Akron Football

Sad news has come across the wire this morning involving a suicide by a 22-year old man inside of InfoCision Stadium.

The man who was recently reported missing, according to WKYC 3 in Akron, was discovered in one of the seats inside the stadium.

University of Akron Police and the Akron Police department are investigating the death of a 22-year-old man whose body was found in the stands of InfoCision Stadium on the University of Akron campus.

Police say that the man recently went missing and left a suicide note at his Kenmore home.

According to Paul Myerberg of PreSnapRead.com, the man that committed suicide inside the stadium was not a student.

At this point, there are no plans to postpone or cancel the game, but you have to think that it is going to be slightly strange to put a fan in the seat where they found the student's body.

Paul Myerberg is also reporting that as of right now, there are no plans to postpone the start time of today's Ohio vs. Akron football game.

It's a bit surprising that the game won't be delayed by even an hour or two, but it appears that both the University of Akron and the police have wrapped up their investigation.

Game or no game, this is certainly some sobering news for college football fans today as our condolences are passed along to the family members of the deceased and to the city of Akron.

Money don't get everything, it's true
What it don't get, I can't use
Now give me money (that's what I want)
That's what I want (that's what I want)
That's what I want (that's what I want), yeah
That's what I want

Barrett Strong

College Trustees and Presidents have proven to be the greediest people in sports. 

And that's saying something.

These beacons of higher learning are greedier than a bunch of carnival barkers and as slippery as the sleaziest snake oil salesman.

How much money do they need?

College football has become a culture of greed, from the College Bosses begging for television bucks, to the Bowl Bigwigs bringing in millions while maintaining tax exempt charity status, to the bad breathed booster peddling cars and cash so kids come to play football.  

Greed is good, but is it better than Big East Basketball and traditional football rivalries?

Is greed going to be better than Nebraska vs Oklahoma, Penn State vs Pitt, Texas vs Texas A&M, Syracuse vs Georgetown, Oklahoma vs Texas or Pitt vs West Virginia?  

1. Akron [0-3]

The Zips have been zapped 142-17 after three games. It seems Akron's only hope is to somehow get the Kansas City Chiefs on the slate.

Of course the way things are going in Kansas City, the Chiefs might soon be in the Zips Conference.

2. Boston College [0-3]

Duck Duke is in town.

When was the last time a program said that?

With the Red Sox and Boston College collapsing its only a matter time of time till the Patriots lose 14 in a row.

 

3. UAB [0-2]

Down 88-10 this season, the Blazers hope to double that against East Carolina this week.

4. New Mexico [0-3]

Outscored 125-16 so far this season, New Mexico still has a chance to be a charter member of the new Big East.

If the Lobos can just lose to the Sam Houston State Bearkats this week they will be ready to roll winless into their annual battle with New Mexico State.

5. U Conn [1-2]

After losing to Iowa State and Vanderbilt, Coach Pasqualini is confident he can bring down the U Conn program just like he did the Orange of Syracuse.

6. The Big East

The last good bye as abrupt and brutal as Syracuse's and Pitt's fast farewell to the Big East was in the movie LA Confidential, when Captain Dudley Smith shot Smiling Jack Vincennes in the forehead over coffee in his kitchen.

Poor TCU is left alone on the Texas plains, buried up to their sweating necks in sand and being covered by stinging fire ants.

West Virginia looks like it is just being left alone.

7. The Big 12

Oklahoma might stay if Commissioner Don Beebe is given a Fredo Corleone from The Godfather boat ride. But Texas considers Oklahoma its Fredo to their Texas Michael Corleone.

Texas might stay if given the divine right of kings over all households in Oklahoma and Kansas.

Texas might stay if given forty percent off the top of all Texas and the Little 8 conference games.

Texas might stay if given a few hundred thousand walking round money by Oklahoma each week.

Baylor might stay if someone throws five bucks their way.

Anyone ring ring the Mean Green of North Texas yet?

Al Capone was kinder to his Chicago rivals than Texas has been to its Big 12 brethren. Even the PAC 1.

 

8. Western Kentucky [0-3]

It is good to have Big Red back where he belongs. Have an Early Times, Big Red and kick back and enjoy the ride.

9. San Jose [0-3]

Hopefully the school gets lots of cash for the annual beatings this team endures.

10. Tie

Georgia[1-2]

Beating Coastal Carolina is something to brag about?

Penn State[2-1]

Barely beating Temple is a cause to celebrate?

How the mighty 1983 Sugar Bowl programs have fallen.

Maybe Penn State can come back east and join Pitt, Syracuse, Rutgers, Maryland, U Conn and Boston College in the ACC Yankee Division. 

The Yankee Division could play the ACC South in the Appomattox Bowl each December for the conference championship. 

Idle (and hoping to idle away the season)  Oregon State [0-2]

The season is winding down and many teams are bowl bound, but many teams are also destined for more beat-downs.

In boxing these seasons would be stopped.

What sadist would march the battered New Mexico Lobos out against a TCU team trying to bang in BCS mojo?

Can't someone tell the Akron Zips to zap their season?

1. Akron Zips (0-11)

The move to Wednesday Night Football to stop the beatings does not seem to be working.  What about Tuesday afternoon or Sunday Morning?

2. Eastern Michigan Eagles (1-9)

While being beaten up and down the state of Michigan, the Eagles are giving up an average of almost 44 points a game. The only defense worse in the state is Greg Robinson's Michigan Wolverines mess.

3. Texas Longhorns (4-6)

The Big Ten is breathing a sigh of relief, thankful the losing Longhorns stayed in Texas.

4. New Mexico Lost Lobos (1-9)

Air Force, BYU, and TCU are the poor Lobos' last four hammerings. Will there be anything left? Can't they play San Jose?

5. San Jose State Spartans (1-9)

Not happy with the money they made by being brutalized by Alabama and Wisconsin, the Spartan brain trust has plans to play the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens next.

6. Memphis Tigers (1-9)

It's Battle of the Bones week as the Tigers get ready to rumble with UAB. Shame most of the Tiger bones have been broken already.

7. Colorado State Rams (3-8)

There's hope. Just look across the Rockies and see how the Buffalos have improved by jettisoning Colorado Dan Hawkins prior to their Pac-10 push.

8. Mississippi Rebels (4-6)

Maybe that new mascot should have been a shorn sheep.

9. Vanderbilt Commodores (3-8)

One wonders, as the SEC still looks towards that fragile Big 12 alliance, if they are tempted to give Vanderbilt that final Fredo Godfather boat ride.   

Money talks, walks and Wah-Watusi is in big time college sports.

10. Wyoming Cowboys (2-9)

Why did they do to motivate UNLV? Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Cowboys. 

When former Notre Dame assistant coach Rob Ianello was hired in December as the new head coach at the University of Akron, expectations were high that he would bring his recruiting magic with him from South Bend.

Ianello was the recruiting coordinator for the Irish, where he was credited with assembling three consecutive top 10 recruiting classes from 2006 to 2008. Rivals.com named him one of the top 25 recruiting coordinators for five consecutive years prior to his arrival in Akron.

So it’s no surprise that Ianello began working fast once he went to work for the Zips. He began visiting players who had already made verbal commitments for 2010, while staying busy working the phones to line up new recruits for the fall.

Wednesday Ianello announced the 23 players who make up his first recruiting class at Akron, and he is clearly pleased with the list.

The class features six players from Northeast Ohio, including two-time Ohio Division I Player of the Year Erick Howard of North Canton Hoover High School. Howard rushed for more than 6,000 yards in his career and is a member of this year’s Parade All-America team.

Whether it's Howard or someone else at tailback, they’ll have someone to run behind. Ianello signed Austin Bailey, a 6'0", 235-pound fullback from DeMatha High School in Maryland. Bailey also played defensive end, where he earned second team all-state honors.

"He's a fullback, and we felt like we needed to have a fullback in this class to do some of the things we want to do in a two-back offense," Ianello said of Bailey. "He's very physical, tough, and athletic."

Akron inked eight other top prospects from Ohio, including defensive end Nico Caponi from Sandusky, defensive back Seth Cunningham from Medina, quarterback/defensive back Zach D’Orazio from Avon Lake, Dylan Potts from Sardis, tight end Anthony Ritossa from Kirtland, wide receiver Anthony Schrock from Wadsworth, L.T. Smith from Painesville, and defensive back Carl Washington from Columbus.

Other notable signees include: defensive end Richard Hall, the top-rated prospect in West Virginia by Rivals.com , running back Giorgio Bowers, the sixth-rated prospect in Illinois by MaxPreps.com , and wide receiver Mike Bizarro, the ninth-rated prospect in Pennsylvania by MaxPreps.com .

In all, Ianello signed one quarterback, five running backs, four receivers, two linemen, and a tight end on offense, as well as two linemen, one linebacker, and five defensive backs on defense.

"This is a special day to be able to announce our first recruiting class here at the University of Akron," said Ianello. "It will always be a special place for the guys that started the foundation for what we are trying to do with our program."

"We are really pleased with how it ended up," he continued. "We don't think of it as an ending but more as a beginning of what we are doing."

While Ianello promoted the overall football program and the university to his new recruits, he admitted that one of his main selling tools was the sparkling new InfoCision Stadium, which opened last fall.

“It’s the marquee aspect of our program,” said Ianello. “It’s the crown jewel.”

In all, it’s a good start for Ianello at his new school. Last year was supposed to be a breakthrough year at Akron, to coincide with their new stadium on campus. But things disintegrated following the dismissal of starting quarterback Chris Jacquemain from the team.

Ianello has been busy building a new culture for Zips football, and it’s left an impression on his recruits.

“He’s really getting his players to buy in,” Howard told the Canton Repository . “I can see the community is starting to get involved and buy into him, too. I see success in their future.”

That’s music to the ears of Akron’s administration and athletic director, and should lead to a lot of bigger crowds filling InfoCision Stadium come fall.

Erick Howard of Hoover High School (North Canton, Ohio) will sign with the University of Akron and play for the Zips, according to reports from a number of Northeast Ohio media.

Howard ran for 2,056 yards and 27 touchdowns during his senior season, earning his second selection as Ohio’s “Mr. Football.” Howard also won the award his junior year after rushing for 2,387 yards and 31 touchdowns while leading the upstart Vikings to the state final four.

He finished his career with 6,013 rushing yards, an all-time record in Stark County, one of the nation’s high school football hotbeds. He also set county records for touchdowns (79) and points scored (478).

The two-way star, who was named Stark County and Federal League player of the year two years running, led Hoover’s defense at linebacker and was their premier kickoff return specialist.

Adding to his list of postseason honors, Howard was named to Parade Magazine’s 2009 All-America team.

Howard drew attention from BCS schools, but academics played a factor in his decision to sign with Akron. He had also been recruited heavily by Toledo, while Cincinnati, Colorado and Kent State reportedly offered scholarships as well.

According to a report by Todd Porter in The Repository (Canton, Ohio), Howard would have needed a 2.2 GPA to be considered by a BCS school for a scholarship. A 2.0 GPA will enable him to avoid Proposition 48 and play for a Mid-American Conference school as a freshman, and he may qualify.

By his own admission, Howard performed poorly in the classroom his freshman year and has been working hard to make up for it ever since.

At Akron, Howard will join new Head Coach Rob Ianello, who was hired to turn around the Zips program. Akron christened their sparkling new InfoCision Stadium on campus last fall but endured a disappointing inaugural season there.

Ianello, a former assistant coach at Notre Dame, was considered perhaps the top recruiter for the Irish under former coach Charlie Weis. Landing Howard is an early coup for the new Zips boss.

Howard will continue his career close to home. The Akron campus is just 15 minutes north of his hometown of North Canton.

For the Zips, he’ll follow in the footsteps of another star Hoover running back. Bobby Hendry played for Akron from 2000 to 2003, rushing for 2,847 yards, fifth best in school history.

Akron football fans may be a tad bit puzzled as to who exactly their new head coach is.

When the words "Notre Dame" come up, some are hoping that the Zips have hired former head coach of the Irish, Charlie Weis.

Let's be real, with their men's soccer team on the brink of an undefeated season and a national championship, the only football on the minds around people on campus is the one you kick.

But there is a lot to be excited about the Notre Dame coach the Zips actually hired, Rob Ianello.

When Akron fired J.D. Brookhart, some clamored for a coach with some name recognition.

Call up former Minnesota coach Glen Mason or one of the Bowden kids, namely Terry. Akron can't lure in a coach that's actually established somewhere else unless it's a school lower on the food chain.

So go out and get one who has already established his name, but hasn't really done anything as of late.

A retread would have been the wrong way to go. Just because a coach has been a head coach, but at a larger program, doesn't mean he will be successful at a larger one. Plus, what would you really gain from a coach with name recognition?

Not many people in Akron knew who Rob Ianello was a few days ago and some probably still don't. But don't tell that to Notre Dame's recruiting coordinator who had the Irish in the top ten of national recruiting rankings for three straight years.

Renowned recruiting guru Tom Lemming went as far as naming him as one of the top ten recruiters of the past 30 years.

One thing we know, Ianello can recruit.

He'll also have the connections to go outside of Ohio as well as inside it for players. With stops at nearly every point of the United States, Ianello can probably boast a large list of connections.

He's been with a Big Ten school up north in Wisconsin and out west in PAC-10 country with Arizona. Notre Dame's central location and national pull is certainly something that can aid him, as well as his stint in the SEC as a graduate assistant and assistant recruiting coordinator at Alabama.

This is a coach that can bring in some serious talent to the program and what's scary to the rest of the state of Ohio is the tools he is armed with to do so.

They may not be competing with Ohio State for top-flight prospects, but compared to some of the other MAC schools, Akron's facilities are top-notch.

Ianello can point to some of the MAC's best practice facilities and the newly constructed InfoCision Stadium as a strong point for possible recruits. All this in addition to some of the magic he seemed to have in other places he's been.

But as the previous staff had learned, talent alone cannot get the job done.

Injuries and in the final year of Brookhart's staff, a suspension, might have been good excuses for awhile. However there comes a point where you need to be able to overcome those excuses.

So the question now becomes. Can Ianello coach 'em up?

He's certainly learned from some that could and hopefully he picked up a few ideas. A few former bosses include Weis, Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez and recently retired Dick Tomey.

But results also speak for themselves and as wide receivers coach at Notre Dame, he certainly has a few recent success stories, including 2009 Biletnikoff Award winner Golden Tate.

Other success stories under Ianello include Owen Daniels at Wisconsin, Bobby Wade at Arizona and in addition to Tate, the recent string of wideouts at Notre Dame that also includes Jeff Samardzija.

So after browsing through some of these accomplishments, at big time universities, you tell me who you would rather have. Take a shot on an up and coming name that has been all over the nation, has worked under good coaches and has produced successful results in everything he's done.

Or re-explore someone that just didn't work out for a program that was slightly larger than yours?

This is the Mid-American Conference, a conference that you must first have success in before you go any further. You aren't contending for the National Title, but your goals must be to contend for the MAC year in and year out.

While Brian Kelly is being introduced at Ianello's old stomping grounds, all the attention will be on him and the national glamour of that job and his hiring. That's how it works in college football and that's probably how it always will.

Akron, like every other MAC school is a stepping stone, not a place of permanent residence. And the best thing for Akron is if Ianello is in some sort of position that Kelly is in years from now.

They may have not hired someone who's destined to stick around for a long time. But it's a whole lot better than hiring someone who they have to force out in five years, rather than replace because of sustained success.

In the MAC, especially the East, anything can happen. However, immediate success probably shouldn't be expected. There is a foundation for Ianello to work with, though, and it will start with quarterback Patrick Nicely.

The true freshman showed vast improvement down the stretch after starter Chris Jacquemain was kicked off the team and backup Matt Rodgers tore his ACL. Rivals top quarterback from the state of Ohio should be the front-runner to start next season.

He'll definitely have to bring in some of those prized recruits to get the ball rolling, but with top notch facilities and an expanding campus, he'll have a lot of persuasive tools.

The University of Akron has shown amazing commitment. The new on-campus stadium is just one thing, but hiring Tom Wistrcill as the athletic director and letting him go through this process the right way is something that shows they want to win.

Hopefully, Rob Ianello is the man who can help that commitment pay off.

Temple (-6.0) 20 AKRON 17

Temple is riding a 7 game win streak and sits atop the Mid American Conference while Akron is celebrating their first win of the season over a Division 1A opponent, a 28-20 home win over Kent last week. Despite the records I think this game will be pretty competitive.

Temple is solid defensively (4.9 yppl allowed to teams that would average 4.9 yppl against an average team), but Akron's defense is nearly as good, allowing just 5.5 yppl to teams that would average 5.4 yppl against an average defense. The offensive edge for Temple isn't that large either, as the Owls are 0.9 yppl worse than average offensively in 1A games (5.1 yppl against teams that would allow 6.0 yppl) while Akron is is 0.9 yppl worse than average on offense for the season (4.6 yppl against teams that would allow 5.5 yppl) and 1.0 yppl worse than average with their current personnel.

My math model favors Temple by just 3 points in this game and Akron applies to a 52-14 ATS situation. Temple does apply to a 107-47-2 ATS statistical match-up indicator but I like the Zips based on the line value and I also like the under.

Read more on my website www.drbobsports.com

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Penn State kicks off 2009 with a familiar opening day foe, the Akron Zips. The Lions have hosted the Zips three times since 1999, winning by an average score of 51-17. But what do we know about the 2009 Akron Zips? Let's find out in today's First Look.

"Hart" of the Zips

A 27-33 record as head coach doesn't usually earn you an "underrated" title in college football. I beg to differ with Zips' head man, J.D. Brookhart.

Akron has only posted two winning seasons under his guidance, but he's been able to recruit enough of his own players that things are coming around. This could be his best season. Much of his offense returns, and if the defense can make up for a bad secondary, things will pop in 2009. The defense under Brookhart has always been an issue, but last year's offensive point total of 360 was 57 points more than any previous season in his system.

Throwing with Zip

Ok, so the "zip" puns are already getting old, but they're just too easy. To the point of the pun, Akron returns a third-year starting quarterback in Chris Jacquemain, which is always a winning factor in the MAC.

Seniors Deryn Bowser (785 yds '08) and Andre Jones (678 yds '08) return, supported by senior Jeremy Bruce (345 yds '08). While it's no USC pitch-and-catch combo, Penn State will be very inexperienced at defensive back, especially early in the season.

Mighty MAC

Looking at Akron's schedule, there is no reason to expect fewer than six wins. Games at Penn State, Central Michigan, and Ohio for homecoming in the first five games are the only games I wouldn't give Akron a good chance to win. The other nine are very winnable games.

If the Zips develop and learn from the early losses, they could finish up the year on a seven game win streak, with Buffalo, Syracuse, Northern Illinois, Kent State, Temple, Bowling Green, and finishing up with Eastern Michigan. Even with a loss or two in there, that would still be seven or eight wins.

Overly optimistic? Maybe.

Totally possible? Absolutely.

From enemy territory

I asked Mike Rasor, Rasor on the Zips blogger, about the 2009 team. The tone was cautiously optimistic. Rasor pointed to the offense as the Zips' strongest suit this year.

"An experienced passing attack should keep Akron in most games. Chris Jacquemain is playing his third year as starting quarterback," Rasor told me, adding, "The Zips have loads of talent at receiver, [and] the veteran offensive line has been very dependable."

But Rasor isn't sold on the defense, as one would expect in the MAC. He said the defense could be this team's Achilles' heel.

"In the MAC, every defensive coordinator dreams of having an experienced secondary," Rasor said. "Akron is thin. It will struggle on third down."

The biggest story by far this year will be InfoCision Stadium, which will replace the old Rubber Bowl, Akron's home since 1940.

"Akron will open InfoCision Stadium vs Morgan State, the week after the Penn State game. Indiana comes to town the week after. This stadium was much needed.

"Its predecessor, the Rubber Bowl, was 15 minutes from campus and was literally crumbling," Rasor said, adding that 2009 should be "the most highly anticipated season in the program's history. If the Zips can put a scare in Penn State, it will only heighten the hype."

For more on the Akron Zips:

2009 Akron schedule

Spring Game Review

New stadium construction, Webcams

It’s sort of ironic that former Akron linebacker and iron man Kevin Grant would downplay the impact of in-game action.

It’s ironic because he saw a whole lot of in-game action in his four years at the University of Akron. In fact, he saw just about every minute he could possibly see.

Grant started in 49 straight games as a member of the Akron Zips, playing perhaps the most taxing position on the field—inside linebacker. However, Grant actually claims it’s the work on the practice field and in preparation for those consecutive games that helps him the most.

“Games aren’t won on game day,” Kevin explains. “Games are won prior to your season and in your week of preparation.”

Wise words from a young man trying to make his mark on scouts from the NFL at the upcoming Pro Day at his school. And in a world where everybody is trying to avoid the next Pacman Jones, a casual fan has to wonder what Kevin doesn’t have to offer.

He’s got the size to play at the next level. At 6’2’’ 250 pounds, he’s already got the muscle and strength that some smaller players at the collegiate level need to put on to translate to the next level. So what’s the issue? Is there possibly a small school bias involved?

“I don’t think that playing at a small school has affected me too much, other than the fact that I might be sneaking up on some people,” Kevin says, with a persistent attitude that again reflects his will to succeed, even when faced with the confusing issue of getting ignored despite his on-the-field accomplishments.

“If anything, people might say, ‘Hey, this guy is a lot better than I realized' [once they see me play].”

But for whatever reason, Grant hasn’t gotten the attention that some of his closer followers around the MAC know he deserves. The biggest obstacle in the eyes of pro scouts? Speed and measurements.

“I just want to get my speed a little better, and improve my numbers, things like that,” Grant said when asked what exactly he had to prove at Akron’s pro day, where Zip football players will showcase their skills for prospective employers. Scouts have questioned his ability to move like an NFL player and chase down ball carriers, but he’ll have the chance to prove all of them wrong in Akron.

Although he might not be clocking superior 40 times and vertical leaps, the off-the-field intangibles certainly seem to be all there for Kevin. In a league where late-round picks often turn into stars because of an amazing work ethic and a level head, Grant certainly seems to fit that profile. Already a confessed game film junkie, he admits to watching more film than any teammate he’s ever had.

The most important element of a linebacker is unquestionably their tenacity. And that’s something that Kevin certainly developed during his years in college.

“[Those years] taught me that, in everything that I do, to prepare for the most extreme situations, to always be prepared for everything. As a person, just be persistent and try hard in everything that you do.”

No matter how next week’s combine goes for Kevin, there’s no question that this is just the beginning for him. Just like 329 plays that he made in his four years as a Zip, Kevin has got this dream in his sights. You’re crazy if you think he’s going to stop before he chases it down.

In the last game ever at the Rubber Bowl, the fans and the teams never wanted to leave. The game was sent into four OTs before Buffalo defeated Akron 43-40 on a A.J. Principe 40-yard field goal after Buffalo recovered an Akron fumble.

Buffalo got off to an early 10-0 lead on a Drew Willy 24 yard pass and a Principe 28 yard field goal. Akron answered with a Dennis Kennedy 57-yard touchdown reception.

Buffalo then gave James Starks the ball, and he scored from three yards out before Akron capped off the first half with a 49-yard field goal.

In the first half, Akron missed 27- and 50-yard field goals and only punted once. Buffalo went 4-4 on fourth down, held the ball for 22:39 and also only punted once.

In the second half, Akron tied the game with a 24-yard Kennedy run. Buffalo then turned to Starks once again, and this time he took it in from five yards out. Kennedy then tied the game with a one-yard run with 23 seconds to go to send the game into overtime.

From, there chaos ensued. Here are the scoring plays in each overtime.

OT1: Buffalo scores on Willy one yard sneak on fourth down.

        Akron scores on a Mike Newton tipped ball that was caught by Dashan Miller.

OT2: Akron kicks 42 yard field goal.

        Buffalo kicks 24 yard field goal.

OT3: Buffalo scores on Starks one yard run. Buffalo tries a fade to Naaman Roosevelt for 2 but fails.

        Akron scores on Kennedy one yard run. Akron tries to throw a curl route but ball was forced to be thrown into ground.

OT4: Akron fumbles exchange on play action pass and Buffalo recovers.

        Buffalo runs the ball three times and kicks 40 yard field goal to win.

In the end Starks had 241 yards of total offense, including 151 rushing yards on 37 carries.

Kennedy has 142 yards on 25 carries and caught five passes for 121 yards. Willy went 27-of-39 for 252 yards while his counterpart Chris Jacquemain went 20/38 for 295 yards.

Buffalo improves to 6-4 (4-2) and has gained sole possession of first place in the MAC East, become bowl eligible for the first time as a Division 1-A program and will win the division with a win next week against Bowling Green.

Akron falls to 5-5 (3-3) and has to hope Buffalo loses to both Bowling Green and Kent State (and Bowling Green loses to Toledo) in order for them to have a shot at going to the MAC Championship game in Detroit.

In order for that to occur, Akron would also have to beat Ohio and Temple in their last two games.