Today's SAT question: SD is to GP as SB is to...
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2019 10:47 amThere's been a bit a of chatter of Sunny Dykes being our Gary Patterson - a coach that will stick around SMU for a long time and bring it an extended period of success.
Just as importantly, I'd like to make the case that Shane Buchele is our... LT.
Before Fran went to TCU, TCU was awful, for an extended period of time. Like SMU in the 90s awful.
Fran was able to turn the program around and get them winning again. Think of him as their June Jones, the first coach to have success in a really long time.
However the 7, 8, and 9 win seasons didn't really move the needle. Attendance moved up a little bit, barely into the 20K range, but that was about it.
It wasn't until LT came along that things really changed. LT was a game-changing player. Someone who got TCU national attention. On top of that, the win totals got into the double digits. They were able to maintain that momentum, earning double digit wins for the next decade-plus, getting their attendance into the 30s (what the stadium could hold at the time), and eventually getting an invite into the Big 12.
Double digit wins is a big deal. It gets attention. You can't do it without succeeding both in the non-conference as well as conference schedule. Shane Buechele has an opportunity to bring us back-to-back double digit winning seasons. As the coaches have said, QBs take a massive step forward in year two in the offense. His RPO decision making and the offensive line will get better.
He will be firmly in the Heisman discussion for next season. Just as important as we have an opportunity to make SD our GP, SB has the opportunity to be our LT.
Just as importantly, I'd like to make the case that Shane Buchele is our... LT.
Before Fran went to TCU, TCU was awful, for an extended period of time. Like SMU in the 90s awful.
Fran was able to turn the program around and get them winning again. Think of him as their June Jones, the first coach to have success in a really long time.
However the 7, 8, and 9 win seasons didn't really move the needle. Attendance moved up a little bit, barely into the 20K range, but that was about it.
It wasn't until LT came along that things really changed. LT was a game-changing player. Someone who got TCU national attention. On top of that, the win totals got into the double digits. They were able to maintain that momentum, earning double digit wins for the next decade-plus, getting their attendance into the 30s (what the stadium could hold at the time), and eventually getting an invite into the Big 12.
Double digit wins is a big deal. It gets attention. You can't do it without succeeding both in the non-conference as well as conference schedule. Shane Buechele has an opportunity to bring us back-to-back double digit winning seasons. As the coaches have said, QBs take a massive step forward in year two in the offense. His RPO decision making and the offensive line will get better.
He will be firmly in the Heisman discussion for next season. Just as important as we have an opportunity to make SD our GP, SB has the opportunity to be our LT.