Remember: No expectations

[BRStang]

No expectations that SMU won't turn the ball over 3 or 4 times or fumble on the goalline;
No expectations that the coaches make good decisions and play calls;
No expectations that it will not be a Tulsa blowout;
And, most certainly, no expections that SMU will win.
In your mind, it should be no different than if we were playing Ohio State.

Trust me, you'll have a much better weekend. Your sanity is too important. I'd be remiss if I didn't give props to jtstang for being the first to espouse this philosophy on PF.com.

GEAUX MUSTANGS!!!!

[BUS]

Sound like a QUITTER.

Glad you were never on my teams.

[BRStang]

Not a quitter. If I was, I would've quit following this team long ago like 99% of SMU alums.

That said, I am NOT on the team. I have no control over what they do. That's why I cannot have any expectations--EITHER WAY.

[perunapower]

Sure does sound like a quitter. I don't want to be pleasantly surprised when we win. I will be sad if we lose. I want this team to win, so that is the expectation I hold them to.

[BRStang]

Exactly. You'll be sad if we lose. I don't know how long you've been a fan, but after nearly 20 years, I cannot continue to "be sad" and put my family through it every weekend during football season. It finally ended at NTSU.

[BUS]

OK, I can understand how you may get sad. I have too. The point is never bring the field home. Yes, it is hard not to.

Keep the fighting Spirit. Think of yourself as being a member of the "Mustang Militia". We come to fight. Every Saturday, every year, every decade. NEVER give up.

Train harder, yell louder, ring that bell of victory ( Free on the Boulevard )

Keep the victory in sight and FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT.

For the M U S T A N G S

[Stallion]

why not base expectations on recruiting success-you'll rarely be surprised by SMU's performance. Recruit well for 3 consecitive years -Count to 3 and 4 and raise your expectations. SMU has recruited mediocre talent in a poor recruiting conference=mediocity defined by 5-5 record.

[perunapower]

Exactly. You'll be sad if we lose. I don't know how long you've been a fan, but after nearly 20 years, I cannot continue to "be sad" and put my family through it every weekend during football season. It finally ended at NTSU.

Just like BUS said, you gotta keep your chin up and keeping on fightin'.

[ponyfan84]

I expect this team to go out every week, give it their all and win. Will I be dissapointed? Most likely, but hey, thats the best part about rooting for a losing team....when they lose its no big deal, but when they win its a great feeling. If you root for a good team like Texas, its no big deal when they win, but when they lose it feels like the world is about to end.

We should all have expecations this team will play to their fullest and do everything they can to get that W.

[Pony_Fan]

There is positive, there is negative, and there is realistic.

Stallion is right - mediocre recruiting = mediocre record.

[BrianTinBigD]

Always expect to win! You may come away with a loss at the end of the day but if you expect to lose you will. I could not imagine leading my life where I had no expectations to win or lose. In fact, recently I worked a deal at my company where we won $1.7B in new business with a brand new logo. When the announcement was made that we had won, I was sitting next to our sales VP. He turned to me and told me that this was a great upset and he never thought we had a chance. I looked at him and informed him that I only played to win and never expected to lose.

That is the same way I look at SMU athletics. I expect is to win. I expect us to fix what ever we need to make us a better football and team. I expect us to out recruit and out hustle every other school in the state of Texas. I don't care about the BCS or BIG 12. I expect us to be the best. Mediocrity is not acceptable and I expect Orsini to make us better. If he does not then we get rid of him. The same goes for our coach. If you expect to win and do what is necessary to win then you will.

As for the rest of you that have no expectations I hope you enjoy the rest of the season in football purgatory

[BRStang]

I think you're speech is highly appropriate for the team. I don't think it is applicable to SMU fandom. Again, all we can do is sit there with our fingers crossed--we have no control over a bunch of 18-21 year olds. I'm not saying I don't "hope" we win. I just don't EXPECT a win or a loss.

[alamocitystang]

[quote="Stallion"]why not base expectations on recruiting success-you'll rarely be surprised by SMU's performance. Recruit well for 3 consecitive years -Count to 3 and 4 and raise your expectations. SMU has recruited mediocre talent in a poor recruiting conference=mediocity defined by 5-5 record.[/quote]

Not saying I don't agree with you, but mediocrity at the highest level of college football is pretty d*mn good. I would love to be fighting for seven wins every year. I am the biggest Phil Bennet fan on earth. I cannot say enough good things about his recruiting ability. He has recruited decent (glass half full) players in years that I have had absolutely no faith in this program. He is great in making people believe in this team. We have a frosh QB out there and we are fighting for 7 wins!!!! If you can't get excited about that then just root for someone else.

And because I know no one else will, I want to give props to the O-line who came up big in the second half. What heart. What a performance. BEAT RICE!!!

[KnuckleStang]

I was definitely pleasantly surprised today. go stangs

[jtstang]

I was definitely pleasantly surprised today. go stangs

Me too. And not just that, proud of those guys too.