What record is realistic?

[SmooBoy]

Are we doomed to the 4-8 record that SI predicts, or can we make immediate progress under Bennett and eek out 6 wins? I still say we have a shot at 6 wins with much luck and some bounces are way. I think that beating Baylor (Big XII, albeit bottom of the barrel) and Boise (projected 3rd-best WAC team) is crucial to us getting to 6.

[Southland]

Wins:
UTEP, @Tulsa

Pick-em:
@Baylor, @San Jose

Underdog:
@Nevada, Boise, @Louisiana Tech, Rice

Big Underdog:
@Tech, Fresno, TCU

Losses:
Oklahoma State

[The Q]

We COULD win 6, but I'll predict 5.

[Stallion]

SMU will be an pretty big underdog to San Jose St too-right now it would be 6-8 points. As I said last year and this year they are easily the most underrated team in the WAC because most of you are not familiar with the high quality of JC/CC players they have coming in. SJSU is as good as just about any one in the WAC at the skill positions.

[Hoop Fan]

Agree with most of that, but SMU should beat Rice at home. I see no reason that Rice would be favored at Ford Stadium this year. In fact, if we don't beat Rice this year with Bartel at the helm, we are alot further away from a good season than I like to think about.

[OldPony]

Six would be a great year. Look for 5. Four would be bad. With 49 freshmen, SMU is not in position to improve too much, if at all, in the W-L columns. Look for improvement in the caliber of play due to the learning of the system if our juniors and seniors have really worked hard in the off season.

[Sam I Am]

As long as we don't lose the opening 7 games like last year we will have a better year in 2003.

[SoCal_Pony]

TTech / Baylor / OSU / TCU: 0-4 (need 30k fans at both home games)

Nevada / SJS / LATech: 1-2 (all should be decided in the 4th quarter)

Tulsa / Rice / UTEP: 2-1 (upsets go both ways)

Boise St / Fresno St: 1-1 (Bartel gives us a glimpse into the future and we like it)

Final Season record: 4-8. Following year is a winning record, season after that, SMU and Fresno battle for WAC Championship.

Old Pony…’6 would be great, 4 would be bad’...that’s a lot riding on 2 games

[SmooBoy]

That was my point. No way we lose to Rice, UTEP, Tulsa, or Nevada. That's why I think that Baylor and Boise wins would be huge. The first, a sucky program on the road, and the second, our third home game but only the second with realistic shot of winning (sorry, but OSU doesn't look promising).

[Hoop Fan]

SMU is gonna have to play awfully well to beat Nevada at Reno. Altitude is a big advantage for the home team. We need to upset somebody at Ford this season though among Boise, Fresno and TCU. Ok State is alot to ask. My take is that 3 wins or less is a poor season, 4 wins is par, 5 is good and 6 or more would be a great season in Bennetts second year.

[KnuckleStang]

I'm also looking for 6. The optimist in me looks at every game as a legitimate chance to win, but I think 6 wins this year would make me jump around like a clown.

Not to make it too simple, but it really comes down to our offensive balance. We lost our first seven games last season largely because we were not even a moderate threat to pass. It looks like we're going to get at the very least a respectable passing game this year, and that alone gives me reason for optimism. We absolutely MUST beat Baylor, and it will not be easy, even though they "suck." We also have to beat Nevada (why does Nevada own us?), UTEP, San Jose (they should have beat Grambling by a lot more than they did Sat., although their rs-freshman RB looks tough), Tulsa, LaTech, and Rice. These were all winnable games last year, if we had any kind of balance to our offense. And don't forget the play-making threat of Stansbury, who most of these teams didn't really didn't see last year.

The "6 win" theory also depends on teams not running the ball down our throats at will.

[Stallion]

SMU would probably be a 6-8 underdog to Nevada on the road today-what do you mean there is no way we lose to Nevada-just like all of you who have said there is no way we lose to Rice on each of our last 7 trips to Houston. Well we are 0-7 on those sure things.

[Hoop Fan]

The only reason I EXPECT to beat Rice is the game is in Dallas, and the home team has owned the series the past 6 years. I am fully aware of our ineptitute at Rice Stadium.

[OldPony]

SoCal- Your are right in seeing that I said there was only a 2 game swing from bad to great this year. My post also said to look for improvement in how we play so you aren't too awfully diasppointed if it is a 4-5 win year. 4 wins is bad because we need to show improvemnt in the W-L column for us to continue to keep the momentum in our recruiting and the confidence of our players in Bennett's system. We can't afford huge blow-outs like OSU last year. This year is about MOMENTUM.

[Hoop Fan]

And to add to what Old Pony said, we have to show something soon to be attractive in realignment. Its almost critical at this point. Which is why even though it is better to redshirt all freshman for the long term, if we have guys that can win jobs now, they need to play. As much patience as Bennett deserves, SMU cannot afford a 5 year plan at this point.