A Look at the Schedule

[AKSportsFan]

UCF

@FIU

Morgan State

@Tennesse

Miami

Bowling Green

@Ohio

NIU

@Central Michigan

@Can't State

UMass

@Toledo

The best case scenario I see here are wins against Morgan State, Central Michigan, Can't State, UMass, and steal a game from either UCF of FIU to win 5 games. Worst case scenario we win 1 against Morgan State. IMO.

Thoughts?

[johnnyzip84]

UCF

@FIU

Morgan State

@Tennesse

Miami

Bowling Green

@Ohio

NIU

@Central Michigan

@Can't State

UMass

@Toledo

The best case scenario I see here are wins against Morgan State, Central Michigan, Can't State, UMass, and steal a game from either UCF of FIU to win 5 games. Worst case scenario we win 1 against Morgan State. IMO.

Thoughts?

I'm predicting 4-8, with home wins over Morgan St and UMass and a road win over CMU. I also think the Zips will win ONE of the 3 games versus Miami, BG and K.E.N.T. (the crystal ball ran out of juice before I could figure out precisely which one)

[Let'sGoZips94]

UCF

@FIU

Morgan State

@Tennesse

Miami

Bowling Green

@Ohio

NIU

@Central Michigan

@Can't State

UMass

@Toledo

The best case scenario I see here are wins against Morgan State, Central Michigan, Can't State, UMass, and steal a game from either UCF of FIU to win 5 games. Worst case scenario we win 1 against Morgan State. IMO.

Thoughts?

Wins: Morgan State, UCF, Miami, CMU, Can't, UMass.

Losses: FIU, Tennessee, BG, O-Who, NIU, Toledo.

Overall Record: 6-6.

[Big Zip]

Are these Can't wins wishful thinking? They are definitely ahead of us in development due to Ianello's ineptitude and the game is on the road.

[ZippyRulz]

homedogs for game 1...

http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-football/odds/las-vegas/

With the over/under around 48, it works out to a roughly 36-12 score.

[AKSportsFan]

I guarantee the Zips score more than 12 points. I'd take these odds all day. (Yes, even though we don't really know what we got.)

[ZachTheZip]

UCF only scored more than 31 points once last year. At home against a Memphis team that was so bad that even Akron would have stood a good chance of beating them last year. I do not see them putting up 36 points on the road.

They went 0-6 on the road last season, even losing to UAB.

[xu9697]

Morgan State and UMass are the best chances for victories. UMass, though, is no pushover.

Winning those 2, suprising against Miami or BG and perhaps getting CMU who seems to be down= 4 wins is probably the max. I think 3-9 will be the end result.

[Zipgrad01]

I am with you...unfortunately, I only see 3 wins.

[MDZip]

I am with you...unfortunately, I only see 3 wins.

After the last two years (and we really need a catch phrase for that time - "The coach who must not be named"?, "The Unwonder Years"?, "The time of disease and pestilence"?) if we can get to three wins, I think that is cause to rush the field. I really do think this team will be better, just don't know how many wins that will translate into, but for now I trust Terry Bowden about the same as I trust Caleb Porter, Dennis Mitchell and Keith Dambrot.

[GP1]

After the last two years (and we really need a catch phrase for that time - "The coach who must not be named"?, "The Unwonder Years"?, "The time of disease and pestilence"?)

I know its taken, but "The Dark Ages".

If we wanted to reach, we could call it "The Potato Famine" since RI came from ND and the Irish once had a little potato problem of their own. I like the Dark Ages myself.

[Captain Kangaroo]

The Era of The Process

Record prediction: Ianello should have won 3 games last season, and he was a complete idiot. Bowden is smart, so he's guaranteed 3 wins. Plus one extra that the opposing MAC coach will simply give to the Zips.

4-8

K.e.n.t always sucks, so with the better of the two coaching staffs the Zips have a great chance to beat them.

[Zipsrifle]

After the last two years (and we really need a catch phrase for that time - "The coach who must not be named"?, "The Unwonder Years"?, "The time of disease and pestilence"?) if we can get to three wins, I think that is cause to rush the field. I really do think this team will be better, just don't know how many wins that will translate into, but for now I trust Terry Bowden about the same as I trust Caleb Porter, Dennis Mitchell and Keith Dambrot.

Put me down for 3 wins as well. TB is looking for 2, we exceed his expectations by one. I think it will take 2-3 years to get this thing headed in the right direction. Time will tell.

[zippy5]

UCF only scored more than 31 points once last year. At home against a Memphis team that was so bad that even Akron would have stood a good chance of beating them last year. I do not see them putting up 36 points on the road.

They went 0-6 on the road last season, even losing to UAB.

luckily for us and them, this isn't last year.

[AKSportsFan]

How have your thoughts changed? I think we get bowl eligible. I feel confident about beating Miami and BG now. Along with wins against CM, Can't, and UMass. None of the games on the schedule seem to be "unwinnable" anymore.

[RootforRoo44]

How have your thoughts changed? I think we get bowl eligible. I feel confident about beating Miami and BG now. Along with wins against CM, Can't, and UMass. None of the games on the schedule seem to be "unwinnable" anymore.

I'm not quite ready to go that far, but I believe that our bowl eligibility will be in question for a few weeks longer. 4 or 5 wins is DEFINITELY possible at this point.

[skip-zip]

How have your thoughts changed? I think we get bowl eligible. I feel confident about beating Miami and BG now. Along with wins against CM, Can't, and UMass. None of the games on the schedule seem to be "unwinnable" anymore.

Correct me here if I'm wrong. But, even if we can somehow find a way to win ALL of those games, that's only 5 wins against 1-A teams. Meaning, 6 losses against 1-A teams. Does that still make someone bowl eligible?

I've been withholding getting too excited about THIS season, until I see how we compete against Miami and BG. If there's any chance of turning a 1-3 start into a respectable season, we have to win these two games at home. But at the very least, they should tell us how we stack up against average MAC teams in the first year of the Bowden era.

[Lee Adams]

Correct me here if I'm wrong. But, even if we can somehow find a way to win ALL of those games, that's only 5 wins against 1-A teams. Meaning, 6 losses against 1-A teams. Does that still make someone bowl eligible?

I've been withholding getting too excited about THIS season, until I see how we compete against Miami and BG. If there's any chance of turning a 1-3 start into a respectable season, we have to win these two games at home. But at the very least, they should tell us how we stack up against average MAC teams in the first year of the Bowden era.

Thanks for the sanity. They need to win AT HOME. Not just for the wins but to rekindle fan interest. Zips play a tough MAC schedule this year. All the contenders in the West included. If they can win maybe 3 at home,including this Saturday and pull off an upset on the road that would make for a very respectable season to build on.

[Aaron]

Correct me here if I'm wrong. But, even if we can somehow find a way to win ALL of those games, that's only 5 wins against 1-A teams. Meaning, 6 losses against 1-A teams. Does that still make someone bowl eligible?

I've been withholding getting too excited about THIS season, until I see how we compete against Miami and BG. If there's any chance of turning a 1-3 start into a respectable season, we have to win these two games at home. But at the very least, they should tell us how we stack up against average MAC teams in the first year of the Bowden era.

1 win against a FCS team counts towards bowl eligibility each year, so we could go 6-6 overall this season and be bowl-eligible, since we only play 1 FCS team.

[NewZipsFan]

How have your thoughts changed? I think we get bowl eligible. I feel confident about beating Miami and BG now. Along with wins against CM, Can't, and UMass. None of the games on the schedule seem to be "unwinnable" anymore.

I am with you 100%. We are capable of winning the next 8 games. We have to play GREAT football, and keep up the fighting spirit we've had thus far -- and I can't see any reason why we wouldn't. These kids are believing in their abilities as football players again - and know that they can play with the "big boys". Ohio should be the toughest game -- but if we play our best, we can win that one too!

Let's go Zips! Time to go on an 8-0 run!

[LZIp]

Every game is definitely winnable.

I said 4 games, being optimistic earlier in this thread. I'll now change that prediction to 5. Hopefully that prediction shows to be conservative. I do think we upset one of the "big 3" in NIU, Toledo, or OU.

[InTheZone]

A win over Ohio would be the sweetest victory for Zips football in quite some time. With the arrogance the Bobkitty fans are showing this year and the utter disrespect most of them have shown towards the rest of the conference, I might run naked down Exchange after that one.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Every game is definitely winnable.

I said 4 games, being optimistic earlier in this thread. I'll now change that prediction to 5. Hopefully that prediction shows to be conservative. I do think we upset one of the "big 3" in NIU, Toledo, or OU.

I think we might beat Toledo 75-56

[g-mann17]

I think we might beat Toledo 75-56

I would think you were being sarcastic and referencing basketball if not for Toledo's fondness for going into the 60's in football.