Hey, we could be like Georgia Tech

[Charleston Pony]

we've beat the schedule talk to death, but I'd like to see us continue playing TCU every year and would like to play 2 of our former SWC mates every year as well. Those games are always well attended and people actually care about them. That's why I would include UNT and I think it's good we are renewing our series with them. I'd rather we schedule Texas State, UTSA or La Tech than someone like Montana State...but who knows...the Bobcats might surprise me and bring more fans to Ford than Rice ever did

[redpony]

What a joke!! Some of us think we should be in the top tier conferences but totally cower down at the idea of playing top level teams. Either you can compete or you can't. Right now we aren't and won't be for the near future until we have a coach who will recruit ala LB and bring some fire/enthusiasm to the team. BTW- I wouldn't be surprised if we get beat by Temple (again) or Memphis and possibly could lose to both of the 'powerhouses'.

[SMU_Alumni11]

What a joke!! Some of us think we should be in the top tier conferences but totally cower down at the idea of playing top level teams. Either you can compete or you can't. Right now we aren't and won't be for the near future until we have a coach who will recruit ala LB and bring some fire/enthusiasm to the team. BTW- I wouldn't be surprised if we get beat by Temple (again) or Memphis and possibly could lose to both of the 'powerhouses'.

Well said, so tired of people saying, we should play wimps for OOC except tcu... Well if you do that than stop [deleted] about the fans not showing up. We need tough games to force lazy [deleted] coaches (JJ) to build a team worth keeping into the future. I think for schedule we should play Baylor, UNT (our FCS), TCU (I think we lose the fourth after 2015 but if we keep it then add a random BCS opponent heck ill accept Kansas.

[Statler]

What a joke!! Some of us think we should be in the top tier conferences but totally cower down at the idea of playing top level teams. Either you can compete or you can't. Right now we aren't and won't be for the near future until we have a coach who will recruit ala LB and bring some fire/enthusiasm to the team. BTW- I wouldn't be surprised if we get beat by Temple (again) or Memphis and possibly could lose to both of the 'powerhouses'.

Well said, so tired of people saying, we should play wimps for OOC except tcu... Well if you do that than stop [deleted] about the fans not showing up. We need tough games to force lazy [deleted] coaches (JJ) to build a team worth keeping into the future. I think for schedule we should play Baylor, UNT (our FCS), TCU (I think we lose the fourth after 2015 but if we keep it then add a random BCS opponent heck ill accept Kansas.

WORD

[KillBilly]

SMU's AD should be looking for your Gary Patterson or Peterson from Boise State. Succeed in that and everything else falls into place.

[dirtysouthpony]

You guys need to start looking at this program for what it is and stop looking through the rose colored glasses of nostalgia. Right now we are trying to race our pick up truck in the Indy 500. We don't have the horsepower at this point to play a Big 12 regular season schedule. We originally had 4 B12 teams on the schedule. Hell, the b12 teams only 5 or 6 league games.

Does any team in the country schedule more ooc games from a power conference?

Our team is not really that bad. We still have a chance to win our conference and go to a BCS bowl game this year. Beating Rutgers is more than any over a legacy swc opponent this year.

[sbsmith]

You guys need to start looking at this program for what it is and stop looking through the rose colored glasses of nostalgia. Right now we are trying to race our pick up truck in the Indy 500. We don't have the horsepower at this point to play a Big 12 regular season schedule. We originally had 4 B12 teams on the schedule. Hell, the b12 teams only 5 or 6 league games.

Does any team in the country schedule more ooc games from a power conference?

Our team is not really that bad. We still have a chance to win our conference and go to a BCS bowl game this year. Beating Rutgers is more than any over a legacy swc opponent this year.

Actually we need to start looking at this program for what we what it to be, not what it already is. You want Dallas (or anyone) to care about this program then we need to keep the Texas P5 teams on the schedule and start recruiting and coaching to beat them. Our team may not be that bad but they're certainly not very good, that BCS bid is going to be next to impossible to get because the real contenders for it (Louisville, Cincy, Rutgers, UCF) have much better talent and are better coached than we are (just like all those Texas P5 teams).

[Rebel10]

Our ooc schedule is a death march. This tradition of playing 3 swc schools is a no win proposition at this point. Well i guess you do get that bump when the teams play in Dallas and bring their alums. Georgia Tech was in the SEC one upon a time. The only SEC team that they schedule is UGA.

How does the SMU program benefit by playing Tech, A&M, Baylor and TCU annually?

First of all there is no "tradition of play 3 SWC teams. We only did it this year and last. You sound like a June Jones apologist. Calm down Francis we don't play Tech, ATM, Baylor and TCU annually. Next year we play Baylor, UNT, and TCU along with probably an FCS opponent. But since we have not been recruiting that well then we probably should dumb down our schedule even more to most playing MAC teams. By the way, I think we lost to Navy every time we have played them and they are not from the SWC. Face it we are not going to have a total cakewalk schedule like June had at Hawaii when he went undefeated then got blasted by Georgia. We need to man up, recruit better, develop better, and coach better. But again we don't play ATM, Baylor, Tech and TCU annually.

[PK]

You guys need to start looking at this program for what it is and stop looking through the rose colored glasses of nostalgia. Right now we are trying to race our pick up truck in the Indy 500. We don't have the horsepower at this point to play a Big 12 regular season schedule. We originally had 4 B12 teams on the schedule. Hell, the b12 teams only 5 or 6 league games.

Does any team in the country schedule more ooc games from a power conference?

Our team is not really that bad. We still have a chance to win our conference and go to a BCS bowl game this year. Beating Rutgers is more than any over a legacy swc opponent this year.

And why is that? Last year we were begging to be let into the big 12. That would have meant playing more than four of them every year. We will not be able to play these teams if we don't recruit better. If we hope to upgrade our conference affiliation then we better start recruiting better...and I mean NOW. The AD needs to have a Hart to heart talk with our illustrious coach and get that point across. Time is not on our side.

[mrydel]

Time is not on our side.

This cannot be emphasized enough. We do not have 10 years to build up a string of 8-10 win seasons. That ship has sailed. We need to be competitive and more importantly and in my opinion most importantly we need to be filling our stadium. We do not do that with Montana State. We would have with Baylor and it would have been 2 in a row. Attendance will suck when the AAC schedule starts whether or not we are winning.

[redpony]

Mrydel- agree completely. We as a school need to develop a sense of urgency in getting this program to the next level.

[Water Pony]

I am of two minds. First, I do not blame Gerald Turner for our situation. More than any SMU President, he has worked to move us forward and to a large degree, SMU is better place than we have been for 20 years. Investments have been made, new coaches hired, academics made more flexible and we earned a better conference affiliation. Being in the desert for a generation has effectively limited our upside.
.
However, I agree that time is not on our side and greater and quicker progress must be made. JJ was the answer, but it is a fair question to ask whether he or someone else will be long term solution.