Nebraska’s reconstruction process officially begins Labor Day weekend, with the Akron Zips being Scott Frost’s first opponent. Last season, the Zips finished the season with a 7-7 record. A 37-34 upset of Frank Solich’s Ohio Bobcats sprung Akron into the MAC Championship game and a December to forget. Akron was outscored 95-31 in the final two games, capped by a 50-3 loss to Lane Kiffin and Florida Atlanta in the Boca Raton Bowl.
So while the Zips were just good enough to go 6-2 in the MAC, it wasn’t like they were rolling. In Bill Connelly’s S&P rankings, Akron ranked 112th nationally.