Hope for Zips yet?

[zipseuph]

ok so after two Can't state losses to east teams and Ohio already having one to an east team, does this mean that Akron stands a chance of getting back to the MACC if we win out? does OU have to lose another game besides us inorder for us to make it in? what do you guys think will happen?

[ZipAnalyst]

Its probably technically possible. But not as a practical matter.The Zips are still floundering. BG lost to one of the worst 1A teams in the nation last week (Temple). The Zips needed good fortune (an offensive pass interference call BG in the end zone) to avoid overtime today. Of course, they may have won anyway. But this does not indicate a team that is primed to beat Ohio and Western Michigan.Perhaps they will defeat Buffalo. But that is far from certain. Witness Buffalo 41 - Can't 14 after Can't had a 14 - 0 lead today.So again - technically possible but unless there is a sudden turnaround in the how the Zips play (consistency, intensity and relatively error free) the Zips are in an uphill fight to finish 6 and 6 which would mean one more MAC loss. To assess that prospects are not good for the Zips repeating as MAC champs seems obvious to me.

[Zips fan]

Here is a link to updated standings:http://www.vandelaysports.com/football/2006stand.htmlOhio is 5-1 in conference so they need to lose another game in addition to us beating themCan't is 4-2 and will also need another loss.We are 2-3 and will definitely need to win out.If all the chips fell right, the Zips would finish 5-3, OU 5-3, and Can't 5-3 with the Zips potentially winning the 3-way tie breaker. I know big long shot, but we are not dead yet.

[UAZipster0305]

If we had only beaten Toledo...we needed that game and was one we should have won if we played to our potential. Had we done so, we'd control our own destiny. I knew that game would really hurt us in the end!

[Buckzip]

Not a chance

[fear the brown roo]

isn't bg still ahead of us in the east?

[InTheZone]

Last year when everybody around here had thrown in the towel after Ball St. I said there was still a way, though a long shot, that we could back into Detroit, and it just so happened that everything fell into place. This year, I actually believe our odds are even better than a this point last year. Here's what I mean:Ohio- 5-1Akron- 2-3Can't- 4-2Bowling Green- 3-3If we win out, which will be a tall order, we go 5-3, just like last year. Ohio must lose out, which if we do our part, I actually see this as likely. Miami is playing well, despite their record. Final game for their seniors, rivalry game, I think they knock off Ohio, putting OU at 5-3 right with us. After a flush in the pan act, the old Can't is back. After struggling with Temple and losing BADLY to a bad Buffalo team, no chance in hell they beat a Ball State team that gave Michigan all it wanted. Their gimmick false read offense has been exposed, and I can see an underated Eastern Mich team beating them as well, with them finishing 4-4, but they'll prob finish 5-3. Bowling Green will lose to Miami and Toledo and finish 3-5.Can't must lose one of their final two.. With OU, Can't, and Akron all at 5-3, the next tiebreaker outside head to head matchups would be divisional record. We'd have one East loss, OU would have three, and Can't would have two. We go, and we even win the next tiebreaker, which is cross-division opponent's record, as Nav highlighted. We take that just like last year and go to Detroit.So... to sum it up...in order for the Zips to go back to Detroit.....1. Zips must win out.2. Can't must lose one of final two.3. Miami must beat OU in the final week.Putting it that way, if the Zips win out, I think they've got a great chance to go, much better than at this point last year. Can't will definately drop one of the final two, and the only thing we'll have to depend on is a Miami victory over OU, which like I said, is about a 50/50 shot. It must start with the Zips winning out however.

[InTheZone]

And one more thing, for those of you who don't think the Zips can win out, look at the short history under JD Brookhart. The Zips have always peeked and looked like a different team at the end of the season.In 2004, after a horrific 1-4 start that included a loss to a Sunbelt team and three embarrasing blowouts, the Zips ripped off five straight and were one half away from beating a very good Miami team and going to the MACC.In 2005, after HUMILIATING mid-season losses to CMich, Army, and Ball State, in which the offense looked absolutely anemic, we come back to blow out OU and Can't and beat NIU for a second straight time in Detroit.In 2006, we've looked like crap midseason, but if the first two Brookhart years are any indication, this team will finally put it together and play up to its potential and steal these last three and COMPLETELY PISS THE HELL OUT OF THE REST OF THE MAC and slide into Detroit again.Not to get ahead of ourselves, but can you imagine how the Golden Flushes will feel after blowing us out if they're watching us in Detroit again??? I'd gladly let them keep the Wagon Wheel and their "Akron Efforts" if we add some more MAC hardware to the trophy case!!

[RowdyZip]

This is all well and good...and maybe I'll get a little excited if we can pull off a win against a now-believing buffalo team on 4 days rest and a win at 1st place OU, but did anyone else notice the announced attendence of 15,728!?!?! What a joke...I'd say closer to 5,728.

[K-Roo]

From the MAC Handbook...lots of calculating to do... but if Zips win out and get a little help... it could still happen.. but must win out...Divisional ChampionsThe divisional championship shall be decided on conference winning percentage. If two or more teams are tied for the championship, they shall be considered divisional co-champions. The following tie-breaking formula shall be used to determine which team will represent that division in the MAC Championship game:1. Head-to-head competitiona. In the event of a multiple-team tie, the team with the best head-to-head record amongst the tied teamswins the tie-breaker;b. Team(s) eliminated in the initial tie-breaker criterion are not included in further consideration in the tiebreakingformula;c. Head-to-head competition is again used to break the tie between the remaining tied teams.2. Record of tied teams within the division [versus rank order of division teams]a. The above tie-breaker procedure is used to determine rank order in the division;b. Team(s) eliminated in the second tie-breaker criterion are not included in further consideration in thetie-breaking formula;c. Head-to-head competition is again used to break the tie between the remaining tied teams.3. Comparison of conference winning percentage of cross-over opponents of tied teams;a. Tie-breaker is awarded to the team whose cross-division opponents had the best cumulative conferencewinning percentage;b. Head-to-head competition is used to break the tie between the two tied teams.4. If multiple teams remain tied, the fi nal tie-breaker is as follows:a. Record of tied teams versus cross-division opponents in rank order;b. Head-to-head competition is used to break the tie between the two tied teams.

[K-Roo]

but did anyone else notice the announced attendence of 15,728!?!?!  What a joke...I'd say closer to 5,728.

Dude.. two words.... "Paid Attendance".....

[zipseuph]

but did anyone else notice the announced attendence of 15,728!?!?!  What a joke...I'd say closer to 5,728.

Dude.. two words.... "Paid Attendance".....

two words.... who cares? look we have some big fish to fry with the teams we have left and I hope we take them all out. If Akron beats Buffalo and then Ohio come the WM game we will have some big time attendance. the thing I'm worried about right now is simply winning out

[Ballingirl]

We have to take it one game at a time. I have a feeling if the team starts looking at the chance of making it to the MACC again, they will overlook some of teams on the way there! Buffalo has shown the rest of the league that they are not a team to be overlooked, which many teams do with a winless team! At this point, with the possibility of repeating last year's accomplishments, it's all about one game at a time! A win over Buffalo then means we can look to OU. A win at OU then means we can look to WM. Nothing sooner!

[TXZipFan]

And Can't has to lose a game

[Z.I.P.]

I'm not exactly sure what goals and standards we are playing by/for. Winning the MAC East again would be a great accomplishment. But yes, it IS a longshot -- IOW Zips don't control their own destiny. On the other hand, even if we don't win the East, there is still the chance to play in another bowl game. As I've said at leat a couple times already -- there are 64 spots for bowl teams out of a total of just 119 (118?) I-A teams -- what is that, about 55% of all schools going bowling? There's no reason Akron can't be one of those with seven, or even possibly six wins. Personally, I'm crossing my fingers for a possible Akron trip to either the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego -- the only at-large bowl spot (vs the MWC's #2), or even possibly the Hawai'i Bowl. The PAC-10 #6 team is supposed to go, but it's unlikely the league can fill the spot, with the winner in the BCS spot. Or how about the San Fran Bowl at McCovey's Cove? NIU played there two years ago vs Troy -- in front of about 5k.

[RACER]

from what i have read, and don't know if true or not. a 7-5 team must be picked to go to a bowl before any 6-6 bcs team? i don't know how that would play out of were 6-6?the person said the bcs conferences would do some back door deals to give all of their teams bowls.but if the rule is true could a 6-6 bcs team go to a bowl with a tie to thier conference? all kind of confusing at this point.