How can we beat Penn State?

[Captain Kangaroo]

Anyone remember the Va Tech game? No one could stop Jason Taylor. He almost single-handedly won that game. Either Chase Blackburn or Duane LeFall need to have a career game at PSU. If we can get some pressure on their QB, it will make our DB's lives a lot easier.

Who's our #2 wide out? Remember Va Tech in 2001? Tech's DB couldn't cover Schifino! He was en route to a monster game when he got the concussion. From then-on Bailey got double-teamed and our passing attack disappeared. We need a #2 wide out to step up and take the heat off Hixson. A #3 would be nice too...but a solid 1-2 punch will put pressure on PSU's D.

Those are the two biggest keys to a win. I think the emergence of a #1 RB is probably a close 3rd. I give Ringer the nod, with Briggs getting some carries too. Kennedy...who knows? A big "stage" for a true Fr., but Brandon Payne had a great Fr. debut against PSU in 1999 if I'm not mistaken?

If we can keep it close through 3 quarters...do we have the depth to hang in there? Under Owens, our 4th quarter collapses were legenday...Miami several times...Wisconsin...Virginia...Marshall several times....God I could go on forever.

Back to work...BTW: Got my game tickets in the mail Friday! Great pre-game night campus environment there...if you don't check it out Friday night, your missing out!

[Captain Kangaroo]

Anyone remember the Va Tech game? No one could stop Jason Taylor. He almost single-handedly won that game. Either Chase Blackburn or Duane LeFall need to have a career game at PSU. If we can get some pressure on their QB, it will make our DB's lives a lot easier.

Who's our #2 wide out? Remember Va Tech in 2001? Tech's DB couldn't cover Schifino! He was en route to a monster game when he got the concussion. From then-on Bailey got double-teamed and our passing attack disappeared. We need a #2 wide out to step up and take the heat off Hixson. A #3 would be nice too...but a solid 1-2 punch will put pressure on PSU's D.

Those are the two biggest keys to a win. I think the emergence of a #1 RB is probably a close 3rd. I give Ringer the nod, with Briggs getting some carries too. Kennedy...who knows? A big "stage" for a true Fr., but Brandon Payne had a great Fr. debut against PSU in 1999 if I'm not mistaken?

If we can keep it close through 3 quarters...do we have the depth to hang in there? Under Owens, our 4th quarter collapses were legenday...Miami several times...Wisconsin...Virginia...Marshall several times....God I could go on forever.

Back to work...BTW: Got my game tickets in the mail Friday! Great pre-game night campus environment there...if you don't check it out Friday night, your missing out!

You got it on the nose, Captain! You know what else would be nice? A few turnovers! Remember the Marshall game 2 years ago...they played like crap...I think they had something like 7 turnovers? It would be nice if PSU shot themselves in the foot a few times.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Anyone remember the Va Tech game?  No one could stop Jason Taylor.  He almost single-handedly won that game.  Either Chase Blackburn or Duane LeFall need to have a career game at PSU. If we can get some pressure on their QB, it will make our DB's lives a lot easier.

Who's our #2 wide out?  Remember Va Tech in 2001? Tech's DB couldn't cover Schifino! He was en route to a monster game when he got the concussion. From then-on Bailey got double-teamed and our passing attack disappeared. We need a #2 wide out to step up and take the heat off Hixson. A #3 would be nice too...but a solid 1-2 punch will put pressure on PSU's D.

Those are the two biggest keys to a win.  I think the emergence of a #1 RB is probably a close 3rd. I give Ringer the nod, with Briggs getting some carries too. Kennedy...who knows? A big "stage" for a true Fr., but Brandon Payne had a great Fr. debut against PSU in 1999 if I'm not mistaken?

If we can keep it close through 3 quarters...do we have the depth to hang in there?  Under Owens, our 4th quarter collapses were legenday...Miami several times...Wisconsin...Virginia...Marshall several times....God I could go on forever. 

Back to work...BTW: Got my game tickets in the mail Friday! Great pre-game night campus environment there...if you don't check it out Friday night, your missing out!

You got it on the nose, Captain! You know what else would be nice? A few turnovers! Remember the Marshall game 2 years ago...they played like crap...I think they had something like 7 turnovers? It would be nice if PSU shot themselves in the foot a few times.

You know what else gives me hope in this game, CK? The fact that PSU could only muster a 32-10 win vs. Can't last season. I believe Can't was up 10-7 in the 2nd quarter? Cribbs got hurt (out for the game), and as Cribbs goes so does Can't. But still...to beat last season's Can't team, without Cribbs for 3 quarters...by only 22 points...on your home turf with 100,000 fans backing you? That's a pretty weak effort.

We'll find out whether JD can coach on the defensive side of the ball pretty early in the season. Forget the crap about being stuck with "Owens' leftovers." The talent on the 2004 Zips' defensive side of the ball is no worse than it has been the past 6 years. If JD is a good coach, and Fleming is a solid DC, they'll find a way to stop people with the guys we have. We bitched about the lack of creativity on the defensive side of the ball for most of Owens' tenure. Hell...Owens bitched about it. What is a Zips season like without an abysmal defense? Its been so long, I've forgotten. Here's hoping we see one in 2004!

[Captain Kangaroo]

Anyone remember the Va Tech game?  No one could stop Jason Taylor.  He almost single-handedly won that game.  Either Chase Blackburn or Duane LeFall need to have a career game at PSU. If we can get some pressure on their QB, it will make our DB's lives a lot easier.

Who's our #2 wide out?  Remember Va Tech in 2001? Tech's DB couldn't cover Schifino! He was en route to a monster game when he got the concussion. From then-on Bailey got double-teamed and our passing attack disappeared. We need a #2 wide out to step up and take the heat off Hixson. A #3 would be nice too...but a solid 1-2 punch will put pressure on PSU's D.

Those are the two biggest keys to a win.  I think the emergence of a #1 RB is probably a close 3rd. I give Ringer the nod, with Briggs getting some carries too. Kennedy...who knows? A big "stage" for a true Fr., but Brandon Payne had a great Fr. debut against PSU in 1999 if I'm not mistaken?

If we can keep it close through 3 quarters...do we have the depth to hang in there?  Under Owens, our 4th quarter collapses were legenday...Miami several times...Wisconsin...Virginia...Marshall several times....God I could go on forever. 

Back to work...BTW: Got my game tickets in the mail Friday! Great pre-game night campus environment there...if you don't check it out Friday night, your missing out!

You got it on the nose, Captain! You know what else would be nice? A few turnovers! Remember the Marshall game 2 years ago...they played like crap...I think they had something like 7 turnovers? It would be nice if PSU shot themselves in the foot a few times.

You know what else gives me hope in this game, CK? The fact that PSU could only muster a 32-10 win vs. Can't last season. I believe Can't was up 10-7 in the 2nd quarter? Cribbs got hurt (out for the game), and as Cribbs goes so does Can't. But still...to beat last season's Can't team, without Cribbs for 3 quarters...by only 22 points...on your home turf with 100,000 fans backing you? That's a pretty weak effort.

We'll find out whether JD can coach on the defensive side of the ball pretty early in the season. Forget the crap about being stuck with "Owens' leftovers." The talent on the 2004 Zips' defensive side of the ball is no worse than it has been the past 6 years. If JD is a good coach, and Fleming is a solid DC, they'll find a way to stop people with the guys we have. We bitched about the lack of creativity on the defensive side of the ball for most of Owens' tenure. Hell...Owens bitched about it. What is a Zips season like without an abysmal defense? Its been so long, I've forgotten. Here's hoping we see one in 2004!

Captain, you're and idiot! Go back to work. Lunctime is over!

[Zip Watcher]

Easily the best conversation anyone's had with themselves to date on ZN.org. Well done CK!

For a minute there I thought I was reading a TP column when he talks to himself. Then I realized it was about the zips and wasn't crying about a past coach .. and came to my senses.

[Zipsrifle]

From snooping 'round on the PSU boards sounds like their fans are so used to winning that they really don't know what to do when they are losing. Sounds like they sit on their hands when they first get down and if it gets too bad, they start booing their own team. Lets hope we can experience this phenomenon for ourselves.

Another gripe along these lines, I've been to a lot of Michigan games at the Big House and it pisses me off how the fans complain if they didn't win by enough....WTF! I'm sure PSU was like this a few years ago, kinda nice for those fans to see the other side of the coin.

[ZipDude]

I've heard of people talking to themselves, but I think the Captain has had too much of that home brew, he is replying to himself now! OMG maybe he is the Da Zipman's horse in disguise? Maybe he is bored to tears at work...who knows! Kepp up the good woprk Captain.

Hey Jase, maybe the Captian needs to get on my forwarding list and become a Bush Backer! What do you think????

[zff]

yea I think that will clear his head........

[Guest Savannah]

Akron is in for the beating of their lives. Penn State and JoePa are out to show that this is a new year and this years team is a true PENN STATE team......winners, wrong place wrong time for akron.

[Guest Guest_racer]

savannah. you probably said the same thing last year whoever psu was playing in the first game. just give em the company line were going to kill you this year .that takes alot of thought. oh yea Can't State.

i hate to even say that name. if my team was 3-9 last year

i wouldn't be saying much of anything about any team.remember 3-9,

3-9,3-9, .........remember...............

3-9,3-9 remember............................................... as far as reading psu playbook they seem to be an ok group. their is some smack, but not more than any other board.

im sure they still dont' know how good c.frye is. i can understand because he did not get any pub, or tv last year . GO AKRON!!!!!!!!!!

[Zipsrifle]

I remember last year, prior to stumbling onto the dreamwater board, there was some guy on the Wisconsin ESPN site who made almost the exact same statement. He did have the balls after the game to post that Akron was much better than he expected and that they were glad to come out with a win.

I know this post makes me a hypocrite, but we should just have the thread end, as in no more Zip replies, once an intellectual like savannah makes a post. He's just here to get us fired up. I don't need him to do it, I just go to their board and that is more than enough.

Oh yea, drove through Toledo tonight, Gradkowski on a big billboard right next to I-75 just South of Downtown. Nothing about the Hiesman, but still a primo spot for getting some advertising for the UT program. I hope to see something like this when I make my way to Akron for the MTSU game.

[Guest bpd115]

Last year PSU was horrid...a train wreck. There were many contributing factors. We had a bunch of players who just expected to win and didn't have any heart. Joepa was distracted by the sudden loss of his younger brother, team discipline was gone by the wayside. It showed on the field.

This season the dead wood is gone from the program. Joepa committed himself to right the ship. It was back to the old days as far as discipline goes. So much as if you missed manditory team meals, you would be suspended or kicked off the team.

PSU has a shutdown corner in Alan Zemitis, strong at the saftey spots as well. Linebackers are probably the fastest ever seen at PSU, spearheaded by sophomore Paul Posluzney. Also listed on the depth chart is the No. 1 Linebacker recruit in the country, Dan Connor who enrolled at PSU in January to get a head start in the program. Defensive ends are fast and can get around the outside.

Offensivley we have 3 running backs, any of which would start in any other D1 school. Leading the way is Austin Scott who set the PA High School rushing mark with over 3,000 yards his senior year. As a freshman last year, he lead the team in rushing dispite battling mono for much of the year. Backing him up will be Tony Hunt and Rodney Kinlaw. Blocking for them will be Full back Paul Jefferson who paved the way for Larry Johnson in 2002. The offensive line is said to be the best PSU has had since 1998.

Quarterback is lead by Senior Zack Mills who has rewritten the PSU record books and is said to have had his strongest spring showing ever. Hampered by an injured shoulder and tendonitis in his throwing elbow for much of the last 2 seasons, Mills has said he is 100%. And ready to put PSU back on the map.

Also seeing time will be Junior Michael Robinson who is dangerous throwing as well as running.

PSU loses all 5 top pass catchers from last season, however that is not a bad thing. While a big time 'go to guy' has not emerged yet, the recievers, are said to be running crisper, tighter routes and not dropping anything that comes their way. Gone is last year's coach, Kenny Jackson. New WR coach Mike McQuery, former Lion Quarterback in '97, has given the WR group a new look at the position from the eyes of a QB. The WR and QBs are also practicing together this season. That is correct, last year the QBs and WR did not practice together. Look for the big plays from Terrel Golden and Terence Phillips while WRs Ryan Scott and Gerald Smith may be more posession recievers.

TE is a spot where PSU lost some catching ability however gained blocking. John Bronson is a big TE with soft hands. While not the deep threat of Matt Kranchick, Bronson can catch and bowl people over.

The PSU team of 2004 is a team with fire in their eyes as they are now underdogs of the college football world and are looking to smack some people in the mouth. This team was scarred by last year and will not tolorate the same on field break downs from last season.

Take it from me, this team is not taking anyone lightly and are chomping at the bit to get back out on that field.

There is no doubt that Charlie Frye is a good QB and will be drafted. However, one man does not beat a team by himself. Look at Drew Brees and big ten champ Purdue vs. PSU in 2000.

Good Luck Zips, enjoy Happy Valley, have a good time tailgating with us until 3:30 (unusually late for an opening game for us)....

[Guest FlaNitLion]

Greetings to all the Zips fans. I am one Penn State fan that doesn't take any team light any more. When you let Temple and Can't run with you for most of the game, you don't have much to brag about. I do think we will win the game, but I think it will be closer than a lot of people think. Frye is too good of a quarterback to not score points against our young, untested defense.

I know we will be much better this year than last. But that doesn't mean we are going to open up many cans of whoop a$$ on anybody. As long as we have one more point on the board than whoever we are playing, I'll be happy. Hell, OSU won a national championship and they barely scraped by in a lot of their games that season.

If you are going up for the game, you should be treated well for the most part. There will always be the obligatory a$$hole here and there, but all in all, we treat all of our visitors well. Hope you have a great time, and good luck on your season this year.

[Guest SC1PSU]

I know this post makes me a hypocrite, but we should just have the thread end, as in no more Zip replies, once an intellectual like savannah makes a post. He's just here to get us fired up. I don't need him to do it, I just go to their board and that is more than enough.

Oh yea, drove through Toledo tonight, Gradkowski on a big billboard right next to I-75 just South of Downtown. Nothing about the Hiesman, but still a primo spot for getting some advertising for the UT program. I hope to see something like this when I make my way to Akron for the MTSU game.

First of all, don't let "savannah" be a symbol of Penn State. He probably isn't even a Lion fan if he talks like that.

Secondly, I saw plenty of MAC games last year, and I am sure Frye will be the league's best quarterback this year. I don't think Gradkowski will finish in the top 100 for the Heisman. We PSU fans know a bit about Charlie Frye, but not many of us -- including myself -- have been convinced by his supporting cast. Who are the receivers to watch from Akron? How good is the offensive line?

I think PSU will be the hardest game on the Zips' schedule, partly because our team will come out tough as all hell, with NOTHING at all to lose. This team will be psyched and anxious to play.

We welcome you guys back to the Keystone State, and hope that you are treated well. Good luck this season!

[Guest Spooner]

I'm sure PSU was like this a few years ago, kinda nice for those fans to see the other side of the coin.

I became a Penn State fan in 2000, this is the only side of the coin I know. =P

Anyway, maybe it's because in my 4 years of following my sports I've seena combined total of 4 winning season from all my favorite teams combined, but I never take any team lightly. Charlie Frye will probably be the best QB we see all year, and how our CBs handle him will be a good indicator of how good they really are.

However, I don't think Charlie Frye has near the kind of WR talent surrounding him as he;d like to, and that's going to hurt him.

I'm not predicting a big win, and I'm not aking Akron lightly, but I'm eternally optimistic so don't be surprised when I predict a big win for Penn State.

But then again, a few weeks ago I was convinced the Pirates actually had a shot at the wild card, so maybe my opinion isn't actually the best to go by.

Anyway, I hope all of you attending the game enjoy tailgating and Beaver Stadium as much as I have over the years, and keep in mind anyone coming here claiming a 30-point win for PSU probably has no idea what he's talking about.

But, then again, none of us were predicting 30 point wins over Nebraska in '02. =P

Later, and I applaud you guys for being such great fans. It's not easy rooting for losing teams. I would know.

[Guest PennState4Ever]

Penn State had the third best pass defense in the nation last year. We return what most of us feel is the best CB in College Football-Alan Zemaitis. Zemaitis was 2nd team All Big Ten last year and was picked on a lot because our other corner, Rich Gardner had already made a name for himself as a shut down corner. If you can't run, Sept. 4 will be a long day for you guys.

And damn, listening to this board you'd think Akron had won 2 National Championships, Had the greatest coach in College Football History, ranks 7th among Univiersities with alumni in the NFL, had more undefeated seasons than any school in the nation since 1966, had 5 undefeated, untied seasons, had a Heisman Trophy winner, has had 86 All-Americans, has won every major Bowl, has the best Bowl winning percentage of any school in the nation, has had players win every major College Football award, has had a 30 game win streak, had back2back undefeated, untied seasons, played in a major conference or at least played a tough schedule, had 31 first round NFL Draft Picks since 1966, is a year removed from a New Years Day Bowl Game, had a top 15 recruiting class this year, and had beaten Can't State last year. We beat Can't State by 3 TD's! I was at that game. We had our 3rd string QB in for the entire 4th quarter. Didn't you lose to Can't State last year?

You would not be 7-5 if you replaced Buffalo, Central Michigan, Western Michigan (or whoever the Broncos are), Ball State and Ohio with Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Iowa, and Wisconsin. If Penn State played your schedule last year we would have won 8 or 9 games. Easily. You would have gone 2-10 against our 2003 schedule. Easily.

You have a great QB. That's about it.

All 5 of PSU's starting o-linemen will probably be first round draft picks this year. RB Austin Scott is the 4th All-Time leading rusher in United States Football History. In his SENIOR YEAR of HS, Scott ran for 3800 yards and 53 TD's.

Your greatest alum ever is Jason Taylor (third round draft pick).

We have had Lavar Arrington (second overall pick, 2000 draft), Courtney Brown (first overall pick, 2000 draft), Kerry Collins (fifth overall pick, 1995 Draft-12-0, undefeated, untied season), OJ McDuffie (first round pick, 1993), Bobby Engram (second round pick, 1995 Draft-12-0 undefeated, untied season), Kyle Brady (eighth overall pick, 1995 Draft-12-0 undefeated, untied season) Shane Conlan (First round pick, 1987 Draft-won National Championship), Kijana Carter (first overall pick, 1995 Draft-12-0, undefeated, untied season), Jimmy Kennedy (twelfth overall pick, 2003 draft), Michael Haynes (fourteenth overall pick, 2003 Draft), Bryant Johnson (seventeenth overall pick, 2003 Draft), Larry Johnson (twenty-seventh overall pick, 2003 Draft), Todd Blackledge (fifth overall pick, 1983 Draft-won National Championship), Curt Warner (top ten overall pick, 1983 Draft-won National Championship), etc. I could go a hell of a lot longer

Throughout all of this, Penn State has an 85% graduation rate.

Remember the last time we played? 70-24, Penn State.

This year: 38-14, Penn State

"Penn State is the poster child for doing it right in College Sports" NCAA President Myles Brand

[Captain Kangaroo]

Penn State had the third best pass defense in the nation last year. We return what most of us feel is the best CB in College Football-Alan Zemaitis. Zemaitis was 2nd team All Big Ten last year and was picked on a lot because our other corner, Rich Gardner had already made a name for himself as a shut down corner. If you can't run, Sept. 4 will be a long day for you guys.

You were 3-9 last year.

And damn, listening to this board you'd think Akron had won 2 National Championships, Had the greatest coach in College Football History, ranks 7th among Univiersities with alumni in the NFL, had more undefeated seasons than any school in the nation since 1966, had 5 undefeated, untied seasons, had a Heisman Trophy winner, has had 86 All-Americans, has won every major Bowl, has the best Bowl winning percentage of any school in the nation, has had players win every major College Football award, has had a 30 game win streak, had back2back undefeated, untied seasons, played in a major conference or at least played a tough schedule, had 31 first round NFL Draft Picks since 1966, is a year removed from a New Years Day Bowl Game, had a top 15 recruiting class this year, and had beaten Can't State last year. We beat Can't State by 3 TD's! I was at that game. We had our 3rd string QB in for the entire 4th quarter. Didn't you lose to Can't State last year?

1.) Toledo didn't really care about all that crap when they bitch-slapped you 24-6. I doubt Shane Conlan will be of much help on Sept 4th either.

2.) You guys were down 10-3 to Can't when Cribbs got hurt. Beating Can't by 22 w/o Cribbs is nothing to pound your chest about.

You would not be 7-5 if you replaced Buffalo, Central Michigan, Western Michigan (or whoever the Broncos are), Ball State and Ohio with Ohio State, Michigan,  Penn State, Iowa, and Wisconsin. If Penn State played your schedule last year we would have won 8 or 9 games. Easily. You would have gone 2-10 against our 2003 schedule. Easily.

That's why we fired our coach. And..."you would have gone 2-10 against out 2003 schedule? That's pretty laughable from a guy who's team went THREE and NINE!!

All 5 of PSU's starting o-linemen will probably be first round draft picks this year. RB Austin Scott is the 4th All-Time leading rusher in United States Football History. In his SENIOR YEAR of HS, Scott ran for 3800 yards and 53 TD's.

Your joking to say 5 OL's will be drafted in the 1st roud, right? No one could be that stupid...right?...Right? About your man Austin...we had a similar guy....#6 Rusher in the storied history of Ohio HS Football. He's delivering pizza now. What he did in HS really meant nothing in college. Last I checked, Austin's HS numbers account for 0 points on Sept. 4th.

Your greatest alum ever is Jason Taylor (third round draft pick).

Victor Green just capped a 12 year NFL career. Dwight Smith returned two int's for TD's in the 2002 Super Bowl. How many future NFL stars were on the Toledo roster when they waxed you a few years ago?

We have had Lavar Arrington (second overall pick, 2000 draft), Courtney Brown (first overall pick, 2000 draft), Kerry Collins (fifth overall pick, 1995 Draft-12-0, undefeated, untied season), OJ McDuffie (first round pick, 1993), Bobby Engram (second round pick, 1995 Draft-12-0 undefeated, untied season), Kyle Brady (eighth overall pick, 1995 Draft-12-0 undefeated, untied season) Shane Conlan (First round pick, 1987 Draft-won National Championship), Kijana Carter (first overall pick, 1995 Draft-12-0, undefeated, untied season), Jimmy Kennedy (twelfth overall pick, 2003 draft), Michael Haynes (fourteenth overall pick, 2003 Draft), Bryant Johnson (seventeenth overall pick, 2003 Draft), Larry Johnson (twenty-seventh overall pick, 2003 Draft), Todd Blackledge (fifth overall pick, 1983 Draft-won National Championship), Curt Warner (top ten overall pick, 1983 Draft-won National Championship), etc. I could go a hell of a lot longer

All of that gets you Z-E-R-O points on Sept. 4th.

Throughout all of this, Penn State has an 85% graduation rate.

After going someting like 20-24 with 1 bowl appearance since the 2000 season...I'm glad you have something to hang your hat on.

Remember the last time we played? 70-24, Penn State.

See the "We fired our Coach" quote listed above.

"Penn State is the poster child for doing it right in College Sports" NCAA President Myles Brand

"Penn State better be God damned scared of the Zips on September 4th. If you thought losing to Toledo was bad...wait till you see the Sportscenter highlights of Joe/Gram Pa crapping his Depends when he looks at the final score." Blue Roo Brew Crew President Captain Kangaroo

3-9 and talking smack. Give me a break...

[Guest Guest_racer]

after reading this post your right zipsrilfe. i was going to say some stuff that regular psu fans would not like to hear also about their program. most psu fans on the board have been very good post.im not hear to rip them. why lump them in with a few sour grapes. he has nothing better to do than come on the zips board, and blab about his 3-9 team. i wonder if this guy even went penn state.i doubt it. alot of sour grape fans like him (always bragging about his 3-9) team are proabably like buckeye wannabee fans.never been on campus let alone taking classes . the only time near campus is when they were getting drunk, and throwing chunks on high street sidewalks.GO AKRON.!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest PennState4Ever]

1.) Toledo didn't really care about all that crap when they bitch-slapped you 24-6. I doubt Shane Conlan will be of much help on Sept 4th either.

2.) You guys were down 10-3 to Can't when Cribbs got hurt. Beating Can't by 22 w/o Cribbs is nothing to pound your chest about.

1) You're not Toledo. If we had Toledo on our schedule, I'd be scared.

2) So what you're saying is, one player makes a team?

i wonder if this guy even went penn state.i doubt it

Whatever. I am a PSU alum.

Your joking to say 5 OL's will be drafted in the 1st roud, right? No one could be that stupid...right?...Right? About your man Austin...we had a similar guy....#6 Rusher in the storied history of Ohio HS Football. He's delivering pizza now. What he did in HS really meant nothing in college. Last I checked, Austin's HS numbers account for 0 points on Sept. 4th.

My bad on first round picks. EZ Smith-Gatorade All-American in HS (Yes, HS is a good indicator of what kind of College athlete will be) Tyler Reed and Charles Rush will probably be All Big-Ten this year and All-American next year. Levi Brown played well last year as a Freshman. Andrew Richardson is projected to be a very good NFL and college player. Reed, Rush and Smith all have a shot at the first round.

Austin averaged 4 yards a carry as a true Freshman-while batteling mono!

Obviously HS recruits think Penn State is better than Akron, as Penn State reeled in a top 15 class this year along with 3 five-star recruits (QB Anthony Morelli, LB Dan Connor, G/T Greg Harrison). Never saw Akron ranked.

. And..."you would have gone 2-10 against out 2003 schedule? That's pretty laughable from a guy who's team went THREE and NINE!!

Uh...our worst team in school history would have had a better record than one of your better teams. Let's put Akron against PSU's 03 schedule:

Temple-W

BC-L

@Nebraska-L

Can't State-L :blink:

Minnesota-L

Wisconsin-L

@Purdue-L

@Iowa-L

Ohio State-L

Northwestern-L

Indiana-W

Michigan State-L

That's one of our weaker schedules, too because there's no Michigan.

Last I checked, Penn State is gearing up for a 2005 National Championship run. Last I checked, Akron is trying to gain respect in the 7th toughest conference in the nation.

GO! STATE! BEAT! ZIPS!

[Guest Spooner]

You were 3-9 last year.

Last year, buddy.

You're not playing last year's team.

Hold on a minute, lemme double check that to make sure...

...

Yeah, you're definitely not playing last year's team.

1.) Toledo didn't really care about all that crap when they bitch-slapped you 24-6. I doubt Shane Conlan will be of much help on Sept 4th either.

2.) You guys were down 10-3 to Can't when Cribbs got hurt. Beating Can't by 22 w/o Cribbs is nothing to pound your chest about.

And in 1969 the Americans landed on the moon. This is relevant now? Is anyone who played against that Toledo team still playing?

Yeah, only 22, you're right, we definitely shoulda ran the score up on em. Show them bastards what for. Running the score up makes you kewl. And of course it's the injury that allowed us to win, there's absolutely no chance a change of gameplan or susbtituion could've done that. Nope, the exit of one player allowed us to win. That's how football works.

Your joking to say 5 OL's will be drafted in the 1st roud, right? No one could be that stupid...right?...Right? About your man Austin...we had a similar guy....#6 Rusher in the storied history of Ohio HS Football.  He's delivering pizza now. What he did in HS really meant nothing in college.  Last I checked, Austin's HS numbers account for 0 points on Sept. 4th.

Yes, he is kidding himself.

And you're kidding yourself if you're not worried about Austin Scott. Ask anyone, they'll tell you he's dangerous.

Victor Green just capped a 12 year NFL career. Dwight Smith returned two int's for TD's in the 2002 Super Bowl. How many future NFL stars were on the Toledo roster when they waxed you a few years ago?

I don't condone of any of this "Yeah well such and such is kicking ass in the NFL" bullshit. Not by our fans, not by yours, not by anyone.

And again with Toledo. What, you think you're going to pull a Toledo here? Think you're going to grab some kind of Toledo vibe? Gonan reap to benefits of a Toledo trickle-down effect over 4-5 years? You're counting on a game from years ago to win it for you on Sept. 4? Now, I know that's not what you're saying, but it sure sound like it is...

After going someting like 20-24 with 1 bowl appearance since the 2000 season...I'm glad you have something to hang your hat on.

It's wrong to be proud of graduating your players? When did this happen? No one called me about this. No one left me a message on my machine. I had no idea winning was more important than graduating players. I must've missed the news reease in which the NCAA detailed the plans to slowly remove all academics from it's sports program. Thanks for telling me though, I hate being the last to hear these things.

See the "We fired our Coach" quote listed above.

Yeah, and we kept the one that was on tehw inning side of that lopsided victory.

"Penn State better be God damned scared of the Zips on September 4th. If you thought losing to Toledo was bad...wait till you see the Sportscenter highlights of Joe/Gram Pa crapping his Depends when he looks at the final score." Blue Roo Brew Crew President Captain Kangaroo

3-9 and talking smack. Give me a break...

Losing 15 letterman, and a coach who'll be coaching his first game as a Zip when we play, and talking smack.

Look, you can live by your 3-9 mantra, slowly lulling yourself into a false sense of security, or you can face the facts that you're NOT playing the team that went 3-9, you're NOT defending NC champions, and you're NOT favored to win by ANYONE. Check the name of this thread: "How can we beat Penn State?"

Not "What would it take for us to lose to Penn State" or "Should we worry about Penn State?" From all indications, even you guys trust your team to come out of Happy Valley with the W. With Penn State at it's recent lowest, and with Akron at it's highest, PSU is still favored to win by 20 points by the oddsmakers in Vegas.

I'm not claiming easy victory by numerous points. I'm not claiming a Big Ten title for Penn State. I'm not saying Penn State will go undefeated and Akron will fail to win a game, I'm just asking you not to embarass your university by looking like an idiot.

This is all I'm asking for:

We've got a promising set of LB's, a shut down secondary (Alan Zemaitis was a big part of our third-ranked secondary in 2003. Granted, some of that was because people didn't throw as often against us, but a lot of it was because Zemaitis is a damn-fine player), and a RB that with a year of experience and conditioning under his belt is very promising. We also have a senior QB that has pinpoint accuracy (though a weak arm and has yet to prove he can match his freshman season). Our O-Line is improved from last eyar when even then it only allowed 19 sacks. Our D-Line has also improved massively. The only area where improvement is either minimal or non-existent is WR, where a butter-fingered crew of losers is on its way out to make room for inexperienced but promising group of youngsters. This team is a vast improvement over last year's squad that went 3-9, the team whose record makes it look a lot worse than it actually was, as most of those losses were by seven points or less.

Akron has a great QB in Frye but he has no help at WR. I've heard nothing good about Akron except for their QB, and a QB alone cannot win a game. I think Penn State will win by a touchdown or two, but since Penn State's crew is more promise than experience, I'm not discounting Akron out entirely.

See? Just me saying what I think. No "lol you pay in the MAC" or other senseless trashtalk. No shrouding the facts with cheesy trash talk or meaningless insults. No claims to things that really have no effect on the outcome of the game, like NFL results or games that were played almost half a decade ago. Just team analysis.

And maybe you don't see in our LBs what I see, or you think Akron's WR corps is better than I give it credit for. That's perfectly fine, but it's a large step up from childish calls of "3-9" or "MAC conference." Because any sensible fan knows neither of those has any bearing on the outcome of the upcoming game. And I think fans of BOTH teams need to learn that.

Where was I going with this? I forget.

[Guest Zips4ever]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion about who will win Sept 4. Come Sept 4 the final score will show whose team was superior. I have a lot of faith in the Zips! I know that Charlie is an outstanding quarterback. The Zips offense has a solid OLine and running game. I have no doubt that the Zips will be able to put 28+ points during the game.

I know that our defense is going to be better this year. I am more worried about our defense keeping PSU down for all four quarters. I know that B10 teams will generally have more quality on their depth chart. The Zips will need the running game working to keep PSU's offensive off the field.

My prediction for the game. Akron gets out to an early lead thanks to two touchdown passes by Charlie and Ringer rushing for one.

Halftime- Akron Zips 21 Penn State 10

I think that the Zips start to tire in the second half and PSU will pick up some momentum. I think the game comes down to the final minutes of the game.

Final Score- Akron Zips 31 Penn State 28

[Zipsrifle]

I think this previous post will come in handy, again.

This sounds to me like a case of the rich guy with the Hummer complaining to the poor tow truck guy bringing him more gas about how much fuel his Hummer uses.

It's too bad that PSU has such a hard schedule. I also feel bad for the 100,000 fans who paid $50 a pop at every home game who had to sit there and watch those games...all 7 of them. I also feel bad for the Big 10, I mean 8 of the teams went to a bowl last year.

PSU has a schedule like that because they are playing in the Big Ten. Now if PSU wants to come to the MAC, I'm sure we'd take them. Our schedule was so easy because that is our confrence, and we've got to play teams in our confrence and we've got to play some home games. That's why we fired a coach that went 7-5, because he should have won 9. I mean, if we had the #15 hardest schedule in the country last year, there wouldn't have been any home games. The BCS schools ( ) avoid the MAC stadiums at all costs.

PSU should easily be able to take Akron year in and year out. You've got lots of fans, and lots of press coverage, lots of money and that all leads to first dibs on the best players and coaches. Hell, the local paper 3 blocks from campus gives more OSU coverage than Akron. So, I don't want to hear about how hard your schedule was, it's your high riding leather covered seat, so sit in it. I've got to hurry up and fill your tank with gas and get to the next job so I can pay the bills.

[Guest Guest]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion about who will win Sept 4. Come Sept 4 the final score will show whose team was superior. I have a lot of faith in the Zips! I know that Charlie is an outstanding quarterback. The Zips offense has a solid OLine and running game. I have no doubt that the Zips will be able to put 28+ points during the game.

I know that our defense is going to be better this year. I am more worried about our defense keeping PSU down for all four quarters. I know that B10 teams will generally have more quality on their depth chart. The Zips will need the running game working to keep PSU's offensive off the field.

My prediction for the game. Akron gets out to an early lead thanks to two touchdown passes by Charlie and Ringer rushing for one.

Halftime- Akron Zips 21 Penn State 10

I think that the Zips start to tire in the second half and PSU will pick up some momentum. I think the game comes down to the final minutes of the game.

Final Score- Akron Zips 31 Penn State 28

Thank you! This is the kind of post I was talking about! I don't care if you have the Zips winning, but at least you have logic behind your prediction.

This sounds to me like a case of the rich guy with the Hummer complaining to the poor tow truck guy bringing him more gas about how much fuel his Hummer uses.

I think my previous post will come in handy:

I became a Penn State fan in 2000, this is the only side of the coin I know.

See? This isn't a case of me being used to winning seasons and great players. I've seen one good season and one great player. I don't have memories of past Penn State success to cloud my judgement here. I take evey team seriously, and I expect Penn State to win, because I feel our team is set to have a breakout season. I feel our team is more well-rounded than the Zips who have little more than a QB to their name.

This isn't a "Pfffft, we're Penn State, they're Akron, of course we'll win" kind of prediction.

I expect Penn State fans to think PSU will on Sept. 4, but I cringe whenever one of them say "Oh c'mon they play in the MAC how good can they be?"

I expect Akron fans to think the Zips will Sept. 4, but it makes my blood boil when one of them says "c'mon they were 3-9 last year, how much could they have improved."

The fans who say things like that are the ones who are too scared to open their eyes and except the fact that they might lose, so instead they just trash talk about things that have absolutely no relation to the game.

[LioninVA]

Obviously, I am a Penn State fan. Forst off, get close to Beaver Stadium and find a place to park if you are looking to tailgate. I promise you will have an experience (and a good one) like you don't find anywhere else. Enjoy the atmosphere and everything that is college football in Happy Valley. It dosen't get any better!

Now, the good Captain keeps reminding us that we were 3-9 last year. I have news for you. We know! We can't read a preview or opinion without hearing that we were 3-9 last year. It kills us every time we read it, I promise you that much. Now, imagine you are a senior on one of Joe Paterno's under achieving team... The last thing you want to do is come out flat in the first game of the season.

I hope you boys are aware of this, because I don't expect my guys to take this game lightly. They are going to come out with a vengance hoping to turn some heads. THe possibility for them to come out flat exists, but my money isn't on it.

I really hope fopr a great game, but I thik=nkour ideas of what makes a great game are probaly different. At any rate, please come over to the Penn State frums and talk your team up. I look forward to hearing what you all expect from your team as much as you want to hear about your opponents. I think we are a decent and classy bunch of fans, and look fporward to the banter.