduate student without much money to spend on anything (although I did spend a large portion of it at BW3 at the time). I'm not certain, but I think all of the home games were I-AA teams in 1991. If the Zips are a I-A team, I'm not interested in paying to watch them play I-AA teams. Does anyone else notice the absence of a team from Portage County? The 1991 away games are good teams to watch the Zips play, but none of them are really within a reasonable driving distance for a fan to go watch.This year has some good home games and now there are games in November that will mean something. Toledo is a good team to go watch, UC is a BCS school, Ball State is a Top 20 team (in the polls) and Buffalo is a title contender. EMU was within reasonable driving distance.Hands down, the 2008 schedule is better.

Hey – we all know there were times like the 2004 game with Marshall on ESPN2 that we packed the Rubber Bowl with more than a few freebie tickets – but that game was a launching pad for our image and we needed to show the nation a solid crowd in the Rubber Bowl. That game specifically paved the way in changing a lot of opinions about Akron, about the City, and was vital in moving the stadium project forward. Akron football, for a night, was a national story and it mattered. The stadium project had been bandied about in various incarnations for years, but after that game in 2004 it really gained steam. That Marshall game/win may well rank in the Top 5 moments of Akron Football history along with the bowl wins, the win over NC State and the 2005 MAC title game.Just because it worked in 2004 doesn't mean it is applicable to 2008. We have a hell of a lot more to "sell" for the upcoming Buffalo game than we did vs. Marshall in '04.Hey...if they want to charge $1 for such a pivotal game...have at it. Just don't tell me you're running a deficit.There was no excuse for doing it back then and there is no excuse for doing it now. Selling $1 tickets says your program is worth only $1. I kid around about the MAC being Dollar General, but UofA shouldn't make me look right by selling tickets for $1.

What this tells me is the Zips need to average 34 points per game. It is funny in an odd way.Just to prove that offense is the key to victory and success, BSU and CMU are averaging 37.5 and 32 points per game respectively. A lot of teams fall apart trying to keep up with the scoring onslaught and the panic it creates. 28 ppg would not beat either of these teams and if we averaged 34 points per game, we still wouldn't beat BSU. College football is not the NFL where 24 points should win a game. College football has become a sport where, like it or not, much larger point totals are necessary weekly. Spread offenses are really pouring on points and in order for the Zips to win week in and week out, they have to put up tons of points. I actually like all of the scoring that goes on now...it makes Saturday much more exciting. Big 12 games are wildly exciting because of the scoring.

What this tells me is the Zips need to average 34 points per game.

love the rest of the post but I must respectfuly disagree with you here. Jaq is helping our O put up about 20-30 pts a game. problem is our D is giving up about 25-35. the only thing this team is realy missing to be a top notch MAC team is a DI can't disagree that Jacq us doing a serviceable job. How much better woud we be with the CMU and BSU QBs? I think we would be able to bridge the difference in scores more easily. We would be a much better team with the other two QBs.

Interesting and good points by many.I've never seen the OSU/Akron question as an Us vs. Them game. We need to become a good MAC team with a chance to win the conference every year. OSU needs to be an annual first place Big Ten team each year with a shot at getting blown out in the national championship game.All Akron is missing at this point to be a top notch MAC team is a QB like they have at CMU and BSU. Maybe I'll ruffle some feathers here, but Pryor would only be the third best QB in the MAC this year. Not only is he a below average passer, he has zero leadership skills (see him weeping on the bench for 15 minutes like Adam Morrison). Both CMU and BSU have better QBS. The guy at CMU runs equally as well and throws better. The guy at BSU is such a good thrower his running ability is irrelevant.The point is, let's not worry about OSU, let's worry about Akron and everything else will take care of itself.

If you weren't caught up in your JD is the problem all the time rant, you would notice that the only difference between these two programs and the Zips is the QB. Kelly is a genious because he got a good QB who continues to be good even though he is no longer there. If Kelly was the reason CMU was good, wouldn't his leaving make them bad now. The guy at Ball State gets one good QB and he is a genious....my point?.....duh.In two years, Kelly won the MAC with his QB. In two years, JD won the MAC with Getsy. The guy at Ball State hasn't won anything yet with Davis. You're really not as smart as you think Lee. Leave the thinking to those who are not simple public servants. The reason everyone has tuned you out is you say nothing original.

I'll take the bait. Here is the current Top 20 ranking. Who would Ball State beat in this list based upon the fact that their schedule is full of teams that are a combined 11-29 against DI-A teams? The two best teams are Akron and Navy. I would dare say that neither of these schools are in the Top 75.After watching them get beat 52-30 by an unmotivated Rutgers team in a bowl last year, I need more than just someone saying to me they are a Top 20 team to believe they are a Top 20 team. I'll buy BSU when they show they can beat a team with a pulse. In the mean time, BSU may be in the top half of college football, but my guess is they are closer to #60 than #20 or higher.One last thing Captain Kangaroo. I just learned on this board that you are indeed not an electrical engineer, but a sanitation engineer. Is it hard keeping up with Zips sports and monitoring a web page from the back of a garbage truck or have modern hydraulics trucks made it more easy? The things I learn on this board............GP1:Who would Ball State beat in the Top 20?Complete Standings AP Top 25 1. Texas (65) BSU loss 2. Alabama BSU loss 3. Penn State 8-0 BSU loss 4. Oklahoma 6-1 BSU loss 5. Florida 5-1 BSU loss 6. USC 5-1 BSU loss 7. Oklahoma State 7-0 Competitive loss 8. Texas Tech 7-0 Competitive loss 9. Georgia 6-1 Competitive loss 10. Ohio State 7-1 Competitive loss 11. LSU 5-1 Loss 12. Utah 8-0 Toss up13. Boise State 6-0 Toss up14. South Florida 6-1 Toss up 15. TCU 7-1 Toss up16. Missouri 5-2 Loss17. Pittsburgh 5-1 Win 18. Brigham Young 6-1 Toss up 19. Kansas 5-2 Win20. Ball State 7-0 Tie 21. Georgia Tech 6-1 Win22. Tulsa 7-0 Toss up 23. Boston College 5-1 Win24. Florida State 5-1 Win 25. Minnesota 6-1 WinThis year's Ball State team is much better than last year's edition. They aren't Top 10. Probably not Top 15. But they can play with anyone in the 15-25 range. BSU's schedule is weak, but they're manhandling everyone. Similar to Penn State.BSU goes 12-0 in regular season play. I already owe you a 6 of Yuengling...double or nothing?When they beat someone good, I'll believe like you believe. Until then, they would not beat a team in the Top 20. Double or nothing it is......

I'll take the bait. Here is the current Top 20 ranking. Who would Ball State beat in this list based upon the fact that their schedule is full of teams that are a combined 11-29 against DI-A teams? The two best teams are Akron and Navy. I would dare say that neither of these schools are in the Top 75.After watching them get beat 52-30 by an unmotivated Rutgers team in a bowl last year, I need more than just someone saying to me they are a Top 20 team to believe they are a Top 20 team. I'll buy BSU when they show they can beat a team with a pulse. In the mean time, BSU may be in the top half of college football, but my guess is they are closer to #60 than #20 or higher.One last thing Captain Kangaroo. I just learned on this board that you are indeed not an electrical engineer, but a sanitation engineer. Is it hard keeping up with Zips sports and monitoring a web page from the back of a garbage truck or have modern hydraulics trucks made it more easy? The things I learn on this board............

Yet? he won a MAC Championship in a year when he beat the best team in the conference twice. Lou Tepper? You can't be serious. What would be the difference between bring Tepper or Faust back?

You may be on to something here. UofA did not lose a coach after last year and the performance seems to be better this season.

TMQ ArticleThis is a good article about why it is important to stick with coaches long term. It's been a long time since Tennessee has gone to the Super Bowl and they have stuck with Fisher. He continues to do a good job with that team.My favorite team is the Steelers. They have had three coaches in my lifetime resulting in five Super Bowl wins and one loss. They have participated in roughly 15% of Super Bowls and many more playoff seasons. There were many times when fans wanted various coaches fired and the organization stuck with the coach. Jumping from coach to coach only proves that an organization really does not know what it is doing. During this week off, let's hear some thoughts on why, when the Zips seem to be moving in the right direction, there is clamoring for removal of the coach when organizational stability is the key. Remember, JD has won one MAC Championship and we have a history of coaches who don't win MAC Championships.

I'd like to start by saying "YOU"RE CRAZY". This is the most amazing post in board history. What big picture? Whose big picture? Why oh why would anyone post this? I'm with GP1 on this one. I wish I could top his incredulous exasperation, but I can't. I could go on all day. The idea that it is OK to lose because down the road we will be better off is exactly the type of "building for the future" garbage that I have been complaining about for years. Building what? The future is freaking now and a MAC Championship is the ideal circumcision (see misused words on another thread) the program needs for next year. A championship this year would say, "We know you had your doubts, but we have everything in order. Come watch us play because we are good and your money will not be wasted." The MAC Championship would guarantee a bowl. If we don't win it, we are sitting around waiting for someone to invite us.

BSU has not beaten anyone with a pulse. They would get killed by a team like USC or Florida or Oklahoma. Your assumption is they win the BCS game. What if they get beat 49-0? Weren't they blown out by someone like Tulsa last year in a meaningless bowl game? How would that help MAC respect? Let's face it, the MAC has been around since 1946 and it still is a low level D-IA conference. One BCS game is not going to change that. If Marshall didn't change it and Miami under Roethlisberger didn't change it, BSU isn't going to change it.BSU is going to bring US respect? How about if we go out and EARN our own respect by beating the best team in the conference in the MACC? That's how you get respect.

We’ll call that a MAC-apropismhttp://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/malapropism?view=ukMy wife sent the above. She also rolls here eyes before a game and says, "Are you ready for some MACtion?". When the games become almost unwatchable because of the poor play she calls is "MACtastic".

Contact them if you want, but your note may fall flat.

Good grief! What an awful display of football. (and I'm one of the few who admits preferring MAC football to BCS ball). I watched live the 2nd and 3rd quarters (watching the replay now), and when I left I said to myself, "the only way Temple can win this game is if OU gives it away". Was I ever prophetic.Before this season, I penciled in the final two games, @OU and @Temple as likely defeats for Akron, but having seen Army twice and Eastern Michigan once, I feel both of those teams are a step ahead of either of the two I watched tonight. In fact, Temple tonight looked to be the worst D-1 team I've seen in recent years (first 8 drives - 60 yards & 0 pts). That QB was terrible. As the announcer said, Golden should have found someone else behind center. IOW -- I'm penciling in two Akron victories to finish the season -- over two teams outside the top 110. Akron could win 8 games and still not be in the top 90 in the country.On a positive note, I liked the Pink Out theme. More schools should do that. Pink Zippy?!I agree that that was a terrible game. I couldn't take it anymore and switched to Law & Order. Came back and it was still terrible. However, I did like how both teams put pressure on the QB, something we really don't do. If, and that's a big IF, our defense can use these bye weeks to get healthy and make some needed changes, we should have no problem with both of these teams. Did anyone notice that when they showed the MAC east standings, which had Akron on top, they did mention Akron but said Buffalo was the team to watch for. That was so nice of them to give Akron props.That game was Dollar General all the way.

I've seen this type of post before on the board. Can someone name me one person at the University who has stated the future of the Zips is in the Big East? I think this is one of those untruths that has been said so many times that people now believe it is true.

I'd like to start by saying "YOU"RE CRAZY". Only NE Ohio sports fans would be drawn to losing in any way. This is the most amazing post in board history. What big picture? Whose big picture? Why oh why would anyone post this? Are you a Browns fan? Visions of Linda Blair going through my head.

Distant Replay by Mark Bowden in The Atlantic For those of you who like football history, this article brings the past together with a modern day coach. Fantistic reading!

If they were smart, the would be on offense.

Totally agree. We don't HAVE to have 4 good DL. How about 2 or 3 good DL and 1 or 2 average DL. Works for everybody else.http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/ncaa/teams/akron/This is a link to the new Zips page from sports illustrated. It breaks down future opponents offensive and defensive rankings both nationally and within the conference. Toledo boasts the 12th ranked MAC offense (97/120 in 1-A) and the 4th ranked total defense (67/120 nationally). Yet somehow they are last in the MAC in points allowed and 105/120 nationally. Compare that to the Zips at 4th in the MAC on offense (43rd nationally), and 12th on defense (94th nationally). Does defense win games? We'll find out in 2.5 weeks.Defense wins championships is something high school coaches tell the guys on defense to make them feel better since they were not athletic or smart enough to play offense. Teams need to score and score and score and score to win games. That is the state of college football today.