Phil Steele -- Who IS this guy???

[Z.I.P.]

I know the CFB pre-season zines are supposed to be designed to please every school's fans as much as humanly possible (I think one picks Buffalo to win a game this year!), but this Phil Steele guy is either a glutton for punishment, or a certified Golden Flush alum. He has picked Can't State to win the MAC East for the third year in a row -- I mean his third straight prognostication of that sort.I know he's based in Cleveland, but what did he do before he started putting out his pub? Gotta be from CANT!

[johnnyzip84]

Are you sure his name is "Steely Phil"?

[Big Zip]

So he picked the same Can't team that thumped us last year. Guess what he was right last year and Can't was better than us and I'm guessing they'll thump us again this year. We lost the entire offensive line and quarterback, not to mention damn near all our receivers. This is going to be a pretty long season for us. I have no reason to believe his pick isn't legitimate and I'm sure Can't will contend for the MAC East this year. I've mentioned it before and I'll mention it again. All I hear about is how great our recruiting classes are and this year will be the first real year they can prove it and I'm going with the Missouri philosophy of show me. Show me anything, but please show me a win at the Browns stadium in the opener.

[zipsbandman]

So he picked the same Can't team that thumped us last year. Guess what he was right last year and Can't was better than us and I'm guessing they'll thump us again this year. We lost the entire offensive line and quarterback, not to mention damn near all our receivers. This is going to be a pretty long season for us. I have no reason to believe his pick isn't legitimate and I'm sure Can't will contend for the MAC East this year. I've mentioned it before and I'll mention it again. All I hear about is how great our recruiting classes are and this year will be the first real year they can prove it and I'm going with the Missouri philosophy of show me. Show me anything, but please show me a win at the Browns stadium in the opener.

This season is going to be ugly. We cannot keep a player on this team. I have no idea who half these guys are on our roster. I completely stopped following recruiting because what's the point? JD should start feeling some heat if we get this garbage again this season. So when does basketball season start?

[Blue & Gold]

Yup. I've found myself not nearly as interested in fb recruiting as I have been for, oh say, the last 15 years! I remember getting into recruiting for the first time during Lee O's first season when we signed QB Willie Spencer from Mass, and almost signed LB Kinta Mitchell from McK. But this JD stuff is getting really old. Who cares who we technically sign on LOI day; not half of them see the field.And as far as Can't goes... I thought Heirbstreit(?) was smoking crack last year when he picked Can't to win the East, but he was almost right!Can't's coach seems to be building their program with student-athletes who go under the radar yet are quality people, and he's building them into a winner - something Lee O was unable to do and a strategy JD doesn't seem to buy into.

[Zippysgotagun]

I know it seems laborious, but keep in mind that it probably won't always be like this. When you're trying to build a winning program, you have to take a lot more chances than you'd like to. JD kinda lucked out when a QB and OL came with him from Pitt. It doesn't always happen. When you're already established as a good place to play football, good recruits with good character want to come play. Bigger schools don't have to take risks like JD does right now. They're already established, and they know they can have their choice when it comes to recruits. Unfortunately, the mid-majors (the college sports death sentence) are left with the best of the rest. While there are some kids who can definitely play ball, some of them lack the discipline to focus on what they need to do off the field. Sad but true. All the program needs is for a couple of gambles to go the other way for once. Then, we'll be one of the established programs that don't have to gamble any more.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Two notes:1.) This past Zips recruiting class is awesome. Take it to the bank.2.) As referenced by their abject failure at the end of the 2006 season, the word is out on K.e.n.t. People will be ready for them. And K.e.n.t. ALWAYS chokes. Screw Phil Steele -- K.e.n.t goes 3-9 this season. Easiest prediction ever.

[MRasor0200]

I remember a couple years ago how Martin talked about wanting to establish recruiting bonds locally. Well, Doug, you can pretty much have your pick of the 5-11 receivers and 210-pound linemen around here regardless of who you're buddy-buddy with.