Bowling Green at Akron

[LZIp]

From what I can see, the team is going all out, I've been to a couple of games and watching and talking to a few of them it's obvious to me that they're giving it all they have to give. The zips are a team of a few, and going up to a team of many is going to be hard to win every time especially when the team of few is banged up as the season goes by. The two games I went to in Miami and in Tennessee they were more upbeat and had more fire maybe because they could look in one central location and see and knows that that was their fans. We talk about having better talent but base on the fan support who would want to play for a school where the fans do not support the team. I'm sure if more people comes out and rally behind the team they would dig deeper and we just might shock the world. This is the only way I can see a quality D1 player choosing to be a zip.

I think it is pretty understandable for fans not to want to come watch a program that has won 3 games in 3 years. The fans that attend support the Zips. I can name plenty of other reasons for a quality player to become a Zip, most importantly WINNNING

[Aidan]

Six games left and four of them are against the current top two teams in each division (though Can't is a bit of a mirage).

Not so sure Can't is a mirage. That game looks a lot tougher now than it did three weeks ago.

[LZIp]

Cant finished the season strong last year, winning 5 of the last 6 (I believe). I think they are a legit team, but not quite on the level as the other top teams in the conference.

[zestycoyote]

Not so sure Can't is a mirage. That game looks a lot tougher now than it did three weeks ago.

I agree. Roosevelt Nix has been a bonafide threat for a while now, and it seems that Can't State has finally surrounded him with some talent. That said, I think their QB situation is a huge weak spot. If we figure out how to sack someone before we face them, the game could be interesting.

[BIGCEE]

I think it is pretty understandable for fans not to want to come watch a program that has won 3 games in 3 years. The fans that attend support the Zips. I can name plenty of other reasons for a quality player to become a Zip, most importantly WINNNING

The fans that do attend the games do support the team, that's not what I'm saying, just the student body alone should make the stand looks better than it is right now, what I am trying to say is if you are trying to get D1 players out of high school to look at your program the fans support will be a big part of that. The team is not just being on the field, it's being in the stand too. From what I see this team has came a long way in just one season from the last two season, and I think they will get better

[Captain Kangaroo]

The fans that do attend the games do support the team, that's not what I'm saying, just the student body alone should make the stand looks better than it is right now, what I am trying to say is if you are trying to get D1 players out of high school to look at your program the fans support will be a big part of that. The team is not just being on the field, it's being in the stand too. From what I see this team has came a long way in just one season from the last two season, and I think they will get better

As a point of reference - The Zips have won 6 games in the past 3.5 years. That means a 4th year senior at UA has witnessed as many combined football victories as an OU freshman has seen in his first 6 weeks. Try marketing that.

I agree that Bowden will turn things around. He's committed to it, and has the acumen to pull it off. But don't expect the stands to mysteriously fill up anytime soon. Bowden and the Team need to break through at some level before that will happen.

And, it can be done. Look at Can't. They're the worst, most putrid program in the history of D1-A, and they have turned their program around while playing in front of crowds smaller than those drawn by a salmonella-riddled gyro stand. Now people are starting to fill up their smelly stadium. Pretty soon they'll have large enough crowds to make a full set of teeth.

While Bowden can't promise an elite recruit a huge crowd...at least early in that recruit's UA career, he can offer:

* BCS-level coaching

* BCS-level training facilities

* High mid-major stadium

* Great education and campus

* Immediate playing time

Lee Owens took over a Faust team that was as bad as what Ianello left Bowden. And Owens was essentially .500, playing at the dilapidated Rubber Bowl, with crap facilities and a crap campus.

With the above-listed amenities, Bowden should easily be able to exceed that, and at an accelerated pace. Then the fans show up.

Go Zips!

[MDZip]

Not so sure Can't is a mirage. That game looks a lot tougher now than it did three weeks ago.

Not a believer yet. Their three league victories are over EMU, Buffalo and Bal State who have a combined one league wn. I'll wait for the tougher part of the schedule to go by before I crown their ass. They still have OU, Miami, BGSU and WMU on the schedule. Their only "easy" game left is Akron and I wouldn't rule out a Zips victory there either. That's why I think they are a bit of a mirage. I'm saying it now - "No (soup) bowl for you!!" After a few weeks and seeing almost all of the teams, this is my expected order of finish now.

East

1. OU

2. Bowling Green (in addtion to scond half dismantling of the Zips, they played Toledo awfully tough and I think Toledo looks like the best team in the MAC).

3. Miami (solely based on Zac Dysert)

4. Can't (by default and have played none of the teams I have listed above them)

5. Akron (we beat CMU and Umass I believe)

6. Buffalo (has the worst MAC west draw, Toledo, NIU and WMU - and have yet to play any of them - ouch)

7. UMass

West

1. Toledo

2. NIU

3. WMU

4. Ball State

5. CMU

6. EMU

[skip-zip]

Lee Owens took over a Faust team that was as bad as what Ianello left Bowden. And Owens was essentially .500, playing at the dilapidated Rubber Bowl, with crap facilities and a crap campus.

I'm not even sure if you were around here at the time, but lets get a few facts correct.

Faust had even less facilities.

He couldn't even get a grass practice field, despite having several opponents that still played on grass.

He had to build a 1-A program with a roster of 1-AA players, many of which were simply too slow and too small to play 1-A football, and had to be replaced right out of the gate.

He couldn't even build his roster up to the 1-A number of players that his competitors were fielding for several years.

Owens had much more than Faust, including a roster of players equal to their opponents in terms of numbers.....and never had to deal with all of the issues of transitioning between NCAA levels.

Yet, Faust still had a better record than Owens.

And still has the best record ever in our 1-A history.

Essentially a .500 coach ?????? His record as 40-61

You're right that Owens inherited the team after a particularly poor Faust year. But, do you recall that he only went 2-9 with most of the starters returning the following year ?

[BIGCEE]

Not a believer yet. Their three league victories are over EMU, Buffalo and Bal State who have a combined one league wn. I'll wait for the tougher part of the schedule to go by before I crown their ass. They still have OU, Miami, BGSU and WMU on the schedule. Their only "easy" game left is Akron and I wouldn't rule out a Zips victory there either. That's why I think they are a bit of a mirage. I'm saying it now - "No (soup) bowl for you!!" After a few weeks and seeing almost all of the teams, this is my expected order of finish now.

East

1. OU

2. Bowling Green (in addtion to scond half dismantling of the Zips, they played Toledo awfully tough and I think Toledo looks like the best team in the MAC).

3. Miami (solely based on Zac Dysert)

4. Can't (by default and have played none of the teams I have listed above them)

5. Akron (we beat CMU and Umass I believe)

6. Buffalo (has the worst MAC west draw, Toledo, NIU and WMU - and have yet to play any of them - ouch)

7. UMass

West

1. Toledo

2. NIU

3. WMU

4. Ball State

5. CMU

6. EMU

Well I'm new to the zips bandwagon do I don't know what you all had to indoure over the past few years other than what I've read, but if you are a true fan you will gripe but you will still support , besides what else is there to do in akron on a football Saturday than go check out a football game and maybe by chance the team might feed off your energy. If I was in akron that's what I would do. Just by the numbers the kids are putting up shows that they're giving it all they have to give, and they're working with what that've to work with. They are under strength and everyone knows it. I bet I could take akron best 11 and take on any team best 11 and my money would be on the zips.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I'm not even sure if you were around here at the time, but lets get a few facts correct.

Faust had even less facilities.

He couldn't even get a grass practice field, despite having several opponents that still played on grass.

He had to build a 1-A program with a roster of 1-AA players, many of which were simply too slow and too small to play 1-A football, and had to be replaced right out of the gate.

He couldn't even build his roster up to the 1-A number of players that his competitors were fielding for several years.

Owens had much more than Faust, including a roster of players equal to their opponents in terms of numbers.....and never had to deal with all of the issues of transitioning between NCAA levels.

Yet, Faust still had a better record than Owens.

And still has the best record ever in our 1-A history.

Essentially a .500 coach ?????? His record as 40-61

You're right that Owens inherited the team after a particularly poor Faust year. But, do you recall that he only went 2-9 with most of the starters returning the following year ?

So much pro-Faust spinning I don't know where to begin....

You make an argument that Faust had terrible facilities. You are arguing with yourself. I never mentioned Faust's facilities. And everyone knows they were laughable.

You make the argument that Faust was short scholarships. Again, you are arguing with yourself. Everyone knows we needed time to go from 63 scholarships to 85.

To the point above - Faust left Owens with a complete train wreck. Jason Taylor, Nate Boyd...and the rest amounted to a can of beans. The graduation rate of Faust's last class was 17%. They were essentially all incarcerated, or flunked-out. Owens was short on scholarship players when he took over too, due to Faust's reckless recruiting.

Faust had a 7-win season with Dennison's players. That skews his win percentage a bit? Put Gerry on the sidelines with Ianello's remnants...think he'd win 1 game?

Faust went 7-3-1 as a D1A coach. Two seasons later he was Ianello's idol at 1 - 10. That 1 - 10 was will all his own recruits, with a full allotment of scholarships.

I'm not even sure you were around at that time, but Faust did leave Owens with the starter "dregs" of his 1-10 team. Lucky Lee.

When Faust was fired, he was 1-10. That's a 0.090 winning percentage. That's what he built the program to in 9 seasons.

When Owens was fired he was 0.500 against 1-A competition (5-5) and 7-5 overall. That's what he built the program to in 9 seasons.

Bowden is in the same situation Owens was in in his 1st season..inheriting a 1-win train wreck, and trying to scrape up a 2-win season anyway he can. He's a far cry from JD's post-Owens situation, where he had a decent nucleus of talent, and could win a championship.

[Class of 82]

So much pro-Faust spinning I don't know where to begin....

You make an argument that Faust had terrible facilities. You are arguing with yourself. I never mentioned Faust's facilities. And everyone knows they were laughable.

You make the argument that Faust was short scholarships. Again, you are arguing with yourself. Everyone knows we needed time to go from 63 scholarships to 85.

To the point above - Faust left Owens with a complete train wreck. Jason Taylor, Nate Boyd...and the rest amounted to a can of beans. The graduation rate of Faust's last class was 17%. They were essentially all incarcerated, or flunked-out. Owens was short on scholarship players when he took over too, due to Faust's reckless recruiting.

Faust had a 7-win season with Dennison's players. That skews his win percentage a bit? Put Gerry on the sidelines with Ianello's remnants...think he'd win 1 game?

Faust went 7-3-1 as a D1A coach. Two seasons later he was Ianello's idol at 1 - 10. That 1 - 10 was will all his own recruits, with a full allotment of scholarships.

I'm not even sure you were around at that time, but Faust did leave Owens with the starter "dregs" of his 1-10 team. Lucky Lee.

Bowden is in the same situation Owens was in in his 1st season..inheriting a 1-win train wreck, and trying to scrape up a 2-win season anyway he can.

+1

I love Gerry as a human being, but he did not do a very good job as our head coach, especially at the end. Lee Owens was a major upgrade who changed the team culture in a good way almost from day one. That's just reality. (Owens' only real flaw, imo, was that his Zips defenses were generally awful and he never found a coordinator able to help him get that turned around in time to keep his job.)

And you're right, too, that it's only the hard-core fans who will show up until this ship gets turned around. The casual fans need a few victories to bring them back on board. That's just another reality.