Sorry, a conference realignment thread

[SMU 86]

The conference schedule is pretty easy. No reason SMU should not be expected to win 6 or so games.

[Big12Mustang]

The conference schedule is pretty easy. Not reason SMU should be expected to win 6 or so games.

My dream season would mean we beat Houston, Cincy, USF, UConn, Tulsa, ECU, Memphis, UNT and TCU. 9-3 (7-1 AAC)

Nightmare season we only beat Memphis, USF and UNT. 3-8 (2-6 AAC)

[Pony81]

I see the nightmare scenario as more likely.
JJ is mentally and emotionally gone. Bags are packed. He 's ready to go. Taxi's waiting he's blowing his horn......

Thanks to 4 bowl games the world no longer thinks we suck. Hopefully this year we won't have any embarrassing games where we get blown out and it gets national pub.

We are terrible in football and hopefully the next coach will be able to get us competitive in the AAC.

[ponyboy]

Are we terrible in football? Is five and seven terrible? Disappointing, maybe. But terrible? How about taking number 15 UCF down to the wire in the last game of the season, a record fifth bowl just barely missed to a team that destroyed Baylor in their next game? That doesn't sound terrible to me.


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[couch 'em]

Who are the 5 and who are the 7. Could be terrible could be decent. Meaningless.

Sagarin however is much more scientific and unbiased. We finished 2013 ranked #102. Terrible, that year at least.

[Big12Mustang]

Who are the 5 and who are the 7. Could be terrible could be decent. Meaningless.

Sagarin however is much more scientific and unbiased. We finished 2013 ranked #102. Terrible, that year at least.

4 of those were embarrassing blowout losses to our SWC rivals Tech, Aggy, TCU and Houston

3 of those were close heartbreakers to Cincy, UCF and Rutgers.

Bad year, not terrible.

However, if we would have lost to Montana State and Memphis...now that would be terrible!

[Pony81]

Ummm.... When you are Ranked 102 out of what 124 D1 teams then yes I would say we are terrible.

Next year will be worse because we don't have GG. He alone accounted for most of our offense.

I love SMU like most on this board but I calling it like I see it.
Next year will bring us blow out losses to BU and TAMU ( our " decent " games where they pull the starters at half). TCU will beat us - hopefully they don't rub our nose in it.

Then we play the AAC schedule and we will pick up 3 maybe 4 wins.

For SMU to struggle in a mediocre conference with our facilities, support, recruiting base, and academic offering is shameful.

On to the next coach . BTW I still buy season tickets year in and year out.

[orguy]

Let me throw a hypothetical out there. I predicted somewhere else that JJ's going to exceed expectations in his final year here. Let's say he does that, and that we get into a bowl and maybe sniff being ranked to end the season. He leaves smelling pretty good and then we hire our third big name guy in a row (first JJ, then LB, then...)

Given our basketball program, given the fact that we actually can capture Dallas' and the nation's attention, and given the crowds that would attend football games if we do as I've predicted in football. Would we be a target in the upcoming re-reshuffle?

Well, its time for June to go after this season unless he pulls some type of miracle. Another toilet bowl win would be the absolute best one could hope for but even this is unlikely. The real transformation of SMU as a brand has occurred under LB and NOT JJ. Beating up Pitt and Fresno State was fun but no one watched or really even noticed those low tier bowl games nationally. Its just not the same. I enjoyed those victories but our Football team just does not have the type of athletes to compete in a Big 12 type scenario. June has done nothing to change this. He has not tried to capitalize on the limited success the program has achieved in regards to recruiting imho.

JJ is not LB and its unlikely we attract an LB type to the football program anytime soon. Ever hear of a top prospect outside of Oahu stating they want to play for JJ because he is a legend?

[Water Pony]

Right now our best bet is to lead the building and branding of the AAC. Do you think the BE teams at this point regret their choice when 5 AAC teams were in the Top 25 and two only BE teams in hoops? We will have teams in or near the following markets. Dallas, Houston, NY, Philly, DC, Cincinnati, Raleigh, Memphis, Orlando, Tampa, New Orleans, and Tulsa. Navy has a national fan base as well. With Maryland leaving the ACC in football and heading to the Big Ten along with Rutgers. We now will be competing for fans with the ACC, B1G, SEC, Big XII. The good news is that conference brand loyalty is gone. WVU hasn't found a natural rival in the Big XII. Maryland has to replace its rivalry with UVA and UNC with whom? Rutgers lost its rivalry with Syracuse and who will take their place? So, how do we do this? Win OOC games, its that simple. We play TCU every year. We play teams like Baylor, A&M, Tech. We need to win those games. Temple plays PSU and Pitt. Part of the Rutgers, BC, Syracuse deals was that they had to play games with UConn, Cincy, USF. UCF seems to get an SEC team every year. ECU gets an ACC team every year. Tulane gets LSU every year. Navy gets ND every year. The only way the conference survives is to raise the level of play and win our OOC game. If we can do that, then games will get viewship in these metro areas, fans will start to come to games, and then we'll be a threat to the Big XII, SEC, B1G, and ACC. When that happens, the Mafia way is to either whack the interloper (by raiding our conference) or the Machiavellian way to invite us to the table. Is it a dream, yes. But we have to play the hand we're dealt. Memphis, UH, UConn, Cincy, Temple, UCF, USF, ECU have very few recruiting restrictions. Tulsa, SMU, and Tulane have to please the faculty to some degree, but have lots to offer recruits.

EastStang, you are spot on. Appearing to be looking past our current girlfriend, The American, is a bit unseemly. If we are committed and perform well with the AAC, we will be happy with the results, while strengthening our national brand, as you outlined. I am open to new possibilities, but we need to deliver where we are now and help our conference be truly first among the non-Power Conferences. Being pursued and deserving it is better than flirting with others, when we are a 6 on a 10 scale in FB.

[StangEsq]

3-8 is not the nightmare scenario. We will be underdogs at UNT and probably USF by the time that game comes around. One win is the nightmare. This team is incredibly bereft of talent at this point, and it will be even worse next year barring some transfers for the next coach.

[JasonB]

3-8 is not the nightmare scenario. We will be underdogs at UNT and probably USF by the time that game comes around. One win is the nightmare. This team is incredibly bereft of talent at this point, and it will be even worse next year barring some transfers for the next coach.

Look, anything under .500 is going to be a nightmare scenario for any true fan of SMU.

Even in our horrible year last year, we were .500 in conference.

But saying we are bereft of talent, that is going way too far.

DL is above average in conference. RB is above average in conference. S is going to be above average in conference.

Within the AAC, the big talent gaps are really at WR and LB (depth for LB). If we struggle at OL, QB, or CB it isn't going to be talent, it is going to be youth.

Looking at our schedule, I think we are 5-7 next year:
Balyor - L
UNT - W (they graduated a lot)
A&M - L
TCU - L
ECU - L
Cincy - L
Memphis - W
Tulsa - W
USF - W
UCF - L
Houston - L
UCONN - W

I suspect we might get destroyed early in the season. But when we get to the weaker part of the conference schedule, our OL, QB, and CB positions will be more experienced and will play better.

[TidePony]

If we lose all 4 of the out of conference games, then JJ needs to get the "Lane Kiffin" treatment.

[Big12Mustang]

If we lose all 4 of the out of conference games, then JJ needs to get the "Lane Kiffin" treatment.

Agree. If we lose all OOC and lose vs ECU and Cincy, he should be fired.

[sbsmith]

If we lose all 4 of the out of conference games, then JJ needs to get the "Lane Kiffin" treatment.

WHEN we lose all 4 of the out of conference games, Rick Gosselin write another SMU hit piece to absolve JJ of all blame. A not-so-subtle reminder from June to SMU that if he gets fired he will make sure to scorch the earth on his way out.

[Pony Fan]

If we lose all 4 of the out of conference games, then JJ needs to get the "Lane Kiffin" treatment.

WHEN we lose all 4 of the out of conference games, Rick Gosselin write another SMU hit piece to absolve JJ of all blame. A not-so-subtle reminder from June to SMU that if he gets fired he will make sure to scorch the earth on his way out.

He already has scorched the football program.