1310 The Ticket on TCU Mt. West and SMU

[ReedFrawg]

TCU made a mistake to leave...they would be in the exact same situation had they stayed in CUSA...just barely out of the BCS.

I don't see it as a mistake either way. This is exactly why I don't care if we're in CUSA or the MWC...it doesn't really matter if both are non-BCS. What's the difference between playing Marshall or Wyoming (Tulsa or New Mexico)? The average fan doesn't care about either opponent.

Now, what happens to TCU if THEY lose Patterson?[/quote]

People said we were screwed once Fran left and that was 6 years ago. I think (and hope) we've had a long enough period of sustained success that we can get a good coach to step in and keep us playing at a high level.

[PhirePhilBennett]

TCU made a mistake to leave...they would be in the exact same situation had they stayed in CUSA...just barely out of the BCS.

I don't see it as a mistake either way. This is exactly why I don't care if we're in CUSA or the MWC...it doesn't really matter if both are non-BCS. What's the difference between playing Marshall or Wyoming (Tulsa or New Mexico)? The average fan doesn't care about either opponent.

Now, what happens to TCU if THEY lose Patterson?

People said we were screwed once Fran left and that was 6 years ago. I think (and hope) we've had a long enough period of sustained success that we can get a good coach to step in and keep us playing at a high level.[/quote]

No one with intelligence said you were screwed when Fran left...everyone in the know knew that Patterson was his defensive architect...there was only the question of whether he could head coach.

Yes, it doesn't matter whether you play Marshall or Wyoming...but your travels are killing your non-Rev sports, and it will eventually catch up to Football as well.

So, it it doesn't matter, then why leave?

So far, TCU hasn't gained a thing in the move, but what Basketball player wants to travel out west like that...those guys are NEVER going to be on tv in Texas. Nevermind all the other sports ...

[bagice]

I never thought that TCU moving would hurt their recruiting, to me that is a non issue, TCU is TCU and the players they recruit and get would have come to TCU regardless of conference.

I can see a bit of an advantage to be with BYU, Utah, and New Mexico if any litigation goes down, but I really don't see how a anti-trust suit could just favor the MWC, you would have to figure they would have to let other conferences in as well, or it is still a violation of anti-trust.

As some frogs have pointed out, if neither conference is BCS, the league really doesn't matter and that is where I think that they would have been better off in C-USA, mainly because you guys could have been a dominate force and would have a better chance at a BCS bowl. Look at this year, you guys had an awesome team that probably would have swept the table in C-USA but you could not get past BYU and Utah. TCU is much better than SMU I will admit, but in the long run you have to realize it will be hard to outrecruit BYU and Utah on a consistent basis, you very well could be playing second fiddle your whole run there. Sure, you may win a title every now and then but I would be willing to wager if this thing holds up for 10 years, BYU and Utah would have more MWC championships than TCU. Not a knock on TCU, I love what you guys have done, but just the fact that a small private school cannot outrecruit and outplay the big boys on a consistent basis. IMO, C-USA was the perfect fit for TCU and they could have ruled the roost and the whole league would have improved over time and it would have been good for everybody.

/cheers

[deepellumfrog]

Solid points about attendance and non-conference rivalries.

FYI we had 7 bowl tie-ins this year according to the C-USA website. The Hawaii bowl and Texas bowl (in Houston) I believe are conditional. This year C-USA had 5 teams bowling out of 12. MWC had 3 of 9, percentages favored us at least this year.

Since TCU is the team in question and we're arguing which conference is best for TCU you can't really use the "MWC has 2 top-25 teams" argument when you're one of the top 25. If you were still in the CUSA then it'd be even at 1 team from each conference in the top 25. Still MWC has one team other than TCU in the top 25 which, granted, is more than the C-USA has. I just looked it up and TCU isn't in the BCS Top 25, but are in the AP, Coaches and Harris, so your ranking's somewhat marginal anyway.

Sorry, you're going to have to explain the whole BCS anti-trust thing to me to help make that point.

Looks like we have a conditional tie in to the Texas Bowl too. Not the MWC, just TCU

http://www.texasbowl.org/about.asp

OK, lets say they actually set a minimum attendance for D-1A football, and make it stick this time. Are we better off playing Tulsa, Houston and SMU, or Air Force, Utah, and BYU? And it has been discussed several times in the past 10 years.

[Stallion]

Yeah no Ponyfans said that TCU was DOOOOMMMED when Coach Fran left. Can't remember a single one!!!!!!!! And to the poster suggesting that TCU made a mistake because they can't outrecruit BYU and Utah consistently-what a wimpy, loser typical SMU fan. First TCU HAS outrecruited those schools consistently. Second, why in the hell would you want to be in a conference which didn't have quality programs like that. Typical lowering down of the standards SMU fan wanting to be in a [deleted] conference so they might actually be able to compete with the other loser schools. Here's a novel idea-why don't we build a program designed to be Top 25 consistently? I thought that was the plan.

[bagice]

You are the one that is being delusional now Stallion. You seem to love TCU so much and brag about their recruiting and how they do things right, but get real, after all that, the best you can hope for is a Top 25 finish and playing a crappy team in a bowl. That will be true any year of any team in a non BCS conference. However, Boise St. ran the table and gets to play in the BCS because they played in a weaker conference, I bet we would all like to be there instead of them.

Strive for greatness, do the best you can, but don't be so stupid as to think that any of us can play at the top level consistently, not even your precious TCU can do that even though you consider them to be doing everything right. They don't have much to show for it.

Our goals should be to win conference championships, if you think anyone outside of the BCS could do more than creep into a BCS bowl bid once in a blue moon, you are being a sunshiner to the nth degree.


Edit: And to all the TCU readers I want to point out that I was in no way diminishing what you guys have accomplished or the seasons you have had, I was trying to point out that in the big picture, MWC, WAC, C-USA, there is really not much of difference, the goals in each are similar and it is my opinion that it would have been nice if TCU would have stayed with other similar schools like Rice, SMU, Tulsa, Tulane because of the geographic and institutional similarities.

[ReedFrawg]

No one with intelligence said you were screwed when Fran left...everyone in the know knew that Patterson was his defensive architect...there was only the question of whether he could head coach.

I disagree with this. There were lots of fans (from SMU and TCU) who thought that our brief success would be gone once Fran (and LT) left. That kind of talk continued in 2001 when we went 6-6. Maybe not from you, but from a lot of folks.

As for moving to the MWC, I'm not going to post that we are any better off now but I'm not going to say we are in a worse position either. As for the non-rev sports (which includes TCU bball right now!), I don't really care about them. We're not in a BCS league so it doesn't make much difference to me personally.

As for TCU not being able to beat BYU and Utah, I would disagree on that point for a number of reasons that probably don't need to be typed here.

[The PonyGrad]

While the MWC may not have hurt TCU's recruiting what about basketball or other sports? They have taken a hit in BBall for sure but is that a result of conference?

[FroggieFever]

While the MWC may not have hurt TCU's recruiting what about basketball or other sports? They have taken a hit in BBall for sure but is that a result of conference?

Coaching.

When a coach consistently starts his son, who is no better than you or I [truthfully: you, not even knowing who you are, could out-perform him], while we have two top-recruits on the bench waiting for their turn, you know you have a [deleted] up situation.

[DickerJames]

If Patterson can keep the recruiting going, then he may survive...but if he has a disaster year...then watch out. He will lose his mojo...

Speaking of Patterson, it's surprising to me that his name never comes up for a BCS gig. Is it because his sweaty butt crack looks bad on tv?

[Corp]

If Patterson can keep the recruiting going, then he may survive...but if he has a disaster year...then watch out. He will lose his mojo...

Speaking of Patterson, it's surprising to me that his name never comes up for a BCS gig. Is it because his sweaty butt crack looks bad on tv?


It's my understanding that Patterson turned down his alma mater

Kansas State last year and told Iowa State that he wasn't interested

during their coaching search this year. Miami said that he would have

been next on their list had they not signed their new coach. Patterson

signed a new contract last year that runs through 2012. It's possible

that he has found a permanent home at TCU and just might become

the Frog's version of Joe Paterno.