football team better than you think

[blackjam]

this isn't an SMU Cheerleading site-although in late August it is often confused for one. This is not the best football team since 1997 either just a below average mediocre team that whipped up on a bunch of pansies that was the easiest football schedule in SMU Football History. We can have an intelligent conversation about the direction of the program without being a cheerleader-all the cheerleaders have been 100% wrong 100% of the years they have posted on this board. This is not by any standard a particularly deep or anything but an average talented football team and won't be so until SMU starts outrecruiting some other programs in the State of Texas for football players. It is ARGUABLY the worst college football team in the State of Texas considering that it lost badly to PROBABLY the worst North Texas and also lost to powderpuff Rice(1-10 in 2005) and UTEP. If I'm blowing smoke then tell me one Division 1A team in Texas we could have beaten last year. ZERO.

Stallion, we could have beaten several texas teams last year. Why are so stubborn to discount that fact. We could have beaten UTEP didn't have our starting QB but of course you won't acknowledge that. Could have beaten Houston, but defense made rookie mistakes (they made wrong defense calls and therefore not in correct position) young corners didn't give up big plays it was the run plays against our top run defense. but again you won't acknowledge that. We could have beaten Rice; two 1st and goals from 1 yard line. and we come away with 6 pts. Frankly I think this was the coaches fault not the players. But again you wouldn't acknowledge that. The touchdown passes against the corners were just good plays, (the DMN had pics of two of the catches 1 against McCann and 1 against Lindley) and on both of the catches the corners look like they had great position, Dilliard just made exceptional plays, personally I believe the coaches should have schemed better for Dilliard but they didn't. Anyway, as I've stated before this is a young team and that should be taken into account. WE competed each and every week, (maybe except for ECU) but with a young and experience team. These guys will be better next year and will eliminate many of the mistakes made this year which cost them a couple of games. For those who like to compare our corners to the sr's who left last year, well compare them to these guys when they were freshman. Hudman and McCann did an excellent job this year. For that matter all the freshman who started in skill positions did an excellent job this year, (Willis, Sanders, and Cunningham. They can only get better. Stallion you yourself complained about Willis's height and inability to QB this team. So after his first year what are your thoughts now. You complained about the kicking game, what are your thoughts now. You complained about the secondary, well I know what your thoughts on them were but as I've said they will get better and make a mark for themselves in 1-A football.

[Stallion]

I counted 3 coulda's and 2 shoulda's in one post. NICE!

[mrydel]

At risk of getting involved where I do not belong, I do not think Stallion was referencing UTEP, Rice, NTSU, or Tech when he mentioned "one Division 1A team in Texas we could have beaten last year. ZERO." We proved we could not beat those. Based on those facts, what other could we have beaten? Coulda, Shoulda Woulda is a wonderful game to play. Truth is we did not perfrorm when we needed to this past year. I personally (here comes the sun) think we can improve on our record next year even with a tougher out of conference schedule. Will we? I will have to wait and see. But the fact of the matter is, had we perfromed as we coulda or shoulda this year, next year would be more difficult on which to improve.

[jtstang]

At risk of getting involved where I do not belong, I do not think Stallion was referencing UTEP, Rice, NTSU, or Tech when he mentioned "one Division 1A team in Texas we could have beaten last year. ZERO." We proved we could not beat those.

Shh...blackjam wouldn't acknowledge that.

Also conspicuously missing from his seriously lame post is any reference to the @ss-pounding handed us by NTSU.

[EastStang]

Hey we lost to every team from Texas that we played in 2006 who in turn lost to other Texas teams. We proved we couldn't win in Division 1-A against Texas schools for 2006. Was that a lack of talent? Or as others proclaim a lack of coaching? If as blackjam asserts it was because players made youthful mistakes that would mean that we lacked upperclass talent to be in there with the game on the line. We have good players, but we need better players. We have a long way to go to get to that point.

[Bergermeister]

better players + better coaches

[perunapower]

At risk of getting involved where I do not belong, I do not think Stallion was referencing UTEP, Rice, NTSU, or Tech when he mentioned "one Division 1A team in Texas we could have beaten last year. ZERO." We proved we could not beat those. Based on those facts, what other could we have beaten? Coulda, Shoulda Woulda is a wonderful game to play. Truth is we did not perfrorm when we needed to this past year. I personally (here comes the sun) think we can improve on our record next year even with a tougher out of conference schedule. Will we? I will have to wait and see. But the fact of the matter is, had we perfromed as we coulda or shoulda this year, next year would be more difficult on which to improve.

Stallion said could in what he said. If we are going to qualify this to only what did happen, then he's right. But by sticking could in there it immediately becomes opinion. Blackjam is right, if we had one or two things go our way in those games we would have won. So, it is true that it we could have beaten Division 1-A Texas colleges had one or two things gone our way. Did we beat them? No. Should we have? Possibly. Could we have? Definitely.

[mrydel]

But we did not and 20 more years from now we will not remember coulda woulda shoulda.

[jtstang]

So, it is true that it we could have beaten Division 1-A Texas colleges had one or two things gone our way. Did we beat them? No. Should we have? Possibly. Could we have? Definitely.

Coulda, woulda, shoulda...I love it!

[Stallion]

Perhaps I coulda said shoulda but then I woulda forgotten what shoulda been obvious if you woulda gone to our games or seen our schedule.

[AusTxPony]

Looking at the schedule for next year, I have to say I only see one game we SHOULD lose for sure...Texas Tech. TCU is a toss-up. We COULD lose only once to the East CUSA (USM) and COULD lose only twice in the West CUSA (Rice/Houston). That makes a nice early speculation for an 8-4 record. What do ya think?

[Stallion]

(MARK)

[mustangxc]

SMU could beat UT, Ohio State, USC, Michigan, and Notre Dame next year but it's probably not gonna happen. After all Orsini could alter the schedule. Not saying he should though.

[SMU Football Blog]

Wow.

I look at the schedule and I see a couple of games SMU "should" lose and I see a bunch of games SMU "could" lose just as much as it "could" win them. Just as SMU "could" have won three of the four conference games it lost, it "could" have lost every conference game it won. It "coulda" easily lost the Tulane game; it "coulda" easily lost the Marshall game; it "coulda" easily lost the UAB game; it "coulda" easily lost the Tulsa game.

[jtstang]

Boy, in reading this thread without knowing anything else I would conclude SMU is very mediocre in football. However, following this team closely as I do, I can look beyond this thread and conclude that SMU is very mediocre in football.