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| Middle of the pack since 1946 |
1. It appears that Akron has lost some of their key starters on the offensive side of the ball, and although they went 1-11 last season, that's still veteran leadership they are missing. How will the Zips replace them?
Well, head coach Rob Ianello made his reputation as a master recruiter at Notre Dame, so he's going to do it the old fashioned MAC way: Locate people who fell through the cracks, both as high school seniors and JUCO transfers. He knew in his first year what he was going to lose in terms of seniors and I'd like to say he prepared exceptionally well to fill out a competitive two-deep. So, he may have lost seniors he didn't recruit, but in Year Two, he gets to plug in some of his new guys and redshirts to see what they can do in his new pro-style system and 4-3 defense.
2. Who are the Zips big time play-makers on offense and defense?
Clayton Moore was a former 3 star quarterback commit to Ole Miss but that never materialized and after a couple years in JUCO-land, he's now the starter under center. You'll see redshirt freshman running back Jawon Chisholm make an impact as the season goes on. A.J. Price is another transfer name - he used to play for Penn State, and the wide receiver has some serious skill that'll certainly help replenish what Akron needs on the offensive side. Defensively, I like this line. It's not getting talked up a lot, but I'll do that for them. Hasan Hazime, Oren Wilson (previously from Michigan State) and John Griggs (previously a tight end for Iowa) make up a patchwork but experienced unit that might be able to slow down some, but not all of the OSU running game. Brian Wagner is their defensive star, a middle linebacker who has led the MAC in solo tackles for each of his first two seasons.
3. The Buckeyes had a rough off-season, losing Jim Tressel and Terrelle Pryor. Do you think the Buckeyes will reload, even without the Vest to lead the way?
They probably will. I haven't studied what they've done too much recruiting-wise, but I've seen more than enough people pick them to win the Big Ten (Leader's division), so they should stay on top as long as NCAA sanctions don't kill the incentive.
4. Can Akron "compete" in the MAC, or even against Ohio State? (Include W/L, Bowl game aspirations)
They will win more than one game this year, in all likelihood. To win the MAC East is going to be daunting, and a bowl game is the best-case scenario, so to stay in the game against OSU for the first half would be a victory for them, to say the least.
5. What has to happen for Akron to beat Ohio State and vice versa? Final Prediction?
They'll have to hope that OSU oversleeps, or doesn't get enough sleep, or forgets the playbook. If they do show up on time, they're going to have to display a large amount of rusty execution for Akron to stay in the game. Not to say Akron can't score points or make defensive stops on their own, but 80 percent of what happens on Saturday will be dictated by the Buckeyes. I'll say OSU wins by 27.
