Two years ago, Akron entered the 2018 season with 20 wins (and two bowl appearances) over the last three seasons, tying the program's three-year record for both. When Akron officially begins the 2020 season against Youngstown State on Sept. 5, they'll do so without a win in 679 days.
Ranked 127th in the HERO Sports Preseason College Football Rankings, Akron was the only winless FBS team last season, going 0-12 to become the first FBS winless team since UTEP's 0-fer in 2017. They failed to score a touchdown in four straight games and couldn't run the ball against anyone. Even against Bowling Green, one of the worst rush defenses in the FBS (6.1 yards per carry), the Zips were helpless. Their offensive ranked 123rd or worse in six of Football Outsiders' eight categories for offensive lines, including a staggering stuff rate of 26.8 percent, one of the worst recorded rates of all times.
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Despite losing three of their top four tackles, there's at least hope (and some talent) on defense. The defensive line and secondary return five combined starters and several other contributors, and even with a gutted linebacker room, all-conference candidate Bubba Arslanian is back in the middle for a unit that showed up for a few games and played respectably through that four-game slog.
With Youngstown State and New Mexico State on the schedules for Weeks 1 and 2, we'll know very early if Akron will, frankly, suck again in 2020. And if they suck again in 2020, one of the best Group of Five stadiums will have 54 people in the stands again come November.
| Date | Opponent | Prediction |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 5 | vs. Youngstown State | Win (1-0) |
| Sept. 12 | at New Mexico State | Loss (1-1) |
| Sept. 19 | at Clemson | Loss (1-2) |
| Sept. 26 | vs. Miami (OH) | Loss (1-3) |
| Oct. 3 | at Buffalo | Loss (1-4) |
| Oct. 10 | at Kent State | Loss (1-5) |
| Oct. 17 | vs. UMass | Win (2-5) |
| Oct. 24 | at Ball State | Loss (2-6) |
| Oct. 31 | at Toledo | Loss (2-7) |
| Nov. 14 | vs. Bowling Green | Loss (2-8) |
| Nov. 21 | vs. Western Michigan | Loss (2-9) |
| Nov. 27 | at Ohio | Loss (2-10) |
