Guess What. I WAS IMPRESSED!

[Guest Guest_Z.I.P.]

Well, not by the football team that's for sure. They look worse than any Akron team I've watched, I suppose with the exception of the Iowa game (37-0 after 1 qtr).

But I watched this game in a pub at the University of Hawai'i with about a dozen young PSU plicks -- one with the giant face of Joe Pa on his shirt (yeach!) -- and would you believe I was amazed by the broadcast. The game came on and the announcers started talking about "The official supermarket of The University of Akron", "the official bank of The University of Akron", the official toilet bowl cleaner of the University of Akron". Those Penn State pukes couldn't believe THEIR great BIG TEN team had to play second fiddle to THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON on ESPN.

Of course then the game was played and there was no mistaking which was the real football team. How long ago was it that Akron had a reputation as a physical football team? Talk about being manhandled! That was men against boys out there. It was like the old cliche -- "Our team is small, but we're slow".

BUT alas -- halftime comes, and the best part of all -- a five minute feature on the great new facilities at The University of Akron. That indoor practice field looked so much more huge on TV than it could ever appear in the media guide or the website. This was a totally professional job by the staff at UA. I am very proud of what they were able to put together to showcase the university. Excellent interviews with Thomas, Brookhart (quoting Mike Shanahan that this was the finest facility he has ever practiced in) and a couple players -- John Fuller the Green Bulldog (alma mater!!!) and I think Dom Hixon.

But then they had to play a second half! Shucks! Alas I left when it became 48-3. I can only assume Joe Pa was classy enuf to put in his 4th team.

I have to believe now that the Zips will have to improve to win more than three games this year. How will they win at Can't with that team? At UCF, at Ohio. How will they beat any upper half MAC team, even @home? Not this year.

But, as we saw on national TV -- this game reached millions of households as far as the Hawaiian Islands -- the future looks much brighter for the Zip program. But JD is going to have to go out there and get us much quicker, bigger, and just plain better football players, if we are going to be competitive against not just the lower rung of Big Ten teams, but the middle of the MAC.

And, I'm not yet convinced that Penn State will be a bowl team this year. This was a walkover.

I expect a very close game next week. MTSU has a good passing game, and Akron's DBs were shellshocked and couldn't tackle on opening day.

Then I get home, and have the opportunity to see my home team and next alma mater loose to a team transitioning to 1-A. Florida Atlantic? Good grief, well they did beat MTSU last year, and Howard Schnellenberger beat June Jones' awful defense. Too bad Akron didn't start against Hawaii this year.