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Sonny seems to have beaten the November jinx. He left SMU better than how he found it. For that I am grateful. At this point, I hope Sonny takes it all. This will once again show SMU administration what can happen to a small private school, in a hot bed recruiting area, if they are committed to succeed.

The end of the TCU/Baylor game was exciting. Sonny said they practiced that last minute, time running out field goal drive every Thursday. Sonny had a similar trick up his sleeve when SMU beat Louisiana Tech on the Hail Mary jump ball last year.

bubba pony wrote:Sonny seems to have beaten the November jinx. He left SMU better than how he found it. For that I am grateful. At this point, I hope Sonny takes it all. This will once again show SMU administration what can happen to a small private school, in a hot bed recruiting area, if they are committed to succeed.

If SMU administration hasn't figured it out by now... lol
TCU is #4 in the nation and we're #5 in the AAC. The difference is not subtle.

mtrout wrote:

bubba pony wrote:Sonny seems to have beaten the November jinx. He left SMU better than how he found it. For that I am grateful. At this point, I hope Sonny takes it all. This will once again show SMU administration what can happen to a small private school, in a hot bed recruiting area, if they are committed to succeed.

If SMU administration hasn't figured it out by now... lol
TCU is #4 in the nation and we're #5 in the AAC. The difference is not subtle.

We’re doing great this in spite of what Sonny did on the way out. He’s good because he took his whole staff with him. Players transferred. Hell Lavine has had more yards in a single game than Bentley has all season at Ole Miss. Sony is good in TCU cause he destroyed any ego these players had before he left. Additionally we have played some really good and ranked teams this year.

We’re doing great this in spite of what Sonny did on the way out

We’re doing “great”? We must not have been watching the same team.

Arkpony wrote:We’re doing “great”? We must not have been watching the same team.

That's the core of the problem. No one at SMU thinks peaking at 5th in the AAC is a problem. Low pressure, low accountability, low results...but lots of excuses!

Admissions and our majors are not sport friendly!
FIXED.
we get 5th place.

We don't have an Indoor practice facility!
FIXED.
we get 5th place.

Dallas is not behind us!
Mayor Johnson publicly supports us on a consistent basis.
we get 5th place.

Our donor base is not mobilized!
Multiple NIL collectives form and unite to provide the players ~30K + additional individual NIL opportunities.
we get 5th place.

We don't get good TV placement!
We're on ESPN prime time Thursday night as the only game in town.
we lose to Tulane by 35.

soccermom wrote:Mark it as the 1st time I’m going for ut.

Aw, c'mon Mom...I always root for the Ponies except for one game a year.

mtrout wrote:

Arkpony wrote:We’re doing “great”? We must not have been watching the same team.

That's the core of the problem. No one at SMU thinks peaking at 5th in the AAC is a problem. Low pressure, low accountability, low results...but lots of excuses!

Admissions and our majors are not sport friendly!
FIXED.
we get 5th place.

We don't have an Indoor practice facility!
FIXED.
we get 5th place.

Dallas is not behind us!
Mayor Johnson publicly supports us on a consistent basis.
we get 5th place.

Our donor base is not mobilized!
Multiple NIL collectives form and unite to provide the players ~30K + additional individual NIL opportunities.
we get 5th place.

We don't get good TV placement!
We're on ESPN prime time Thursday night as the only game in town.
we lose to Tulane by 35.

This is one of the best posts I have ever seen on this forum.

GoMustAAngs2007 wrote:

mtrout wrote:

Arkpony wrote:We’re doing “great”? We must not have been watching the same team.

That's the core of the problem. No one at SMU thinks peaking at 5th in the AAC is a problem. Low pressure, low accountability, low results...but lots of excuses!

Admissions and our majors are not sport friendly!
FIXED.
we get 5th place.

We don't have an Indoor practice facility!
FIXED.
we get 5th place.

Dallas is not behind us!
Mayor Johnson publicly supports us on a consistent basis.
we get 5th place.

Our donor base is not mobilized!
Multiple NIL collectives form and unite to provide the players ~30K + additional individual NIL opportunities.
we get 5th place.

We don't get good TV placement!
We're on ESPN prime time Thursday night as the only game in town.
we lose to Tulane by 35.

This is one of the best posts I have ever seen on this forum.

100%

mtrout wrote:

Arkpony wrote:We’re doing “great”? We must not have been watching the same team.

That's the core of the problem. No one at SMU thinks peaking at 5th in the AAC is a problem. Low pressure, low accountability, low results...but lots of excuses!

Admissions and our majors are not sport friendly!
FIXED.
we get 5th place.

We don't have an Indoor practice facility!
FIXED.
we get 5th place.

Dallas is not behind us!
Mayor Johnson publicly supports us on a consistent basis.
we get 5th place.

Our donor base is not mobilized!
Multiple NIL collectives form and unite to provide the players ~30K + additional individual NIL opportunities.
we get 5th place.

We don't get good TV placement!
We're on ESPN prime time Thursday night as the only game in town.
we lose to Tulane by 35.

!!!

GoMustAAngs2007 wrote:

mtrout wrote:

Arkpony wrote:We’re doing “great”? We must not have been watching the same team.

That's the core of the problem. No one at SMU thinks peaking at 5th in the AAC is a problem. Low pressure, low accountability, low results...but lots of excuses!

Admissions and our majors are not sport friendly!
FIXED.
we get 5th place.

We don't have an Indoor practice facility!
FIXED.
we get 5th place.

Dallas is not behind us!
Mayor Johnson publicly supports us on a consistent basis.
we get 5th place.

Our donor base is not mobilized!
Multiple NIL collectives form and unite to provide the players ~30K + additional individual NIL opportunities.
we get 5th place.

We don't get good TV placement!
We're on ESPN prime time Thursday night as the only game in town.
we lose to Tulane by 35.

This is one of the best posts I have ever seen on this forum.

As a very active letterman friend says: our DCC (Dallas Country Club) 10 are just fine with whatever Gerald thinks is acceptable and they have few worries as maintaining the status quo works for them.

mtrout wrote:

Arkpony wrote:We’re doing “great”? We must not have been watching the same team.

That's the core of the problem. No one at SMU thinks peaking at 5th in the AAC is a problem. Low pressure, low accountability, low results...but lots of excuses!

Admissions and our majors are not sport friendly!
FIXED.
we get 5th place.

We don't have an Indoor practice facility!
FIXED.
we get 5th place.

Dallas is not behind us!
Mayor Johnson publicly supports us on a consistent basis.
we get 5th place.

Our donor base is not mobilized!
Multiple NIL collectives form and unite to provide the players ~30K + additional individual NIL opportunities.
we get 5th place.

We don't get good TV placement!
We're on ESPN prime time Thursday night as the only game in town.
we lose to Tulane by 35.

In the past 20+ years, SMU has changed everything (including ADs) except the president. Is your contention that the president is what's blocking SMU from advancing to the top to the AAC?

When the AD doesn’t have any pressure from above to consistently perform and deliver results,
apathy prevails. He has a free pass to alienate others without a care in the world. Since he has successfully managed his environment, perhaps he is a much smarter “man” than everyone one else on Ponyfans.

My belief is that Orsini gave the 'full-speed-ahead' thing a shot. He had a lot of shortcomings but a drive to win was not one of them. I think the excellence path he pushed for caused significant friction within the SMU status quo and he was removed.

To be successful, I think we need a unified vision top to bottom. Subtle constant pressure to win backed by full support at all levels. I don't know what Oliver Luck does exactly for SMU but I think having someone like him giving a second pair of eyes to things is a great idea and a step in the right direction.

Winning is really hard. It's Game of Thrones where you have to be Bill Belichick mixed with Eric Thomas. I do think we're getting close to getting things rolling in football.

Right now, I'm hoping RGT can help the university by working his magic with a P5 conference.

Congrats to Tulane for taking down Cincy at Nippert.

mtrout wrote:My belief is that Orsini gave the 'full-speed-ahead' thing a shot. He had a lot of shortcomings but a drive to win was not one of them. I think the excellence path he pushed for caused significant friction within the SMU status quo and he was removed.

Although I agree with your premise, wasn't Orsini the one who "did not want" Larry Brown because he was "washed up" and wasn't it Turner who actually overruled him? I might be mis-rembering