This thread got me curious about the 2002 season and expectations.
I found this at the SI Vault:
November 18, 2002
The Loneliest Losers
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/ ... /index.htm
Very interesting and I found this quote in the article quite telling of the prejudice that went into the sanctions against SMU:
"I'm not sure what else would have gotten the message across to those people," says Ohio Valley Conference commissioner Dan Beebe, who as an NCAA investigator in '85 led the inquiry into SMU ."
This one is equally prejudicial:
"...but two decades ago the football program and its boosters were defiant, arrogantly looking down on their Southwest Conference rivals from their perch atop the college football world."
Personally and from a six year vantage point I certainly hope we start whipping some booty starting now!