GP1

OSU's nonconference schedule is such a sham Tressel can't really say anything.

That is simply the best. I walked into the bathroom in the press box tunnel at the K.e.n.t. game. The stalls were all occupied. All have no doors. I felt so embarrassed for the guys taking a dump. Are we in Cambodia? How much do a couple pieces of plywood and some hinges cost? Or three shower curtains??!! My guess is the stall toilets in the Heisman Lounge have doors? I guess that's all that matters. The amazinig thing is it has been like that for at least 20 years. They could pass a hat, like at a high school baseball game, and raise the money this weekend to fix it. It couldn't cost more than $30. One of the guys off the board would probably volunteer the time to install the door. My God I hate the Rubber Bowl. There is not a single part of me that misses going out there for games. That place is just depressing. I go to football games to have fun. If I wanted to be depressed, I could read Catcher In The Rye.

UofA has won a high scoring game, a medium scoring game and a low scoring game. One blowout per year is a reasonable expectation and Temple is the team remaining to do that against. Temple is improving but with baby steps. They are not at the point yet where they can win two in a row with the second game being on the road. UofA 42 Temple 17 Per usual, I will provide additional predictions: 1. The over/under on guys taking a crap in the press box side bathroom and being interrupted because there is no door on the stall is 2. I say take the over. Where did the toilet emotion go? That was my favorite. 2. The over/under on injuries sustained due to seats breaking is 3. I say take the under. With so many broken, it would be hard to break more. Have a good weekend everyone.

I mentioned this yesterday but I forgot where I posted it. Is Jabari the best player in the MAC thus far. I doubt any player has done as much for his team as he has, but is that good enough?

The 3-4 is no different then the 3-3-5 we are using now. Wayne Cobham would be the 2nd OLB. The truth is that the 3-3-5 is up to Akron and WVU now. It's a new style defense designed to compete with teams like Florida who try to get to the edge on the majority of their plays. Other then USF, WVU does pretty well with their defense in the Big East. Akron does very well with it's defense against the MAC. Since the idea is to win the MAC (which the 3-3-5 has done) I don't see a need for a change.Getting back to my main point that the players are too small. Lining up in the right place is not good enough. You have to have the right type of player lining up in the right place to be successful. If we are counting on a 6' 2", 190 pound defensive back (Wayne Cobham) to be the same as rushing a 6' 3", 220 pound linebacker, we are asking Wayne to do more than what his body is built to do. That is the difference between the 3-4 and the 3-3-5.....the players are too small and have trouble competing against larger players the way offenses are run these days. One more medium size player could make all the difference.I actually think JD brought the defense here to compete against Marshall and Miami. At the time they were the powers in the conference. Good choice at the time, but as much as I like JD, he wasn't looking to the future with this defense. Both Florida and USF run offenses that run up the middle more with the spread option offense. This is a terrible defense to defend against that offense. College football is becoming more like the NFL where teams run in the middle. It's actually been like that for a couple of years now and I noticed it after the Motor City Bowl. We are actually behind the times with our defense as the 3-3-5 is out dated. That's the point of the architects.I'm sure I'll continue to complain about this defense and JD will continue to win games. I can live with that and be extremely happy. We have won a low scoring game with this defense (Army), a medium scoring game (Can't) and a high scoring game (WMU). Someone knows something I don't. Wait, I do know and have been saying it for years on this board and someone has mentioned it on this thread. Defense wins nothing....it only puts the offense in a position to win. In the end, the offense has to win the game. Let's just keep winning.

All good replies about the defense. I was the first ever to complain about this defense after the MACC two years ago. I'll make this quick as I have posted a ton about my hatred for this defense in the past. The problem is not where the guys line up, it is the fact that the players are too small and it forces the defense into extreme behaviors resulting in giving up big chunks of yardage at a time.Architects always say they don't want to be the first person to try a product and they don't want to be the last person to stop using a product. I think the 3-3-5 defense is down to Akron and WVU now. Let's dump it in the off season so we won't be the last. 3-4 is the answer.

I'm impressed that a team like Toledo was able to stay as good as they were for so long.I believe a MAC school can go from good to bad much faster than any of the BCS schools. Look at a team like Miami. Let's face it, they were bad for a lot of years and then Roethlisberger comes along and they finish in the top 10. They have the same talent now as when they did then without the great player. One great player in the MAC makes all the difference. Without one, you end up looking like Toledo this year. I think Akron may have that one great player this year in JA12. Any thoughts? Is he the best player in the conference? Maybe this should be a topic.

Great post CK!Two additional thoughts. The OL had better players last year, but this year we have a better unit because......First, fewer penalties are helping the OL a great deal. They are in fewer second/third and longs this year. Coaching has a lot to do with reductions in penalties. Also, the OL has moved away from a zone blocking scheme to a more point of attack blocking. Kennedy is more of a zone blocking RB like Hart at Michigan which explains why he is no longer starting. He is still talented and will contribute, but not as a starter. This blocking is allowing them to double team more and hide lesser talent. It's quite smart on the part of the coaching staff.Secondly, a little love for the coaching thus far? For the fourth year in a row, we have won a game in the last seconds. We need to give JD at least some props for fielding a team with a tougher mental attitude than we have ever seen in the past. In addition, JD has adapted to the talent level on the team offensively and seems to be doing well with it. A lot of coaches would not have had the balls to bench Kennedy or CJ7. JD has also drastically changed the offensive plays and schemes this year. Slowly JD is turning this program away from a laughing stock to one that is more competitive year in and year out than ever before. As much as I hate out 3-3-5 defense, 3-3 is about what I expected so they must be doing something right. Those out there that think JD is nothing more than a salesman can't possibly be watching the games. I only get to watch them on TV and it is obvious this team and program is moving in the proper direction.Lastly, I don't mind the Nick Dials comparison as long as BW does not pout everytime something goes against him.

That's funny. A renovation would include two actions by UofA.1. Seats everywhere. It is exceedingly uncomfortable to sit without your back supported for two hours. At least you can recline at the Rubber Bowl because it is half empty (one of the few benefits of playing there). This will cause smaller crowds though, but they don't sell out anyhow. It could also drive sell outs. Once they sell out, they can raise prices which is a good thing for the Athletic Department if they can hold the prices.2. Assigned seating for everyone. It is a pain in the you know what to sit in GA during a crowded game...which is why I no longer sat in those seats. I'm sure I am not the only person who would not attend because of the discomfort.I would like a new BB stadium though. Although I would never see a game there.

One of the things I always liked about listening to French is his wearing his emotions on his sleeve. When things don't look good, you can tell by the tone in his voice. You can hear that tone at the beginning of this call when things don't look good for the Zips and then the change is great.

Can't is a perfect example of how hard it is to turn a loser into winner. It's not all that hard to change players, but it is hard to change a culture.

I said in another post that we are all butt monkeys at times.JD should get credit for fielding a team that was not willing to give up and played hard until the last play of the game. We have all sat through too many years of losing and coming out on the wrong side of a play like last night. Sorry if there are those out there who either can't see that, or don't want to see that.Look, I understand that there are some on this board that are made uncomfortable with winning. In fact, I think there are some on this board that secretly root for losing so they can be right about whatever they feel they need to be right about. Big Zip, I can only say that if the shoe fits, you should wear it and be more honest in your posts.CJ11 passed for a lot of yards yesterday. He also had too many turnovers. I didn't see the game so I really don't know how it really went for the team. Maybe he is the right guy. Right or wrong, I will be rooting for his success as my ego won't be damaged by being wrong about him being a good QB.

Any article that uses the word "slapstick" to describe Can't is awesome.

Did CJ7 even see the field last night?

Every year Jim Tressel goes through his first few games of the year and shows nothing. Hand wringing abound starts in Columbus.....then he goes into the Big Ten and dominates with plays nobody has seen yet. Is JD doing the same thing?I didn't see the game, butt it seems as if a different CJ11 played last night than the first five games. Did the Zips play a different game? Was the play calling more open? Did CJ11 keep the ball more on the option plays? Our offense went off last night and I'd like to know what the difference was?

Go onto GoZips.com and you can see the play by play tracking of the game. All you need to see is there. I didn't see the game, but the same thing usually happens to any team playing the 3-3-5. As usual, this defense offers limited adjustments so a team can go into halftime and figure out how to beat it and come out in the third quarter and torch it. We gave up way too many plays over five yards. WMU knocked off plays of 9-10 yards with ease. By the time Akron recovered from the shellshock, they needed a last minute play to win. Thank God they got it.I don't know about you guys, but I think it is better to play with a lead than to play from behind.

Zip Alumn is right, we all have/had our doubts. I still hate the defense we run and it really put us in a bad spot last night, butt in general, this team is going in the right direction under JD.We are in a position where we are able to win close games for the first time in school history. We should all feel good about our chances for the remainder of the season. Akron is the team to beat in the MAC East. Six more games and we really need to get at least five wins in the final six.Where oh where are the throngs of butt monkeys that came on the board after a defeat to UCONN? Don't wait for another loss to come in.

Even I've had my share of butt monkey posts uafan. We all have them. The point is that if the shoe fits.......

Great win tonight. While I think we have a good team and will contend for the MAC East, I'm shocked we were able to win a game when it was the second road game in a row. Statistically very difficult to do.Normally, the butt monkeys come in after a loss and say things like "where is this program now?" and then go onto tell everyone how this program has gone nowhere under JD. I would like to answer that question after a win. We now have a program that can win close games as far back as the MACC. There is no way that this program wins a game like tonight prior to JD. Prior to JD, the WMU would have scored 38 and we would have had 35.Has this program turned a corner where we can now count on them to win close games whether it is a low scoring game or a high scoring game? I think we have. Perhaps the players are getting used to winning. I don't think there has ever been a time since 1987 when we could say that. No more players crying in locker rooms...no more coaches crying in post game radio interviews...no more of any of that nonsense. Attitude means a lot and this team may have the right attitude.This was a huge win for the program. Someone mentioned Akron plays Temple next week. 4-3 (2-0) looks good. I 'd like to know the last time Temple has beaten two I-A teams in a row? More importantly, when is the last time they won a road game?By the way, how about that special teams coach?Go Zips!!!! Enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone.

For those of you who go back a while. Bigger last second regular season victory. Tonight or 1992 last second victory against Toledo?

The answer to your question is you will probably be able to sit just about anywhere you want. Do you think you are going to a sell out stadium or something?Why would UofA spend a nickle trying to get people to go to away games when they should be spending all of their energy getting people to go to home games?

That offense was great. Whenever a team scored 35, that offense would get us 34. If they scored 30, that offense would get us 28. The great thing about it was they could then blame everything on the other side of the ball in a team sport. What a great bunch of "team players"! Man do I miss the horrible play of those nine years.The other great thing about the Owns years was he was such a crybaby he created a team of whiners that blame everything and everyone but themselves for the loses. It's not them, it's the Rubber Bowl. It's not them, its the practice field. It's not them, etc. I used to love those photos of players crying on the sidelines and in the locker rooms after games. Real men that group. You guys can say what you want about JD's players, but they aren't a bunch of crying and complaining bitches.

Nice post DrZ!Changing the coach is the Cleveland Browns fan solution. Since so many Browns fans live around Akron, it is logical that this stupidity would creep into Zips discussions as well. Changing their coach every other year has been great for that team.

I agree totally so I guess we are some butt monkeys?! If the shoe fits.......

In a game between two evenly matched teams (Akron and Western are evenly matched), one team is more likely to lose the game through turnovers than the other team win it. What it the give-away/take-away ration for both teams? This will give you the answer as to who will win. If even, the home team will have an advantage.