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Can a program that gets absolutely blown out by its rival be moving forward? Can a program that loses its 6th straight to its main rival still have a good season?

I guess the answer is yes to both if you ask Texas and Florida State, respectively. I'm not comparing SMU's ability to theirs at all, just the mental situation. Texas has taken a few beatings at the hands of OU lately, wasnt one of them 63-14? They also haven't beaten OU in several years. It hasn't stopped them from regrouping and doing some good things. On the second question, FSU lost its 6th straight game to in-state rival Miami this weekend, same as SMUs losing streak to TCU. Its hard to live with, but hardly unprecendented. Georgia lost to Florida for many years straight too.

I post this NOT to suggest SMU football is where it needs to be, not by a longshot. But laying an egg at Fort Worth doesn't have to ruin the whole season. Its sucks, but it happens. I hope the coaches build the players back up with some examples of teams regrouping from bad losses.

The 2004 season is two games underway - how the coaches and players handle adversity will set the stage for future results.

Going forward, genuine fans should support the team - the SMU coaches should coach their best - the SMU players should play their best.

SMU's season is less than 20% completed - everyone should keep a positive attitude - maybe the Mustangs will surprise some WAC teams.

This is a time for learning what the team is made of (and I don't mean athletically).

Ask the Washington State Cougars, who last year lost their 6th straight Apple Cup to the Washington Huskies. And most people would agree that the Cougars football program is on the rise, perhaps already risen, while Washington's is clearly waning.

And yet for some reason the Coogs can never get past their arch-nemesis.