The morning after

Football

Set aside all the thoughts of "Only losers are pleased without winning."

When a MAC team visits a ranked Big Ten team, the realistic goal is to show you can play with them. Winning, at this point at least, takes a ton of luck.

So I'm not upset about Akron's 34-16 loss to Penn State. Here's why...

• Joe Paterno kept his starters on the field until the end.


• John Mackey has turned into a playmaker. He plays on a defense full of them.


• Luke Getsy confirmed he is a great quarterback.


• The search for a second receiver seems solved. Remember these words: David Harvey is going to be a pro.

That said, Akron has some things to work on...

• Special teams must establish some consistency. There is nothing I hate more than wondering if an extra point will go in.


• The left part of the offensive line has to better protect Getsy's blind side.


• The secondary did not show me much. I know Derrick Williams is ridiculously fast, but the Zips' DBs looked out of position on many plays.

All in all, I think Terry Pluto got it right.

Volleyball

Akron rebounded from two losses Friday by beating Rhode Island Saturday, 3-1.

Going 1-2 this weekend is a tad disappointing after a strong tournament in West Virginia. But consider this: Akron's freshmen continue to impress. Colleen Dryja made the all-tournament team.

Miscellaneous

I have compliments for one Zips Web site and a question for another:

• The new GoZips.com looks really friggin good. I just hope the content matches the design.


• FearTheRoo.net's countdown only ended with a message: "JoePa fears the roo." Today, the site says "We've only just begun!" If the owner wants to lure fans from ZipsNation.org, he or she will have a difficult time and better have a heckuva gimmick.