The Silence Speaks Volumes

[ctmjbowes@sbcglobal.net]

All I know at this point is that as the rain came down and the wife and I decided to leave at half time, I didn't second-guess the decision even after hearing Allen's 74-yard run on the radio on the way home. I had absolutely no doubt that the team was going to lose, and lose badly. I'm no expert so will not try to diagnose the team's ills. What I do know is that this team is dead AND just no fun at all to watch. I look forward to the tailgating for these home games and would really rather just stay out in the lot and eat and drink than watch the games the rest of the way. On our way out there were a few guys in lot 9 under cover doing just that and I thought they were the smartest fans at the game.

How can it be that this team is not even good enough for the MAC, arguably the worst and most moribund division in FBS football?

I have always fancied Luis Proenza as something of a genius and a winner. When it comes to this program and the facilities standing behind it, the overall planning and execution that have brought us to this point, his legacy is substantially dimmed in my eyes. This program is on death's door.

[Zipsrifle]

I'm embarrassed and upset. I organized a group outing to the game last night. Am I an idiot, or what?! We had a nice group of around 30-some. 30-SOME POOR PEOPLE WHO TRUSTED ME FOR A FUN EVENING!!! It couldn't have been worse. I doubt any of the folks who attended will ever want to give the Zips another chance. It was as bad as one could possibly imagine. Not only is the team absolutely horrible, but extremely boring as well. The weather was awful. Honestly, I don't think I'm going to invite anyone to another Zips game for a long time. At least the rest of this year. Maybe not next year either. I was embarrassed and felt like a fool. I'm so numb I'm not even bothered by front-runners being Columbus State fans right now. They may be the only sane folks among us.

I'm planning on inviting a few people to the Buffalo and Michigan soccer matches. But I'm absolutely done with pimping UA football for a very, very long time.

A few weeks ago there was another thread about those who are brave enough to hit games solo. I'm fortunate enough to have two friends who aren't necessarly big Zips fans, but just like football for football's sake. We generally hit the games. But if they're "busy," well, for me, it's that time of year again.

I too brought about 10-15 people to the game with me. They were really good sports about the whole experience, but when they wanted to leave at the half, I encouraged them. The weather was out of our hands, nobody is to blame for that, but the product on the field was embarasing. I turned to my wife in the 3rd and told her I was glad everyone left, it saved me from being totally humiliated by our team. I think they enjoyed themselves simply because most of them came to the Can't vs. Akron game last year and had a blast.

Anyway, here is my take. I don't think the team morale is as bad NOW as it was near the end of last season. I was watching the players on the sidelines and they were still engaged in the game, though obviously not overly excited. Last year, late in the season, NOBODY gave a $#!+ and it was obvious. Yes, I agree, there was a lack of fire from almost anyone on the sidelines. Starting with the coaches. The coaches appeared to be only 1/2 into the game. Some coaches, such as Derrick Jackson were very engaged with the players all the time. If he wasn't coaching them when they were on the field, he was coaching them on the sidelines. Other coaches seemed disconnected. ICoach at times was wondering around the sideline by himself looking at the ground dejected. Maybe he was talking with folks upstairs, I don't know. But it was obvious from his body language that he just wanted this thing to be over. The body language and engagement with the coaches carries over to the players and I wasn't impressed last night. We gave up after the Interception.

Another frustrating thing for me was the lack of apparent leadership on the sidelines by the upperclassmen. I can remember when the Zips came back against CMU in Mount Pleasant, I think it was 2003. Anyway, CMU was up later in the game and I think it was Chase Blackburn was on the sidelines LIGHTING EVERYONE UP. I don't think I've ever seen a player that pissed off! The Zips came back and won the game and the upperclassmen had a LOT to do with it.

I also was frustrated with how easily we seemed to give up on 2nd or 3rd and long. By giving up I mean we seemed to be resigned to punting and just burning a play to get there. If we didn't get it going after a first down, then we just kinda tried to grind out a few more yards, take care of the ball, and be happy to punt.

We are near the bottom right now guys. Unfortunately, I have been here before. The first time I was in college and we were the worst team in the country for the entire season and knocked off OU during the final game in the Toilet Bowl. It took a few years to recover from that. The more recently for me was in 2005 when on a similar night, all hopes were dashed when Army took us to task at the RB in a rain storm. It was similar to last night in that a bunch of people came to the game with me, we sucked, and it rained the whole night. Now going into that game in 2005 we had 3 wins, but I think everyone really expected more of that season and that was a real heart breaker. We got lucky and "Rebounded" but it took backing into the MACC to get any attention outside of the die-hards. I think we are looking at the OU rebuilding process again. We suck. I estimate we will be at the bottom of the MAC for the next 2 years at least. I hate this. I don't know how you change a culture of losing in football but this isn't the answer. There aren't any facility excuses anymore, only personnel. I just can't believe that the players we have are this bad....I just can't.

[akronad]

I know many you don't think of ICoach. I'm still undecided. But, I think we don;t have the talent that most of you think we have. Especially on D. I was speaking with a local sports reporter last night that was at the game as a fan and not covering the game and he echoed the same thoughts. Also, the players ICoach is recruiting are not the same type or caliber thatJD was recruiting. I hate the cliche of biulding, but how many of you believe the cupboard wasn;t as full as we were led to believe?

[Buckzip]

Have the players tuned out the coaching staff?

I'm not here to defend the coaches. Their pro style offense will never work here and the sooner they are gone the better...along with the guy who hired them, but the players need to show some pride in themselves. Move the freaking ball and stop the other guys every now and then.

Why do you say that?

Teams that win with pro style offenses have a lot of future pros on their team....Alabama is loaded and runs a pro style offense. They are loaded with future NFL stars. In the MAC, you get MAC talent.

I don't think it takes much to make a bad team average or an average team good in college football. Success in the MAC can come from scoring a bunch of points and not shooting yourself in the foot on defense. If you can hang around long enough in a mac game, the other team will hand you the game. How do you get those points?......

CMU was very successful with the spread offense and a great QB the past four years. Cincy did the same thing in the Big East. Score a bunch of points and make teams in bad conferences try to match your point output. It's easier to do in the MAC and Big East than the major BCS conferences. CMU was unsuccessful in bowl games but beat the crap out of the MAC because the moved the ball in a spread offense. Cincy was exposed for being a fraud in the Sugar Bowl last year, but they killed a terrible Big East with the spread.

I've said this before, Texas almost beat Alabama last year in the BCS Championship with an off the bench freshman QB. I see average teams win too much with the spread to think that it doesn't work. There are real reasons for the success as well....For example, it makes pass blocking schemes easier for linemen because it moves potential rushers away from the line. Same with the running game. If one OLineman makes a mistake, the whole line breaks down. Make an average line good by moving defenders away and eliminate confusion. The spread is actually a very simple offense that looks complicated. If there was a book about explaining the spread, it would be called, "Offense for Dummies".

The Zips don't have time to assemble a team that would be able to run a pro offense and finish any higher than second place in the MAC East. It will take years and by then the coach will have turned over twice already. It just isn't a reality. The reality is, the spread offense turns programs around fast because it doesn't take as many pieces and parts to be successful. A pro style offense takes a lot of good players. The Zips need to win now, not 8 years from now.

If we look around at teams that run pro style offenses in the midwest, how successful are they? Wisconsin?....Nice team, but the saying, "Always a bridesmaid and never a bride" comes to mind. Chronic second and third place Big Ten team. Pitt?....Third place Big East. Iowa?....Lost to Arizona who if my memory is correct, is an average team that has become good by running a spread offense. Notre Dame under Weiss?...Hello Kansas City. Stanford is having success with a pro style offense out west, but I'm not sure if they will fall into the Wisconsin and Pitt trap or not. Time will tell with them and they already play in a league with pro style offenses being played around them such as at USC. They crushed Oregon today, but I suspect Oregon will lose more by the end of the year.

The spread offense isn't for everyone, but if you want to go from being poor to at least average (we would probably take that right now) or average to good, the spread has been shown to work in the MAC. We are a MAC team and we need to do what works in the MAC.

I'm sold...you're hired. (dead serious)

Send in your resume, you can be my #1 assistant.

I'd like to add more evidence to how effective the spread is with a QB that can run. Please do not take this as an opportunity to start the UofA vs. tOSU argument. It really makes a good point about how the spread offense takes average-good players and makes them good-great. If you are offended and want to continue to read, insert Team X for tosu and you will feel better. Insert "Joe Smith" for Pryor.

Pryor was churning out a ton of yards yesterday and tosu was on their way to a blowout of a hapless Illinois team. His yards were gained out of a spread formation running the read option, not from under center. Then Pryor gets hurt and really couldn't run...same guy, no wheels. It was shocking how fast tosu changed into a very average offense at that point. All of the sudden, their RBs couldn't get yards...the Oline didn't look as good.....Pryor wasn't quite as good of a passer as he is when the threat of running is there....their WRs became EXTREMELY average. Pryor is the difference between tosu finishing first in the Big Ten or third. Without Pryor, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin and maybe MSU are all better teams than tosu.

College football is a team sport, but if you can just find a couple of the right pieces, you can be very good very fast.

Bad analogy. You are wrong on many fronts here. I will not point them out, because I don't want to start that argument, but you would be better to use a DickRod coached team without Denard Robinson as your example.

[yazan07]

My house is near one of those big billboards that say "new coach, new stadium, new generation of Akron football." But really I want to rip that down and replace it with one like this, but instead it has JD Brookhart on it

[Buckzip]

My house is near one of those big billboards that say "new coach, new stadium, new generation of Akron football." But really I want to rip that down and replace it with one like this, but instead it has JD Brookhart on it

LOL

[GP1]

Have the players tuned out the coaching staff?

I'm not here to defend the coaches. Their pro style offense will never work here and the sooner they are gone the better...along with the guy who hired them, but the players need to show some pride in themselves. Move the freaking ball and stop the other guys every now and then.

Why do you say that?

Teams that win with pro style offenses have a lot of future pros on their team....Alabama is loaded and runs a pro style offense. They are loaded with future NFL stars. In the MAC, you get MAC talent.

I don't think it takes much to make a bad team average or an average team good in college football. Success in the MAC can come from scoring a bunch of points and not shooting yourself in the foot on defense. If you can hang around long enough in a mac game, the other team will hand you the game. How do you get those points?......

CMU was very successful with the spread offense and a great QB the past four years. Cincy did the same thing in the Big East. Score a bunch of points and make teams in bad conferences try to match your point output. It's easier to do in the MAC and Big East than the major BCS conferences. CMU was unsuccessful in bowl games but beat the crap out of the MAC because the moved the ball in a spread offense. Cincy was exposed for being a fraud in the Sugar Bowl last year, but they killed a terrible Big East with the spread.

I've said this before, Texas almost beat Alabama last year in the BCS Championship with an off the bench freshman QB. I see average teams win too much with the spread to think that it doesn't work. There are real reasons for the success as well....For example, it makes pass blocking schemes easier for linemen because it moves potential rushers away from the line. Same with the running game. If one OLineman makes a mistake, the whole line breaks down. Make an average line good by moving defenders away and eliminate confusion. The spread is actually a very simple offense that looks complicated. If there was a book about explaining the spread, it would be called, "Offense for Dummies".

The Zips don't have time to assemble a team that would be able to run a pro offense and finish any higher than second place in the MAC East. It will take years and by then the coach will have turned over twice already. It just isn't a reality. The reality is, the spread offense turns programs around fast because it doesn't take as many pieces and parts to be successful. A pro style offense takes a lot of good players. The Zips need to win now, not 8 years from now.

If we look around at teams that run pro style offenses in the midwest, how successful are they? Wisconsin?....Nice team, but the saying, "Always a bridesmaid and never a bride" comes to mind. Chronic second and third place Big Ten team. Pitt?....Third place Big East. Iowa?....Lost to Arizona who if my memory is correct, is an average team that has become good by running a spread offense. Notre Dame under Weiss?...Hello Kansas City. Stanford is having success with a pro style offense out west, but I'm not sure if they will fall into the Wisconsin and Pitt trap or not. Time will tell with them and they already play in a league with pro style offenses being played around them such as at USC. They crushed Oregon today, but I suspect Oregon will lose more by the end of the year.

The spread offense isn't for everyone, but if you want to go from being poor to at least average (we would probably take that right now) or average to good, the spread has been shown to work in the MAC. We are a MAC team and we need to do what works in the MAC.

I'm sold...you're hired. (dead serious)

Send in your resume, you can be my #1 assistant.

I'd like to add more evidence to how effective the spread is with a QB that can run. Please do not take this as an opportunity to start the UofA vs. tOSU argument. It really makes a good point about how the spread offense takes average-good players and makes them good-great. If you are offended and want to continue to read, insert Team X for tosu and you will feel better. Insert "Joe Smith" for Pryor.

Pryor was churning out a ton of yards yesterday and tosu was on their way to a blowout of a hapless Illinois team. His yards were gained out of a spread formation running the read option, not from under center. Then Pryor gets hurt and really couldn't run...same guy, no wheels. It was shocking how fast tosu changed into a very average offense at that point. All of the sudden, their RBs couldn't get yards...the Oline didn't look as good.....Pryor wasn't quite as good of a passer as he is when the threat of running is there....their WRs became EXTREMELY average. Pryor is the difference between tosu finishing first in the Big Ten or third. Without Pryor, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin and maybe MSU are all better teams than tosu.

College football is a team sport, but if you can just find a couple of the right pieces, you can be very good very fast.

Bad analogy. You are wrong on many fronts here. I will not point them out, because I don't want to start that argument, but you would be better to use a DickRod coached team without Denard Robinson as your example.

Actually, I am exactly right and anyone who saw the game yesterday who knew anything at all about college football would agree. A lot was exposed for tosu yesterday.

With that said, Michigan is the other team that would be a good example. I would agree. Michigan is .500 without Robinson....at best.

[Buckzip]

Have the players tuned out the coaching staff?

I'm not here to defend the coaches. Their pro style offense will never work here and the sooner they are gone the better...along with the guy who hired them, but the players need to show some pride in themselves. Move the freaking ball and stop the other guys every now and then.

Why do you say that?

Teams that win with pro style offenses have a lot of future pros on their team....Alabama is loaded and runs a pro style offense. They are loaded with future NFL stars. In the MAC, you get MAC talent.

I don't think it takes much to make a bad team average or an average team good in college football. Success in the MAC can come from scoring a bunch of points and not shooting yourself in the foot on defense. If you can hang around long enough in a mac game, the other team will hand you the game. How do you get those points?......

CMU was very successful with the spread offense and a great QB the past four years. Cincy did the same thing in the Big East. Score a bunch of points and make teams in bad conferences try to match your point output. It's easier to do in the MAC and Big East than the major BCS conferences. CMU was unsuccessful in bowl games but beat the crap out of the MAC because the moved the ball in a spread offense. Cincy was exposed for being a fraud in the Sugar Bowl last year, but they killed a terrible Big East with the spread.

I've said this before, Texas almost beat Alabama last year in the BCS Championship with an off the bench freshman QB. I see average teams win too much with the spread to think that it doesn't work. There are real reasons for the success as well....For example, it makes pass blocking schemes easier for linemen because it moves potential rushers away from the line. Same with the running game. If one OLineman makes a mistake, the whole line breaks down. Make an average line good by moving defenders away and eliminate confusion. The spread is actually a very simple offense that looks complicated. If there was a book about explaining the spread, it would be called, "Offense for Dummies".

The Zips don't have time to assemble a team that would be able to run a pro offense and finish any higher than second place in the MAC East. It will take years and by then the coach will have turned over twice already. It just isn't a reality. The reality is, the spread offense turns programs around fast because it doesn't take as many pieces and parts to be successful. A pro style offense takes a lot of good players. The Zips need to win now, not 8 years from now.

If we look around at teams that run pro style offenses in the midwest, how successful are they? Wisconsin?....Nice team, but the saying, "Always a bridesmaid and never a bride" comes to mind. Chronic second and third place Big Ten team. Pitt?....Third place Big East. Iowa?....Lost to Arizona who if my memory is correct, is an average team that has become good by running a spread offense. Notre Dame under Weiss?...Hello Kansas City. Stanford is having success with a pro style offense out west, but I'm not sure if they will fall into the Wisconsin and Pitt trap or not. Time will tell with them and they already play in a league with pro style offenses being played around them such as at USC. They crushed Oregon today, but I suspect Oregon will lose more by the end of the year.

The spread offense isn't for everyone, but if you want to go from being poor to at least average (we would probably take that right now) or average to good, the spread has been shown to work in the MAC. We are a MAC team and we need to do what works in the MAC.

I'm sold...you're hired. (dead serious)

Send in your resume, you can be my #1 assistant.

I'd like to add more evidence to how effective the spread is with a QB that can run. Please do not take this as an opportunity to start the UofA vs. tOSU argument. It really makes a good point about how the spread offense takes average-good players and makes them good-great. If you are offended and want to continue to read, insert Team X for tosu and you will feel better. Insert "Joe Smith" for Pryor.

Pryor was churning out a ton of yards yesterday and tosu was on their way to a blowout of a hapless Illinois team. His yards were gained out of a spread formation running the read option, not from under center. Then Pryor gets hurt and really couldn't run...same guy, no wheels. It was shocking how fast tosu changed into a very average offense at that point. All of the sudden, their RBs couldn't get yards...the Oline didn't look as good.....Pryor wasn't quite as good of a passer as he is when the threat of running is there....their WRs became EXTREMELY average. Pryor is the difference between tosu finishing first in the Big Ten or third. Without Pryor, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin and maybe MSU are all better teams than tosu.

College football is a team sport, but if you can just find a couple of the right pieces, you can be very good very fast.

Bad analogy. You are wrong on many fronts here. I will not point them out, because I don't want to start that argument, but you would be better to use a DickRod coached team without Denard Robinson as your example.

Actually, I am exactly right and anyone who saw the game yesterday who knew anything at all about college football would agree. A lot was exposed for tosu yesterday.

With that said, Michigan is the other team that would be a good example. I would agree. Michigan is .500 without Robinson....at best.

Nope, you are wrong. I would explain it to you, but I think you are too hard headed to understand it.

Your calling a 2-1 home team that had 2 weeks to prepare hapless was your first mistake. After that it went down hill.

If you knew how Tressel coaches you would understand it a little better.

And for the record I hate when he gets ultra conservative, but he wins and that is all that is important.

Back to Akron, I agree we should be more of a spread offense, but we didn't win with that either.

[Lee Adams]

I love to read the comments on this site because I can always find something to laugh about. What is especially humorous is the way some contributors have no compunction about telling other people that their comments are stupid,wrong etc. Now that in and of itself would not be that humorous except that some of those who are doing the name calling have over the years themselves not exhibited a lot of special knowledge about how this footbal program has operated or would perform. Keep it up,its great theatre.

[GP1]

Nope, you are wrong. I would explain it to you, but I think you are too hard headed to understand it.

Your calling a 2-1 home team that had 2 weeks to prepare hapless was your first mistake. After that it went down hill.

If you knew how Tressel coaches you would understand it a little better.

They really beat some big time programs on their way to that 2-1 start.

I have a tv just like you and it shows me the same thing it shows you. Illinois is a bad team and if that is the best they can do after two weeks to prepare, they are worse than what they showed yesterday.

BZ, saying you understand football isn't the same thing as understanding football regardless of how much Tressel Punch you drink. I hope you don't take this too personally, but I don't think you know much about the game, what makes a good player, what good play calling is or what a good coach is. I read your posts...there is nothing there.

Have a nice evening.

[Buckzip]

Nope, you are wrong. I would explain it to you, but I think you are too hard headed to understand it.

Your calling a 2-1 home team that had 2 weeks to prepare hapless was your first mistake. After that it went down hill.

If you knew how Tressel coaches you would understand it a little better.

They really beat some big time programs on their way to that 2-1 start.

I have a tv just like you and it shows me the same thing it shows you. Illinois is a bad team and if that is the best they can do after two weeks to prepare, they are worse than what they showed yesterday.

BZ, saying you understand football isn't the same thing as understanding football regardless of how much Tressel Punch you drink. I hope you don't take this too personally, but I don't think you know much about the game, what makes a good player, what good play calling is or what a good coach is. I read your posts...there is nothing there.

Have a nice evening.

I agree Illi is not a good team. However, 2-1 isn't hapless.

Don't worry GP1 I don't take anything you say personally. I think you are a fool that comes on here and tries to act like you know what you are talking about. Those of us that played the game and understand it can see right through you.

You are vague, you use certain buzz words and you are clueless. You continue to prove it over and over and over. The SPS and hatred has just completely eaten up your ability to be rational.

I drink the Tressel punch ROFLMAO. Folks on OSU boards would laugh at you for saying that about me. Most of them think I hate the guy because I am so critical of the way he calls games and the piss poor high school offensive schemes he uses.

As usual you have turned this into an OSU thread. I was merely pointing out that you were wrong, as usual, and now instead of trying to find out why you are wrong you have to do the Tressel/OSU BS.

I would love for you to come to another board and really discuss football. You would get so schooled you would run back here where there are only a few posters that think you have a clue.

Keep it up. You are always good for a laugh.

Carry on.

[Zip_ME87]

My house is near one of those big billboards that say "new coach, new stadium, new generation of Akron football." But really I want to rip that down and replace it with one like this, but instead it has JD Brookhart on it

Isn't that guy on the billboard our current Head Football Coach...how can we miss him when he's currently on our sideline?

[RootforRoo44]

[Buckzip]

Outstanding....

[akronad]

Outstanding....

No way in hell!!!!!!!!!!

[cornbread]

I love to read the comments on this site because I can always find something to laugh about. What is especially humorous is the way some contributors have no compunction about telling other people that their comments are stupid,wrong etc. Now that in and of itself would not be that humorous except that some of those who are doing the name calling have over the years themselves not exhibited a lot of special knowledge about how this footbal program has operated or would perform. Keep it up,its great theatre.

To reply or not to reply– that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the intarwebs to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous commentary,

Or to make posts against a sea of idiots

And, by opposing, become one. To post, to reply

No more – and by a reply to say maybe next week

[Dr Z]

Whether 'tis nobler in the intarwebs to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous commentary,

Or to make posts against a sea of idiots

And, by opposing, become one. To post, to reply

No more – and by a reply to say maybe next week

'Cooler heads will prevail' is the saying that comes to mind. I have resisted the urge to post my emotions.

[johnnyzip84]

I love to read the comments on this site because I can always find something to laugh about. What is especially humorous is the way some contributors have no compunction about telling other people that their comments are stupid,wrong etc. Now that in and of itself would not be that humorous except that some of those who are doing the name calling have over the years themselves not exhibited a lot of special knowledge about how this footbal program has operated or would perform. Keep it up,its great theatre.

To reply or not to reply– that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the intarwebs to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous commentary,

Or to make posts against a sea of idiots

And, by opposing, become one. To post, to reply

No more – and by a reply to say maybe next week

Classic!

[skip-zip]

I only really have a couple of primary thoughts on this past weekend...

1) I hope NIU is by far the best team in the MAC this year. Because, trying to hope that Indiana, Syracuse and Kentucky were good after they all beat us by good/large margins didn't make me feel any better.

2) If not, I hope our coaches start reviewing their personnel decisions, and start looking up and down our roster for guys who might be able to help. Enough of this "we need to get better" talk. Our current personnel on the field isn't getting the job done, and I have a hard time believing that there isn't a lot of guys out there who just have no business being D-1A starters.

3) ICoach....I sure hope your recruiting savvy starts paying off for us right now, or this "building" process is going to take years, and you might be playing in front of an empty stadium before your tenure as coach is over.

[KentZip]

I only really have a couple of primary thoughts on this past weekend...

1) I hope NIU is by far the best team in the MAC this year. Because, trying to hope that Indiana, Syracuse and Kentucky were good after they all beat us by good/large margins didn't make me feel any better.

2) If not, I hope our coaches start reviewing their personnel decisions, and start looking up and down our roster for guys who might be able to help. Enough of this "we need to get better" talk. Our current personnel on the field isn't getting the job done, and I have a hard time believing that there isn't a lot of guys out there who just have no business being D-1A starters.

3) ICoach....I sure hope your recruiting savvy starts paying off for us right now, or this "building" process is going to take years, and you might be playing in front of an empty stadium before your tenure as coach is over.

You hit my biggest long-term fear on the head. Even if he is a GREAT recruiter, what is the possible effect of a horrible season on the potential recruits? If others on this board are right (and I think they are), the pro style offense requires better recruits to run successfully. How do you get that kind of athlete with a potential winless record?

[skip-zip]

I only really have a couple of primary thoughts on this past weekend...

1) I hope NIU is by far the best team in the MAC this year. Because, trying to hope that Indiana, Syracuse and Kentucky were good after they all beat us by good/large margins didn't make me feel any better.

2) If not, I hope our coaches start reviewing their personnel decisions, and start looking up and down our roster for guys who might be able to help. Enough of this "we need to get better" talk. Our current personnel on the field isn't getting the job done, and I have a hard time believing that there isn't a lot of guys out there who just have no business being D-1A starters.

3) ICoach....I sure hope your recruiting savvy starts paying off for us right now, or this "building" process is going to take years, and you might be playing in front of an empty stadium before your tenure as coach is over.

You hit my biggest long-term fear on the head. Even if he is a GREAT recruiter, what is the possible effect of a horrible season on the potential recruits? If others on this board are right (and I think they are), the pro style offense requires better recruits to run successfully. How do you get that kind of athlete with a potential winless record?

Great question. I really had my concerns when he came in here, and right away he talked about the offensive and defensive schemes he was going to run. Did he look at the current personnel in making that decision? If not, does he really believe he will get the recruits to run those offensive and defensive schemes a few years from now? And, is the fan base going to be that patient?

[skip-zip]

I love to read the comments on this site because I can always find something to laugh about. What is especially humorous is the way some contributors have no compunction about telling other people that their comments are stupid,wrong etc. Now that in and of itself would not be that humorous except that some of those who are doing the name calling have over the years themselves not exhibited a lot of special knowledge about how this footbal program has operated or would perform. Keep it up,its great theatre.

I do agree with you on this point. I like that there is a forum to exchange information with other Zips fans. But, I think there's too many people here who insist that their heavy participation on this board somehow makes them an expert about Zips athletics. And the name calling and belittling has been pointed out to me on several occassions by major Zips supporters as the reason they do not participate on this site. But unfortunately, as some people have pointed out here, I don't think you can stop people from being the way they are. But, I think the entire fan base would benefit by having some of our fellow older fans participate and lend their experience with Zips athletics to this forum if we could somehow make this a more welcoming environment for them.

[Dr Z]

Great question. I really had my concerns when he came in here, and right away he talked about the offensive and defensive schemes he was going to run. Did he look at the current personnel in making that decision?

I'll guess no. I Would have loved to be a fly on the wall during that interview.

[cornbread]

But unfortunately, as some people have pointed out here, I don't think you can stop people from being the way they are. But, I think the entire fan base would benefit by having some of our fellow older fans participate and lend their experience with Zips athletics to this forum if we could somehow make this a more welcoming environment for them.

I agree. Unfortunately, by nature internet forums kind of operate that way.

Maybe Zipsnation needs something more open to the Facebook type of internet user.

ELGG is an opensource social community software suite I have worked on in the past. It is pretty cool and has a lot of features that allow people to hang out online.

I definitely oppose watering down the forum in any way. But giving more options for the less opinionated is not a bad idea. i would volunteer on deploying an ELGG installation.

[Buckzip]

Great question. I really had my concerns when he came in here, and right away he talked about the offensive and defensive schemes he was going to run. Did he look at the current personnel in making that decision?

I'll guess no. I Would have loved to be a fly on the wall during that interview.

I think when making these points that some of us are assuming that the staff knows how to run the different offenses and are comfortable running them.

If Coach I doesn't know, or isn't comfortable, with the spread he isn't going to utilize it.

There are some coaches that design their schemes according to their talent and others that try to make their talent fit their schemes.

Coach I appears to be trying to put a square peg in a round hole.

Coach I came from a pro style offense. That is probably what he knows.

This appears to go back to the AD. The AD should have been sure that whomever he was hiring as a coach was going to be able to use the existing players.

Every new coach takes a few years to fully get his schemes and plays in. However, this may be more than that because of the complete 180 in schemes along with not having top tier talent in the first place.

When he was first hired a lot of people were happy as soon as he mentioned he was going to the 4-3. For once Akron had enough d-lineman to run a 4-3. I feel that even if we only had 4 d-lineman on scholly and 4 All Mac linebackers, he was still going to run the 4-3.

Obviously the 3-3-5 had to go. But to just straight out say what you are switching to before even knowing your roster put up a red flag for me.