Captain's Blog - Ohio State Game

[Captain Kangaroo]

The game was actually closer than I expected. I said 65-7. O$U's playcalling, and the adequate performance of our defensive line, kept it "close."

Regarding the board's outcry over Ianello -- Seriously...what did you expect? The guy was 1-11 last year. He lost at home to a 1-AA program. He gutted the team, and is playing with 7 scholarships under the 85 limit.

Regarding our offensive ineptitude-- We have a new QB, new WR's, new OL, new RB's...how do you go into the house of a Top 20 team and do anything else but run a completely vanilla offense? These guys hardly know each other's names.

Even with 10 players removed from their roster, Ohio State still has 40 players that would be all-MAC if they transferred to our conference. I don't think the Zips have ONE that would be All Big Ten Honorable Mention. Maybe Wagner?

It was nice to see a field goal attempt rise into the air, towards the goal post. I don't miss those missiles into the Zips lineman's butts.

Moore looked composed early, then quickly unraveled as the game progressed. It will be interesting to see if the 6' tall Moore keeps getting balls swatted back at his grill when he throws against non-BCS lineman.

#15 looks like a player. We need to get him the ball.

I"ve seen the Zips play BCS opponents everywhere, Ohio State, Wisconsin, NC State, Tennessee, Nebraska, Pitt, Va Tech and on and on. I've seen the Zips play them at various points in their respective eras...when they peaked, and when they were in the abyss. Yesterday's game brought to mind only two prior games where the Zips totally tanked it...showed up, took the paycheck, and left. Pitt under Owens. And Ohio State, with Brookhart. As a fan, you HATE those games because you've got nothing to cheer for. 3-and-out, punt punt punt punt (nice punts though).... I'd rather lose 65-20 and try, than 42-0 running it up the gut.

The going rate for tickets to the O$U/Akron game was $70. So to travel to Columbus with a family of four, to watch your team essentially lay down, cost Joe Akron about $400 after parking, gas and everything else. Screw that. Ianello is really making me re-think traveling to support the Zips on the road.

And let me be clear - the players didn't lay down. The staff did. The players did the best with what they were given. Absolutely brutal day to play football.

Things can go either of two ways now. Temple is coming to town. If you are a Kool Aid drinker, you say that Ianello was holding everything back, and that Sept 10th is going to be an entirely different story. We'll be against someone our own size. And iCoach is going to open up the playbook. iCoach is going to give the Zips Faithful something to cheer about.

If you are a Drano-chugger, you expect to see iCoach highlight the same old 6 offensive plays we saw this week. Trot on the FG unit when he should be going for a 4th down conversion. Talk about the building process. Take another 30+ point loss.

Temple is no slouch. They are a legit lower-tier bowl team. They have the potential to roll us much like Northern Illinois last season. And Cincinnati put up 72 against Austin Peay last night. Week 3 looks like an O$U repeat.

I'm not playing Drano Pong in Lot 9 after getting whipped by O$U. Our program is no where near being able to run with the big dogs at this time. But I do need to see vast improvement on the offensive side of the ball over the next 2 weeks. Otherwise, we're going to make EMU and VMI look like BCS programs.

Anyone see Ball State beat Indiana last night?

See you Lot 9'ers around 1:30pm Saturday (son has a Saturday morning baseball game, so we'll be a little late). Hopefully no hurricane remnants to deal with!

[Wally B]

Great synopsis Cap'n.. Always lookforward to your insights!

[GP1]

Maybe Wagner?

Not after what I saw yesterday.

[GP1]

Talk about the building process.

Let's not....

[K92]

You summed it up quite nicely, CK.

[GP1]

Even with 10 players removed from their roster, Ohio State still has 40 players that would be all-MAC if they transferred to our conference. I don't think the Zips have ONE that would be All Big Ten Honorable Mention.

I went to the ECU vs. South Carolina game yesterday. The score looks like ECU got killed, but they were actually winning by 17 in the first half until the old ball coach decided to put a real QB in the game. ECU is a CUSA team and has five guys who would easily be the best player at their position for Akron. Their QB, the two WRs #s 1 and 2 (their actual numbers), their RB #28 and a DB #26 would all be immediate starters for Akron. If any one of them played for Akron, he would be the best player on the team. What ECU does that Akron doesn't do, is get the ball into their best players hands in a spread offense. We are trying to run a "team system"...bull$#!+. Find a few good guys and get the ball to them. That's how average teams get to be good. As long as we run the offense we do, we can't win with it. I'll reserve judgement for the remainder of the season until next Sunday, but the scrimmage yesterday didn't make me look forwad to the season.

The one thing I look for in a scrimmage game like we played yesteday is whether or not a team passes "the eyeball test". When ECU came out of the tunnel, I told my wife they passed the eyeball test (BTW, ECU sold 25,000 tickets to the game...at the rate Akron is going, they will be lucky to sell 25,000 tickets this season). They had some big guys who looked in great shape. They looked like the type of team that could hang with an SEC team for a while and they did. My problem with the Zips is they are a non-bcs team like ECU and nobody passes the eyeball test.

Again, let's wait to see what happens next week.

[Dr Z]

You summed it up quite nicely, CK.

I agree.

I was originally planning a Cincy trip, but after I saw that Cincy score yesterday,

I would rather dig stumps out of my back yard and listen to French tell the tale.

I'll add this, the style of offense that we ran yesterday would have worked if we were the better team.

We are not, we have to use some game day planning to help our team be successful.

[GP1]

I'll add this, the style of offense that we ran yesterday would have worked if we were the better team.

How good of a team?

Here is the problem with our offense. It requires top level D-1A talent to be successful in that offense. Of course we would be better if we had a better team...if you have good enough players, you can run the fullback dive every play and win. We get MAC level players, not LSU or Florida or USC. Just to say we would be better if we had better players doesn't take into account the landscape of college football and the things a team has to do to be successful. I don't care how much better we get, our offense doesn't present a defense with anything challenging and Urban Meyer said that yesterday. No option, elementary pass routes, etc. Pro style can't work at our level because we don't get enough pro players.

[skip-zip]

Let me see if I have this right, Captain. One of your two all-time games where Akron "totally tanked" was the OSWho game under Brookhart?

Are you talking about the game where the score was 3-2 at Halftime?

The game where we trailed by only 4 points until well into the 3rd Quarter?

The same game where we entered the 4th Quarter down by only 11 points?

This game was probably the BEST example we have in our football history of a game where people could believe that we actually have some kind of hope of someday knocking off one of the giants of college football.

I can find a handful of game that better define "totally tanked", just last year alone, and many of them were against MAC teams.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Let me see if I have this right, Captain. One of your two all-time games where Akron "totally tanked" was the OSWho game under Brookhart?

Are you talking about the game where the score was 3-2 at Halftime?

The game where we trailed by only 4 points until well into the 3rd Quarter?

The same game where we entered the 4th Quarter down by only 11 points?

This game was probably the BEST example we have in our football history of a game where people could believe that we actually have some kind of hope of someday knocking off one of the giants of college football.

I can find a handful of game that better define "totally tanked", just last year alone, and many of them were against MAC teams.

Brookhard did NOTHING offensively in that game. The defense worked their ass off, but Brookhart was intent to run clock and punt. Stec punted 14...18 times in that game? Bubble screens and run-middle. That's it.

The score was close because the defense played great, Stec punted like Ray Guy, and O$U had something like 5 turnovers.

Offensively, Brookhart was 100% content to run clock. He did not try to beat Ohio State. If you want to beat Ohio State, or at least score an offensive point, you need to be creative, and get the ball downfield. Brookhart didn't do it, and neither did Ianello. And neither scored an offensive point.

The Brookhart O$U game was nice because it was close, but if you're telling me Brookhart did anything offensive to try and win the game, I 100% disagree.

[Zip_ME87]

Brookhard did NOTHING offensively in that game. The defense worked their ass off, but Brookhart was intent to run clock and punt. Stec punted 14...18 times in that game? Bubble screens and run-middle. That's it.

The score was close because the defense played great, Stec punted like Ray Guy, and O$U had something like 5 turnovers.

Offensively, Brookhart was 100% content to run clock. He did not try to beat Ohio State. If you want to beat Ohio State, or at least score an offensive point, you need to be creative, and get the ball downfield. Brookhart didn't do it, and neither did Ianello. And neither scored an offensive point.

The Brookhart O$U game was nice because it was close, but if you're telling me Brookhart did anything offensive to try and win the game, I 100% disagree.

Exactly how I remember it.

EDIT: Of course Brookhart didn't have to shove the offensive play sheet down his pants. He only had one play that day...screen pass...no need for a play sheet.

[skip-zip]

Let me see if I have this right, Captain. One of your two all-time games where Akron "totally tanked" was the OSWho game under Brookhart?

Are you talking about the game where the score was 3-2 at Halftime?

The game where we trailed by only 4 points until well into the 3rd Quarter?

The same game where we entered the 4th Quarter down by only 11 points?

This game was probably the BEST example we have in our football history of a game where people could believe that we actually have some kind of hope of someday knocking off one of the giants of college football.

I can find a handful of game that better define "totally tanked", just last year alone, and many of them were against MAC teams.

Brookhard did NOTHING offensively in that game. The defense worked their ass off, but Brookhart was intent to run clock and punt. Stec punted 14...18 times in that game? Bubble screens and run-middle. That's it.

The score was close because the defense played great, Stec punted like Ray Guy, and O$U had something like 5 turnovers.

Offensively, Brookhart was 100% content to run clock. He did not try to beat Ohio State. If you want to beat Ohio State, or at least score an offensive point, you need to be creative, and get the ball downfield. Brookhart didn't do it, and neither did Ianello. And neither scored an offensive point.

The Brookhart O$U game was nice because it was close, but if you're telling me Brookhart did anything offensive to try and win the game, I 100% disagree.

I've already pointed out that this game yesterday was eerily similar to the game in 2007, from an perspective of our lack of offensive success, and not taking enough chances. But, no matter what Brookhart's strategy was, I'm merely pointing out that we kept that game in 2007 close for a very long time. You may want to call that a missed opportunity to do something risky to try to pull out the victory, and I would agree. But, "totally tanked"? Again, your talking about possibly our best effort ever to knock off one of the giants.

The embarrassing WMU blowout at home last year could fit that category.

You could say the same for the NIU homecoming game, when the majority of the crowd was so fed up with the effort that they left at halftime.

Trailing one of the top teams in the country by 11 points on the road entering the 4th quarter doesn't fit that category.

[MaxZIP]

Even with 10 players removed from their roster, Ohio State still has 40 players that would be all-MAC if they transferred to our conference. I don't think the Zips have ONE that would be All Big Ten Honorable Mention.

I went to the ECU vs. South Carolina game yesterday. The score looks like ECU got killed, but they were actually winning by 17 in the first half until the old ball coach decided to put a real QB in the game. ECU is a CUSA team and has five guys who would easily be the best player at their position for Akron. Their QB, the two WRs #s 1 and 2 (their actual numbers), their RB #28 and a DB #26 would all be immediate starters for Akron. If any one of them played for Akron, he would be the best player on the team. What ECU does that Akron doesn't do, is get the ball into their best players hands in a spread offense. We are trying to run a "team system"...bull$#!+. Find a few good guys and get the ball to them. That's how average teams get to be good. As long as we run the offense we do, we can't win with it. I'll reserve judgement for the remainder of the season until next Sunday, but the scrimmage yesterday didn't make me look forwad to the season.

The one thing I look for in a scrimmage game like we played yesteday is whether or not a team passes "the eyeball test". When ECU came out of the tunnel, I told my wife they passed the eyeball test (BTW, ECU sold 25,000 tickets to the game...at the rate Akron is going, they will be lucky to sell 25,000 tickets this season). They had some big guys who looked in great shape. They looked like the type of team that could hang with an SEC team for a while and they did. My problem with the Zips is they are a non-bcs team like ECU and nobody passes the eyeball test.

Again, let's wait to see what happens next week.

I agree that Akron has no players that pass the eyeball test. Gardner Webb had more players last year that looked like actuall football players and they were able to muscle akron up at the right time. You can be undersized or slow not both. Utah State looked like the real deal last night with some real size and speed. The Zips look like a JV team waiting for puberty to hit.

[GP1]

The Zips look like a JV team waiting for puberty to hit.

You made me laugh when I saw this because I said something similar about ECU's back-up players. It was hot as heck last night and when ECU had to sub, their guys looked like starters for Akron. There was a huge drop off in talent and USC would take advantage of it. They looked like players who weren't ready to start and may never start because they could bring in someone better than them at the drop of a hat.

[MaxZIP]

The Zips look like a JV team waiting for puberty to hit.

You made me laugh when I saw this because I said something similar about ECU's back-up players. It was hot as heck last night and when ECU had to sub, their guys looked like starters for Akron. There was a huge drop off in talent and USC would take advantage of it. They looked like players who weren't ready to start and may never start because they could bring in someone better than them at the drop of a hat.

I thought Icoach made it clear that the guys were getting stronger this year? A new strength coach and renewed emphasis on lifting has really paid off. To be honest, the zips were melting away under JD as well. You can't win games at this level if your players are not in proper game shape.

[GP1]

A new strength coach and renewed emphasis on lifting has really paid off.

I do believe our offensive and defensive lines were stronger yesterday.

[InTheZone]

The Zips look like a JV team waiting for puberty to hit.

You made me laugh when I saw this because I said something similar about ECU's back-up players. It was hot as heck last night and when ECU had to sub, their guys looked like starters for Akron. There was a huge drop off in talent and USC would take advantage of it. They looked like players who weren't ready to start and may never start because they could bring in someone better than them at the drop of a hat.

I thought Icoach made it clear that the guys were getting stronger this year? A new strength coach and renewed emphasis on lifting has really paid off. To be honest, the zips were melting away under JD as well. You can't win games at this level if your players are not in proper game shape.

You can't blame it all on the strength coach. Some guys, no matter what weight program they're on, are just never going to be elite athletes. When I played, we had guys who would work their asses off every damn day in the weight room, put in extra time whenever they could, do everything right, and still never get that big or strong. Then there were other guys who would dick around in the weightroom, miss half of the summer strength program, and then show up for camp benching 400, squatting 700, and faster than everyone who'd been there all summer. Some guys are just genetic freaks, and those guys are the one's passing "eyeball" tests. We have not been able to recruit that kind of player to Akron in a long time. Strength coaches aren't miracle workers. They can have a huge impact, but if they're given a bunch of Sallies, they're not gonna just be able to create Samson's in a few months of the offseason.

[scottditzen]

I'll add this, the style of offense that we ran yesterday would have worked if we were the better team.

How good of a team?

Here is the problem with our offense. It requires top level D-1A talent to be successful in that offense. Of course we would be better if we had a better team...if you have good enough players, you can run the fullback dive every play and win. We get MAC level players, not LSU or Florida or USC. Just to say we would be better if we had better players doesn't take into account the landscape of college football and the things a team has to do to be successful. I don't care how much better we get, our offense doesn't present a defense with anything challenging and Urban Meyer said that yesterday. No option, elementary pass routes, etc. Pro style can't work at our level because we don't get enough pro players.

GP1 I couldn't agree more with your assessment.

There are no tricks; only the prospect that we will stand toe to toe and somehow best the opposition.

I'm not buying into this concept being at all successful.