Here's the realistic SMU approach to TCU's move

[Charleston Pony]

Will this significantly change their strength of schedule?

Yes, our schedule automatically becomes easier.

BYU and Utah would have dominated the Big East the past few years. Nevada and San Diego State are up and coming teams that would have dominated the Big East in coming years. And let's not even speculate on what Boise State would have done to the Big East.

TCU just stamped its passport to the next 10 BCS series . . . provided the Big East lasts that long, something which I have extreme reservations about.

I think you are underestimating your future opponents and overestimating your current conference mates; time will tell

[SoCal_Pony]

No wrong answer. Ken Pye would have appointed a Committee to study the feasability of continuing Division 1A Athletics and selected Gordon Gee as its Chairman

I don't know which was worse. A two year without football DP or 1987-1994 of the Kenny Pye show.

I find it amusing that Republicans want Obama to stop blaming a W for our failures since he has been out of office for 2 years, but insist on continually blaming Pye for SMU's failures, even though he has been out of office for over 16 years.

[bubba pony]

from the NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/sport ... r=1&src=mv


T.C.U.’s scintillating regular season, which has it ranked No. 3 in the B.C.S. standings and just on the outside of a national title bid, will count for the Big East toward automatic qualification in the next cycle. The Big East is locked into the B.C.S. through the 2013 season, as it is included in the television and bowl contracts. The automatic qualification criteria for the B.C.S. after 2014 have not been determined. If the Big East were subject to a review of its part performance, T.C.U.’s season would count for the Big East in that review. (That would help offset a poor year for the Big East on the field in 2010.)

So the Big East grabs TCU's pass performances and current standings to beef up and improve their change to remain in a BCS playoff position.
I wish SMU was offered. Let's hope they keep us on their schedule and gives us a chance to beat them and show our improvements.
Football drives the bus; just ask Kansas who was going to be left out in the cold if the Big 12 was to disband.

[froglicious]

Oh, and because the Big East is an AQ conference, they will get the grade inflation on their SOS even if their future Big East conference foes are realistically no better than their Mtn West competition today.

This. Voter bias will give us a little bump. The bottom of the BE is better than the wretched abyss of the bottom 4 of the MWC so that will help a little in the computers.

Most road games will now be tough versus 1 or 2.

However, haveing Pitt, Syr, UCONN, GTOWN, Nova, WVU, ND, ST Johns, etc come to the FT for hoops will be fun. We will get hazed a couple years but should grow.

[froglicious]

Best response - beat them head to head until they stop scheduling us - which I am sure will happen as soon as we ruin another one of their seasons.

Nah. Pretty good authority we are in for the long haul with you guys since your commitment changed in 2008. Getting fun again with good health hatred. Easy travel and probably a sellout at both venues from here on.

Plus, BU has made it clear they have no intention of scheduling us in the future. Next year is the last one. Wonder why.

[PonyDoh]

I don't get the move, Big East is going to dissolve long-term. It's like the stop-gap move you make when you get antsy waiting for a legit offer.

[ponyscott]

No wrong answer. Ken Pye would have appointed a Committee to study the feasability of continuing Division 1A Athletics and selected Gordon Gee as its Chairman

I don't know which was worse. A two year without football DP or 1987-1994 of the Kenny Pye show.

I find it amusing that Republicans want Obama to stop blaming a W for our failures since he has been out of office for 2 years, but insist on continually blaming Pye for SMU's failures, even though he has been out of office for over 16 years.

BS..what an offbase comment .....Obama points fingers back all the time with his excuses( Bush doesn't and never will go there).....Orsini doesnt point fingers back at Pye...nothing correlated here.

[Samurai Stang]

I don't get the move, Big East is going to dissolve long-term. It's like the stop-gap move you make when you get antsy waiting for a legit offer.

No matter what future the Big East has, joining at this venture is the correct move. It is possible that conference realignment will be minor, much like it has been recently. Turning down the Big East would then appear very foolish.

Additionally, it is the correct choice due to the fact that the Big East will survive in some form. True, the conference will be far from what it had been in the past, but it will remain. Assuming the Big East experiences a true nightmare scenario in which 6 schools are taken, this would result in the need to add 8 schools. It would be 8, rather than 6, due to the need to gain a conference championship in order to survive. With 8 new schools, the Big East would bear a striking resemblance to CUSA, but may still maintain its BCS status. In this instance, TCU will also benefit from being in the Big East. At the very least, it would be a stronger conference than the MWC.

There is no scenario in which joining the Big East would prove disastrous for TCU. Even by joining the Big East, TCU can always join the Big 12 in the future.

[PoconoPony]

If I am not mistaken, TCU will participate as a Big East member in all sports. Personally, I am happy they made the commitment and it is now paying off. My gut reaction is that everything will be fine in football, a disaster in basketball as the conference is simply too strong and a total disaster in the rest of their sports. I cannot imagine the cost of playing baseball against St. Johns, Seton Hall, Rutgers, Villanova, UConn. Only time will tell; however, I would like for them to give a realistic assessment after 3 years in the league. I think they may have real reservations and realize it was a mistake but for football.

[SoCal_Pony]

I find it amusing that Republicans want Obama to stop blaming a W for our failures since he has been out of office for 2 years, but insist on continually blaming Pye for SMU's failures, even though he has been out of office for over 16 years.

BS..what an offbase comment .....Obama points fingers back all the time with his excuses( Bush doesn't and never will go there).....Orsini doesnt point fingers back at Pye...nothing correlated here.

Not ORISINI, but the posters on this board. Most of the posters on this board still blame Pye, even though he has not been around for 16 years.

[East Coast Mustang]

Not ORISINI, but the posters on this board. Most of the posters on this board still blame Pye, even though he has not been around for 16 years.

I think you're comparing apples and oranges. Pye's bumbling of the athletic department after the DP contributed to us being left behind when the Big 12 was formed. And that's had far reaching effects for the past sixteen years.

EDIT: Granted, it took our administration another thirteen years to get serious about football, but being in the WAC/CUSA put us at an enormous disadvantage

[Eddie P]

you can easily blame pye and others for the condition of the athletics program over the last 20 years. please reference a good 200-300 threads on the subjects. or just ask stallion.

[HB Pony Dad]

How about we wish TCU well in all their future endeavors and we start seriously thinking about being C-USA Champions!

PONY UP

FIGHT ON

[SoCal_Pony]

Not ORISINI, but the posters on this board. Most of the posters on this board still blame Pye, even though he has not been around for 16 years.

I think you're comparing apples and oranges. Pye's bumbling of the athletic department after the DP contributed to us being left behind when the Big 12 was formed. And that's had far reaching effects for the past sixteen years.

EDIT: Granted, it took our administration another thirteen years to get serious about football, but being in the WAC/CUSA put us at an enormous disadvantage

Look at what TCU accomplished today, and they were left behind just as we were.

SMU is a superior school to TCU in all that matters: better academics, deeper pockets, better location. And yet we allowed this inferior school to overtake us.

Sure Pye was a problem, but I blame Turner more.

This is not a good day for SMU athletically or academically. It is not fatal by any means, but still not a good day.

[East Coast Mustang]

Look at what TCU accomplished today, and they were left behind just as we were.

SMU is a superior school to TCU in all that matters: better academics, deeper pockets, better location. And yet we allowed this inferior school to overtake us.

Sure Pye was a problem, but I blame Turner more.

This is not a good day for SMU athletically or academically. It is not fatal by any means, but still not a good day.

I agree for the most part. And what TCU has done is impressive- but it's the exception, not the rule. I will always believe that SMU would have been much better suited to compete in the Big 12 than Baylor, had there been a competent administation in place at the time to promote the football program. And we certainly could have used the mega BCS dollars from '96 until now.

Turner certainly could have done better, but soon after he took office we saw an on campus stadium and at least the appearance that we gave a damn again. That wasn't the case under Pye.