2024 Preseason Thread

[MangoZip]

1 hour ago, UA1996MAENG said:

I can hardly believe it.  The ABJ actually ran a story about UA football:

 

https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/college/zips/2024/08/28/akron-zips-college-football-season-prevew-roster-coach-joe-moorhead/74922598007/

Must be becuase they are playing Ohio state . 

Edited August 28, 2024 by MangoZip

[ClevelandZip]

1 hour ago, MangoZip said:

Must be becuase they are playing Ohio state . 

I wouldn’t pay a subscription fee to Cleveland.com for their “journalism,” but it looks like they have a nice article being condescending to their local FBS team. Much of which is made up of players from Greater Cleveland who have worked their tails off to fulfill their dream of playing at the D1 level.

 

https://www.cleveland.com/osu/2024/08/five-players-ohio-state-football-fans-should-worry-about-from-its-season-opening-opponent.html

[MangoZip]

1 hour ago, ClevelandZip said:

I wouldn’t pay a subscription fee to Cleveland.com for their “journalism,” but it looks like they have a nice article being condescending to their local FBS team. Much of which is made up of players from Greater Cleveland who have worked their tails off to fulfill their dream of playing at the D1 level.

 

https://www.cleveland.com/osu/2024/08/five-players-ohio-state-football-fans-should-worry-about-from-its-season-opening-opponent.html

What dicks!

[Blue & Gold]

Still perplexed and disappointed we didn't bring in another QB to back up Finley. If QB1 goes down we're toast.

[GP1]

16 hours ago, Blue & Gold said:

Still perplexed and disappointed we didn't bring in another QB to back up Finley. If QB1 goes down we're toast.

The days of solid depth are over due to the transfer portal. There will be backs ups and many will play, but not the quality of the past. 

[Captain Kangaroo]

17 hours ago, Blue & Gold said:

Still perplexed and disappointed we didn't bring in another QB to back up Finley. If QB1 goes down we're toast.

Would you rather have Tahj, now with a full year in Joe's system, or a random Undecuffler-like journeyman?

 

Neither is a great choice, but I think Tahj is about the best #2 we can expect in this day and age.  Maybe he moves to the slot WR next season? If he had any aspirations of playing in the NFL, that's what he'd need to do.

[zippy5]

1 hour ago, GP1 said:

The days of solid depth are over due to the transfer portal. There will be backs ups and many will play, but not the quality of the past. 

Where did the good backups go?

[GP1]

3 hours ago, zippy5 said:

Where did the good backups go?

To other schools where they they believe they have a better chance of starting. 

[akzipper]

1 hour ago, GP1 said:

To other schools where they they believe they have a better chance of starting. 

 

This is how it works now in the age of the transfer portal. Can't expect decent athletes to stick around and ride the bench. 

 

We just have to take it one season at a time and hope for the best. 

[zippy5]

The same amount of QBs are still playing football. We can get good players if we do it the right way. Winning some games would help 

[blueandgold]

Winning cures a lot of our ongoing problems.

[GP1]

32 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

The same amount of QBs are still playing football. We can get good players if we do it the right way. Winning some games would help 

I think you make a good point. Winning attracts better high school recruits. If they don't pan out, they transfer to lesser schools that may not win and have lesser high school talent coming in. Therefore the transfer has a better shot at starting. 

 

This drop-off can happen very fast. I was surprised at the Wake Forest game last night how poor many of the back up players are. I'm talking MAC level players getting substantial playing time at an ACC school. I'll reserve my judgement until after the UVA game next week, but Wake Forest could be in big trouble. I'm not sure Clawson is sleazy enough to survive the transfer portal era. 

[GP1]

1 hour ago, akzipper said:

 

We just have to take it one season at a time and hope for the best. 

The fans can. The coaches can't. Hope is not a strategy. They have to think and act smartly through these challenges. 

Edited August 30, 2024 by GP1

[clarkwgriswold]

Sport- if you're not a freshman and you're not contributing to Zips teams that are winning 2 games a year, you are likely not a division 1 football player. 

[ZippyRulz]

On 7/30/2024 at 9:27 PM, MangoZip said:

Have they started work on the new scoreboard yet? 

 

2 weeks away from the home opener and no scoreboard yet. Although I think they've got the wider framework built (or maybe it already was, with the signs beside the original display). I forgot to look for the east stands ribbon board.

 

https://gozips.com/news/2024/6/13/football-akron-zips-announce-construction-of-new-video-board-at-infocision-stadium

June 13 | Football

 

Akron, Ohio – Akron Athletics is thrilled to announce the construction of a new, state-of-the-art video board on the south end and a new ribbon board on the east side of InfoCision Stadium. This exciting upgrade is scheduled for completion before Akron's home opener against Colgate on September 14, 2024.

 

Edited September 2, 2024 by ZippyRulz

[LZIp]

8 minutes ago, ZippyRulz said:

 

2 weeks away from the home opener and no scoreboard yet. Although I think they've got the wider framework built.

The scoreboard not being ready by the home opener would be absolutely inexcusable.

[Hilltopper]

1 hour ago, LZIp said:

The scoreboard not being ready by the home opener would be absolutely inexcusable.

The scoreboard will absolutely be functional for the home opener. Whether the video board is working has nothing to do with the actual game. Be thankful that UA figured out a way to find the money to replace the old one. 1st world problem here.

[exit322]

12 hours ago, LZIp said:

The scoreboard not being ready by the home opener would be absolutely inexcusable.

And yet, completely on brand

[akzipper]

12 hours ago, LZIp said:

The scoreboard not being ready by the home opener would be absolutely inexcusable.

 

Especially since they've literally had like 8 months since the last home game to get it up and they announced the new video board back in July. 

 

 

[Let'sGoZips94]

Northwestern is playing in a blow up bounce house this year that might float away in Lake Michigan. Vanderbilt has had cranes holding up their end zone advertisements and equipment for the past few seasons. 

 

The video board not being done for a game vs Colgate isn't a huge deal. Hopefully it's ready before BUGS. 

[MangoZip]

41 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

Northwestern is playing in a blow up bounce house this year that might float away in Lake Michigan. Vanderbilt has had cranes holding up their end zone advertisements and equipment for the past few seasons. 

 

The video board not being done for a game vs Colgate isn't a huge deal. Hopefully it's ready before BUGS. 

I get your point but those are ridiculous comparisons. Your two examples are a major stadium renovation and a new stadium being built. Both of those take year(s). This is a scoreboard that absolutely should be done by first home game. Maybe there’s a good excuse but I haven’t heard one yet

[zippy5]

17 hours ago, Hilltopper said:

The scoreboard will absolutely be functional for the home opener. Whether the video board is working has nothing to do with the actual game. Be thankful that UA figured out a way to find the money to replace the old one. 1st world problem here.

Everything about college athletics is a first world problem. If we're nitpicking, let's just pack it up and go D3

[72 Roo]

11 hours ago, MangoZip said:

I get your point but those are ridiculous comparisons. Your two examples are a major stadium renovation and a new stadium being built. Both of those take year(s). This is a scoreboard that absolutely should be done by first home game. Maybe there’s a good excuse but I haven’t heard one yet

The excuse is money. When the new scoreboard was announced Guthrie did not know athletics would have its budget cut by $3M. Many people criticize him w/o knowing what he is dealing with. Akron has many challenges, yet in the face of those I feel he is doing the best job an AD could. Just my opinion. 

[Zippy87]

2 hours ago, 72 Roo said:

The excuse is money. When the new scoreboard was announced Guthrie did not know athletics would have its budget cut by $3M. Many people criticize him w/o knowing what he is dealing with. Akron has many challenges, yet in the face of those I feel he is doing the best job an AD could. Just my opinion. 

 

The budget being cut shouldn't have any impact on something privately-funded like this. 

[Hilltopper]

The LED nodes are being  installed this week. Testing will commence shortly after. The board should be operational for the home opener.