Elton Alexander's Picks are In!

[Wally B]

Aaahhhhhhh......Bye, err.. wait, what were we talking about again?

Elton is a smug unhappy little man who treats people like they were idiots

I think we need to push for more Zips coverage in the PD as well! I'm tired of looking for Akron info under the "College" link right next to "Ohio State" We deserve more than articles that say "OBTW the Zips play tomorrow, or Saturdays score was blah bla blah blah blah...."

To all the naysayers I ask you how many Alumni live in the metro area? Add in Can't, BG, and Ohio and the basis for coverage is there. So MAKE some noise! We should have a Can't State WEEK! (Perfect chance to cross promote for mutual benefit) Hell send some Rowdies up to the Channel3 studios and stop waiting for someone else to make this into something!!

[Wally B]

UPDATE: Found an alternate version. It now lists Ohio State, Cleveland State, Ohio College sports...... (sigh) and just in time for the big CSU football season to ramp up too

http://www.cleveland.com/sports/

[GP1]

I think we need to push for more Zips coverage in the PD as well!

Call me crazy, but I have an idea for getting more PD coverage. If the Zips win more games and put a better team on the field, the PD will be forced to cover them. Let's win more games. When the Zips are 4-8, there is little more interest in Cleveland for the Zips vs. MAC Team than there is for BW vs. Case. The local media did a really good job of covering the Zips when we went to the MCB. It can happen again if the Zips would start winning.

The local media is not the enemy. They are mostly stupid, but they are not the enemy. We have met the enemy and we are us. If we keep losing, there will be no coverage. If we win, there will be coverage. It's very simple.

We really need to start winning.

[Dave in Green]

You're not crazy on this one. You just nailed Journalism 101.

[zip37]

I'm STILL glad I have season soccer tix!

[Captain Kangaroo]

Like you, no doubt, I was at the "loser bowl" versus OU later that year. It's just my opinion, but I'll take the talent from last year's Zips over that squad hands down. If the Zips somehow manage to win only 2 games this year, it's ALL on iCoach, IMHO.

Magrell quit on the Zips... then transferred to K.e.n.t.... and quit there.

I think Patrick Nicely will throw for roughly 9,000 more yards in his career when compared to Magrell.

We're on the same page regarding iCoach -- WAY too much talent on this team to win 2...3...or 4 games. I'd even say 5, but I guess it would need to take into account how the 7 games were lost, and how the team progressed from beginning-to-end of the season.

I still say, with our schedule & talent, 6 wins should be the minimum total to consider it a positive season. 6 ain't great... but it's a number the football team hasn't reached in a while. I'd take it.

[g-mann17]

Like you, no doubt, I was at the "loser bowl" versus OU later that year. It's just my opinion, but I'll take the talent from last year's Zips over that squad hands down. If the Zips somehow manage to win only 2 games this year, it's ALL on iCoach, IMHO.

Magrell quit on the Zips... then transferred to K.e.n.t.... and quit there.

I think Patrick Nicely will throw for roughly 9,000 more yards in his career when compared to Magrell.

We're on the same page regarding iCoach -- WAY too much talent on this team to win 2...3...or 4 games. I'd even say 5, but I guess it would need to take into account how the 7 games were lost, and how the team progressed from beginning-to-end of the season.

I still say, with our schedule & talent, 6 wins should be the minimum total to consider it a positive season. 6 ain't great... but it's a number the football team hasn't reached in a while. I'd take it.

I would go along with that CK. The reason we only ended up with 3 last year was because of all the off-field turmoil. I was actually presently surprised JD was able to get those guys to show up for the EMU game. Though I have a feeling that win had more to do with Nicely and some of the younger guys leading the team.

5 wins: I'm a disappointed, and it would depend on how the games were lost (close, last minute kind of deal ok)

4 wins: There is something wrong with the way the team was prepared

But I think it's more than fair to expect a .500 season. Two games last year (Ohio & Buffalo) were competitive and could have easily been won some form of stability. Also NIU could have went either way. That's .500 right there in a terrible season.

[GP1]

The reason we only ended up with 3 last year was because of all the off-field turmoil.

The 3-3-5 defense had nothing to do with the off the field turmoil. You can't let teams march up and down the field at will. College football has become high scoring, but at times, you still have to stop people or at least hold them to a fg try.

[xu9697]

The reason we only ended up with 3 last year was because of all the off-field turmoil.

The 3-3-5 defense had nothing to do with the off the field turmoil. You can't let teams march up and down the field at will. College football has become high scoring, but at times, you still have to stop people or at least hold them to a fg try.

Whether it be 3-4 or 3-3-5...need to have that space eater (who is also a good player) in the middle that takes up 2 guys if it is going to be successful. Some 6'3-6'5, 310+ player. Those players are tough to find.

While the offense might take some time to adapt to the new formation, I think Akron's front 7 playing in the 4-3 will be a top 3 defense in the MAC. Still not sure if there will be a big time sack guy, but I think we will be better than, what..118th?

[g-mann17]

The reason we only ended up with 3 last year was because of all the off-field turmoil.

The 3-3-5 defense had nothing to do with the off the field turmoil. You can't let teams march up and down the field at will. College football has become high scoring, but at times, you still have to stop people or at least hold them to a fg try.

I was saying that despite injuries and other issues we weren't overmatched in the MAC. Which is what you have been saying ever since I joined Zipsnation.

There is no reason we shouldn't expect .500 or better out of this team.

[Captain Kangaroo]

The reason we only ended up with 3 last year was because of all the off-field turmoil.

The 3-3-5 defense had nothing to do with the off the field turmoil. You can't let teams march up and down the field at will. College football has become high scoring, but at times, you still have to stop people or at least hold them to a fg try.

I was saying that despite injuries and other issues we weren't overmatched in the MAC. Which is what you have been saying ever since I joined Zipsnation.

There is no reason we shouldn't expect .500 or better out of this team.

Temple and Central Michigan pounded us pretty good. Other than that, we were in every MAC game.

[skip-zip]

I tried to verify that we have a REAL Quarterback (top of the MAC) and could not find it. Can you send me the links???

I know you are out in California, so you can't follow the team all that well.

The quarterback I'm speaking about is Patrick Nicely. He's very good.

Here is a link where you can learn more about Patrick

I'm always happy to help out those who are a little less-versed on the Zips program.

Then I'll give you a little more follow-up information about the 1995 team, and verify something I said earlier, so that you can add this to your wealth of knowledge.

I think on two separate occasions on this thread, you said that Lee had NO quarterback heading into the 1995 season. And I stated that he had a freshman QB who just came off of a record-breaking performance. And I did verify that my memory is correct.

Magrell threw for 347 yards against Ball State in a game at the Rubber Bowl in Nov. of 1994. It was an Akron single-game record, and withstood as a record until Charlie Frye came along. And the amazing thing is, he did NOT even start the game. I think most people would feel a lot more confident about that QB situation entering the next season, compared to the situation we have now.

In respect to your overall "this group of guys is more talented than that group of guys" remarks, here's where I think the problem is. We can look back now and see the progression of the careers of players during the transitions of other Akron coaches. We can't do that now. We have no idea where the careers of these players are going.

I remember listening to the Magrell game against Ball St on the radio, because the game was played in Muncie.

Link

Nevertheless, it was quite a performance from a true FR coming off the bench as you noted Skip. But I also have a recollection that Magrell and LO's incoming staff immediately had "issues". Whether is was the change in scheme, personality conflicts or whatever, I believe it was pretty clear early on that Brian would not remain a Zip for long. While there are some similarities to the QB situation in 2010 (change in scheme), I think the chances of Nicely pulling up stakes are pretty remote.

Like you, no doubt, I was at the "loser bowl" versus OU later that year. It's just my opinion, but I'll take the talent from last year's Zips over that squad hands down. If the Zips somehow manage to win only 2 games this year, it's ALL on iCoach, IMHO.

Good post. That's precisely why I pointed out the obvious difficulty of predicting the future when comparing teams during different transitions between coaches.....because of a situation like we had with Brian. I was mostly referring to the point someone made about the number of returning starters, which is pretty darn near the same, and both were bad teams. And of course, the comment that the 1994 team had no QB.

I guess we were never going to know everything about what happened with that situation. Everyone was pretty excited about the potential of our new QB over the next few years, and rightfully so. When you see a guy come right out of the gate with a record-breaking performance, you probably could never predict what transpired the following season. What a shame.

[ZachTheZip]

Agree Rodgers looks pretty fast. But I don't know if he has the ability of a Frye or Cribbs to endure the abuse of running the ball with regularity.

p.s. don't Nicely and Rodgers have similar 40 times? Rodgers does look quicker to me.

If Ianello tells Rodgers that he's going to warm the bench for the Zips in 2010, he runs the risk that Rodgers will transfer. If he keeps the alleged QB competition running throughout the summer, Rodgers has a better chance of staying (where's he going to transfer in September, after all teams have concluded their camp, and expect to start?). Rodgers is a valuable back up. Nicely is the starter.

Rodgers is athletic enough to be used in a wildcat formation. I think whoever somes up short in the competition will still see playing time.

Vegas thinks Rodgers is more talented than Nicely.

[InTheZone]

Agree Rodgers looks pretty fast. But I don't know if he has the ability of a Frye or Cribbs to endure the abuse of running the ball with regularity.

p.s. don't Nicely and Rodgers have similar 40 times? Rodgers does look quicker to me.

If Ianello tells Rodgers that he's going to warm the bench for the Zips in 2010, he runs the risk that Rodgers will transfer. If he keeps the alleged QB competition running throughout the summer, Rodgers has a better chance of staying (where's he going to transfer in September, after all teams have concluded their camp, and expect to start?). Rodgers is a valuable back up. Nicely is the starter.

Rodgers is athletic enough to be used in a wildcat formation. I think whoever somes up short in the competition will still see playing time.

Vegas thinks Rodgers is more talented than Nicely.

They may very well be right. Despite some on this board's wishful desires to crown him the next great MAC QB, he has given us no reason to think that. Rodgers could very well end up starting. I'm sure the staff will know a lot more about who can get the job done than we will, and the best player will play.