Akron vs OSU

[Captain Kangaroo]

Whatever chief, he may not have used the words "the MAC has as much talent as the Big Ten", but what exactly do you make of this?"Competion in the MAC is excellent. I see no difference in the MAC and the Big 10 regarding competition. The Big 10 is deeper. They have some better athletes. But the gameday conference competition is not any better than the MAC."He may not have used the words "the MAC has as much talent as the Big Ten", but it was implied all over the place.

I implied absolutely NOWHERE that the MAC and the Big 10 have across-the-board equivalent talent. In fact I specifically stated "The Big 10 is deeper. It has some better athletes." How much clearer can I make it? My point is exactly as I stated: If I watch a football competition between Northern Illinois and The University of Akron, that football game is as interesting, compelling, thrilling and competitive as anything the Big 10 has to offer. I stand by that statement. Big 10 football is no more competitive than the MAC.

[UADavid]

I believe that Captain K was comparing teams within each conference, not teams between conferences. This is how I interpreted his comments. I agree. A MAC game can be as exciting or boring as a Big 10 game. Indiana vs. Illinois is akin to Buffalo vs. K ent St. or N. Illinois vs. Toledo compared to Michigan vs. Ohio St.

[bobbyake]

If OSU starts to lose a lot, will the Ohio State front runners still root for them? I'm willing to bet that some of OSU's support would die down. People would look for a new front runner. We all know who we want that front runner to be.

[GP1]

Nobody really addressed the basic question. If OSU loses out on a national championship chance by losing to Akron, there is a good chance they will have another chance within a couple of years so the loss to Akron is not nearly as important as Akron beating OSU. If Akron beat OSU, the program would be taken to a new level. One thing you would not see any longer is Akron students wearing OSU gear. Ticket sales for Akron's first couple of home games would sell like crazy. It would have two years of positive impact for the program that could lead to a decade of success.

[bobbyake]

Nobody really addressed the basic question. If OSU loses out on a national championship chance by losing to Akron, there is a good chance they will have another chance within a couple of years so the loss to Akron is not nearly as important as Akron beating OSU. If Akron beat OSU, the program would be taken to a new level. One thing you would not see any longer is Akron students wearing OSU gear. Ticket sales for Akron's first couple of home games would sell like crazy. It would have two years of positive impact for the program that could lead to a decade of success.

thanks for answering the real question. I know this board has a lot of OSU fans so I wanted to see what would make everyone more happy, OSU winning the national title even if that means beating Akron, or Akron beating OSU. I know it's my opionion, but I think there's a good chance that many Akron students would rather see OSU beat Akron and win the national championship. Maybe I was wrong though about the people on this board because I thought there would be more than 2. Everyone on ZipsNation puts Akron first and that's good to know because it tells you people here are die hard Akron fans. I just wish more students at Akron felt the same way.

[Balki Bartokomous]

Akron was one step away from a national title in basketball. If the NBA would have had its age rule 3 years ago, then LBJ would have been a Zip. Do you really think anyone in the MAC could stop him? Heck ESPN even did a mock season where guys had to stay in college for four years. They had Akron running away with a national title. (granted they had LBJ scoring a ridiculous 60-70 points a game) Point being, who is to say that another amazing talent won't come out of Akron. and with the NBA's new rules, at least we could have them for one season. This could happen for any MAC team too. Like if a couple of hippies somehow found a way to make a super kid using weed, K ent might go all the way. (doubtful though. they would find someway to botch it up. Like hiring Nate Gerwig as the strength and conditioning coach.)

[w00t]

ESPN even did a mock season where guys had to stay in college for four years. They had Akron running away with a national title.

Haha, I remember that, it was my favorite ESPN article ever.

[bobbyake]

Like if a couple of hippies somehow found a way to make a super kid using weed, K ent might go all the way.

that's hilarious.

[Zip Watcher]

I have it saved in PDF somewhere around here .. so that we can resurrect it at a later date.I remember the lineup they had:LeBron and 4 other guys.

[Valpo Zip]

I hate to be the one bursting the bubbles ... But why are you guys so confident that Lebron would have played at Akron ?A kid preparing himself for the pros would go to a school where he can maximize his draft value... IMHO he wouldn't geopardize being the top draft just to play at Akron.

[bobbyake]

nothing was going to geopardize his draft status. He could have went to Cleveland State and you'd still see him get drafted #1. Why?? Because whoever he played for was going to win a National Championship regardless.

[w00t]

I'm actually pretty sure LeBron would have gone to Duke. The only other two that he even considered were UNC and Ohio State.

[bobbyake]

how do you figure Duke?

[w00t]

I follow high school basketball recruiting. And I meant "considered" in the loosest way possible, he didn't really consider anything but the NBA. http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=9&cfg=bb&c=4&yr=2003(btw, saying he would have won CSU a national title is laughable.)

[Balki Bartokomous]

just about everyone he played with in HS was goign to Akron. Even KD was here. He would have played at Akron. Just to show people "look, i can take a school from the MAC and make it a national power for a year. I am that good. NOW GIVE ME MONEY OR I'LL GO CLARETT ON YOU."The media would have loved for him to go to Duke. Why would they want to travel to Akron in the dead of winter to cover a "mid-major"? The only people who want to do that are TRUE FANS.

[ZachTheZip]

just about everyone he played with in HS was goign to Akron. Even KD was here. He would have played at Akron. Just to show people "look, i can take a school from the MAC and make it a national power for a year. I am that good. NOW GIVE ME MONEY OR I'LL GO CLARETT ON YOU."The media would have loved for him to go to Duke. Why would they want to travel to Akron in the dead of winter to cover a "mid-major"? The only people who want to do that are TRUE FANS.

What he said.

[mrelegazna]

I am definitely a big fan of both, being from Akron (North '94) and attending Ohio State.To answer your question, I would definitely prefer to see Akron beat Ohio State, for one simple reason: A win would mean so much more to Akron than the loss would for Ohio State. Us Ohio State fans have already seen them win a NC, and will probably see them do it again. They are one of about ten or so elite programs in the country that are pretty much assured of never being down for too long a term. That's true whether the OSU haters here like it not.I don't mind the guys here like Zip Watcher who hate the "Suckeyes." I do mind these loyalty tests (isn't this about the 8,000 OSU vs. Akron post we've seen in the last year?) that suggest either you can't or you shouldn't be a fan of both.Akron can be the next Gonzaga, they can be the next George Mason, but the MAC will always be on a different plane than the Big Ten, a big enough difference that rooting for them both is hardly mutually exclusive. And that's okay! Ohio State is not holding the Zips down anymore than U-Dub held Gonzaga down or Virginia/VT held George Mason down. We all would like to see the Zips acheive the most dizzying heights imaginable. But I think some of you are unhappy about having allegiances to a school that's not among the uppermost elite, and you're looking for a scapegoat. It's silly and unnecessary.

[bobbyake]

And that's okay! Ohio State is not holding the Zips down anymore than U-Dub held Gonzaga down or Virginia/VT held George Mason down. We all would like to see the Zips acheive the most dizzying heights imaginable. But I think some of you are unhappy about having allegiances to a school that's not among the uppermost elite, and you're looking for a scapegoat. It's silly and unnecessary.

It's not that at all. What makes me unhappy is to see all these great athletes from Ohio dream about being an Ohio State player and nothing else. Watching Wells go to OSU when he grew up in Akron. I know OSU is the dream for the young athletes in Akron and the rest of Ohio, I just wish it wasn't so. I wish one day they'll say, "I'd love to go to OSU or Akron." Just like in PA. You'll see PA's top athletes list Penn State and Pittsburgh. Soon, Memphis is on there way to achieving that as well. Why not hope this upon Akron?? Louisville did it. Louisville not only did this, they probably passed Kentucky in popularity.Let's just hope it's Akron and not Cinci that becomes the next Pittsburgh, Memphis, and Louisville.

[Valpo Zip]

Let's just hope it's Akron and not Cinci that becomes the next Pittsburgh, Memphis, and Louisville.

This is why our game against them this fall is soooo important and will decide a lot of things.

[Zips Win!]

To answer your question, I would definitely prefer to see Akron beat Ohio State

This may be a first. Someone that attended (or graduated?) from OSU is rooting for Akron to beat them. We can't get most UA alums to do this!

I do mind these loyalty tests (isn't this about the 8,000 OSU vs. Akron post we've seen in the last year?) that suggest either you can't or you shouldn't be a fan of both.

Well, you can't be a "true" Akron fan and root for both. Even if it's every 5-6 years, we have to play them. Please explain how as a true UA fan, I am supposed to get excited every February when OSU signs blue chipper after blue chipper--many of which are from from NE Ohio-- then in 18 months I have to go and play these guys? This is like being a Cavs fan and hoping that Detroit, Chicago, Indy and Miami sign all the great free-agents!

rooting for them both is hardly mutually exclusive.

This depends how they are rooting. I can live with this if every UA fan gets his/her a_ _ to the Rubber Bowl and to the JAR for every game.

Ohio State is not holding the Zips down anymore than U-Dub held Gonzaga down or Virginia/VT held George Mason down.

In many ways the mere existence of OSU at least holds "back" the Zips. There are tens of thousands of UA alums who would prefer to go to Columbus or stay home and watch OSU rather than go to the RB. And these are our alumni!

But I think some of you are unhappy about having allegiances to a school that's not among the uppermost elite, and you're looking for a scapegoat.

This is ridiculous. What I am unhappy about are the tens of thousands of UA alumni who have NO, ZERO, ZIP allegiance to OSU and still support them, many of which have never even set foot on campus. I chose to attend the U of A, why would I be unhappy with my allegiance? We all want to build a successful program at Akron and the base of that program needs to be it's alumni. Unfortunately, many of them do not know what allegiance, in this text, means.

[mrelegazna]

This is like being a Cavs fan and hoping that Detroit, Chicago, Indy and Miami sign all the great free-agents!

This is the kind of denial/delusions of grandeur I'm talking about. The Cavs and Chicago/Detroit are on the same plane. They are equal competitors...I know some of us like to pretend that so it is with Ohio State and Akron, but it's just not the case. No one here can argue that Big Ten is significantly more talented than the MAC, and no one here can argue that a MAC school hasn't beaten Ohio State in the better part of the century. That's not the case with the Bulls and the Cavs. That's not the case with the Clippers and the Lakers, or even the Devil Rays and the Yankees....the difference, the fact of the matter is, is greater for Ohio State/Akron.If Ohio State ceased to be tomorrow, I know that a lot of you have convinced yourselves that some of the blue-chippers they sign would instead choose Akron, but they wouldn't, or any other MAC school....they'd go to schools offering them the visibility, exposure, and/or a chance to win National Championships that OSU offered them. I know that there's isolated incidents of students being offered by elite schools and signing with MAC schools, but they are a slight minority to a vast majority...but these are still minority cases and not adequate to prop up a theory of "Ohio State is holding Akron down!"The only example of a school truly raising it's profile from semi-obscure to elite and sustaining in the last 35 years is Gonzaga. They share the Spokane market (a lot closer than Akron and Ohio State, which are in two different markets, mind you).(Pitt and Louisville were mentioned, but Pitt has been competing for National Championships since the 70's and football, and Louisville has for about as long in basketball).Can someone still root for both Gonzaga and Washington State? Well, they play in different conferences...Gonzaga, in spite of their success, has not been asked to join the Pac 10, even though they are outstanding and one-sport admissions to conferences is more commonplace these days) or even the WAC. One rooting for both only would have to make a "choice" when they play their annual battle, and in the unlikely even tthey meet in the NCAA tourney. So based on lack of a common conference alone, of course you can root for both (this is another way the Cavs/Bulls comparison falls flat).Now, that's an example where a school HAS achieved equality (surpassed, even) the high profile school it shares a state with. I don't know exactly how they did it, but I don't think it was because they landed a bunch of recruits that would otherwise be headed to Pac 10 schools, or because students at Gonzaga refused to support Washington State in any way. Really, it's a great example of a)How you can succeed in spite of having a "big brother" at your doorstep." God, I'm not even halfway through my thoughts on this matter but, gotta get back to work....

[msopher]

I love my alma mater, and can routinely be seen at soccer games, football games, and basketball games... but let's not forget that the MAC is the MAC.  It's a mid-major conference.  The Big Ten simply offers better competition.  Most hardcore college sports fans want to identify with a team who has a fighting chance to go all the way and play those big games against major conference competition.We are from Ohio after all, so I don't see what's wrong with showing the Buckeyes some love... I liken them to our big brother.An act of God placed our soccer team at the top of the NCAA last year, but you will never see a MAC school #1 in either football or basketball.  (The only two college sports that generate a serious amount of revenue... but that's a conversation for another day).  I don't that being a Zips fan and being a Buckeye fan has to be mutually exclusive.  Since they very seldom play each other, there's not even much of a need to divide your loyalties.

That attitude is why some MAC supporters can't stand the fans from those so-called "bigger conferences." It's plain and simple bullsh*t.

[Zipsrifle]

I'm sure I'm like most people, I know tons of OSU fans, but I can count on one hand how many of them actually went to OSU. Bottom line, it's easy to root for a good team. Nobody want's to go to work, school, etc. and get crap about how bad their team is. Just like most Americans, might as well take the easy way out. (You know how many Texas fans there are in Michigan now!?!?! :blink:.. ) I came up with an idea when I was at an Indians game a few weeks ago. Lots and Lots of OSU shirts, hats, etc. I wanted to make a statement and was thinking about having some shirts made. Very simple and to the point:F-OSUGO ZIPS!!!

[bobbyake]

If Ohio State ceased to be tomorrow, I know that a lot of you have convinced yourselves that some of the blue-chippers they sign would instead choose Akron, but they wouldn't, or any other MAC school....they'd go to schools offering them the visibility, exposure, and/or a chance to win National Championships that OSU offered them. I know that there's isolated incidents of students being offered by elite schools and signing with MAC schools, but they are a slight minority to a vast majority...but these are still minority cases and not adequate to prop up a theory of "Ohio State is holding Akron down!"

Your wrong about this. If OSU was gone, the people in Ohio would look for another local favorite to root for. Actually, you could see every city college team grow pretty big. Toledo, Akron, Cinci, and maybe even Ohio would gain a lot of fan support. That fan support would get them to the next level. Kids in Ohio will grow up wanting to play for one of these teams. These MAC schools would become something bigger. You know you were wrong about that.

[UA Fan]

I hope the buckeyes win the nat'l championship this year so we will have first crack at upsetting the defending champs in 07...with a rookie QB, no less. Talk about putting our program on the college FB map...