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Two months before the season kicks off, and under a month until players report - here's how I see the season going (with a heaping helping of sunshine) -


@ Texas Tech
Best Case Scenario - SMU wins 27-23 on the legs of DeMyron Martin
Worst Case Scenario - Tech wins 57-7
Sunshiner Prediction - SMU loses a heart breaker in overtime

@ North Texas
Best Case Scenario - SMU wins 28 - 10
Worst Case Scenario - North Texas 34-28 as Mean Green are pumped for the Mustangs
Sunshiner Prediction - J-Dub's first metroplex game, and playing in front of his hometown leads to some jitters. After throwing two picks in the first half (and three overall) SMU scores three second half touchdowns to win 35 - 23

Sam Houston State
Best Case Scenario - SMU wins 68-16
Worst Case Scenario - SMU wins 21-20
Sunshiner Prediction - SMU wins 42-22 (Chase and DeMyron each have three touchdowns)

Arkansas State
Best Case Scenario - SMU 38 AState 13
Worst Case Scenario - AState 17 SMU 13
Sunshiner Prediction - SMU 28 AState 24

@ Tulane
Best Case Scenario - SMU wins 34-14
Worst Case Scenario - SMU loses 21-20
Sunshiner Prediction - SMU wins in dramatic style 39-36 in OT as Bobby Chase hauls in the game tying touchdown as time expires in regulation. Tulane blocks the extra point to force OT. SMU holds Tulane to a field goal and needs only one play for D. Martin to find the endzone.

@ UTEP
Best Case Scenario - SMU wins 24-21 on a last second field goal.
Worst Case Scenario - UTEP whips SMU 44-14
Sunshiner Prediction - UTEP atones for last year and wins 28-20. SMU's four game win streak is snapped.

Marshall
Best Case Scenario - SMU trounces the herd 57-14 after Bennett has covered the bulliten board with pictures of Marshall's scoreboard showing SMU leading 10-0 in the fourth. And the final score in OT. Don't let the refs cost us this one, he preaches.
Worst Case Scenario - Marshall 37 SMU 20
Sunshiner Prediction - a costly J-Dub interseption in the waning minutes leads to a Masrshall touchdown and victory, 17-14. Heartbreak. SMU is searching for answers after a four game win sreak has turned into a two game losing streak.

@ East Carolina
Best Case Scenario - SMU wins 21-0
Worst Case Scenario - ECU wins 26-13
Sunshiner Prediction - SMU comes out guns blazing and wins 28-17. A late ECU touchdown makes the score look closer than the game really was.

UAB
Best Case Scenario - A halloween masacre. SMU 44 UAB 10
Worst Case Scenario - UAB 28 SMU 14
Sunshiner Prediction - SMU's steamrolling of ECU gives them back their swagger back to stop a one loss top 25 Blazer team (their lone loss to Georgia with wins over Oklahoma and Mississippi State). Bobby Chase comes up huge again, and his highlight real game winning grab (as time expires, of course) opens SportsCenter and hits number one on top plays. Rich Phillips' call is used, "Bobby Chase does it again!" SMU 30 UAB 27

Houston
Best Case Scenario - SMU coasts to 28-14 win
Worst Case Scenario - Houston's Kolb looks like Klingler/Ware and roasts the secondary for 49-10 Houston win.
Sunshiner Prediction - SMU wins 14-13 securing their first winning season since '97 - they also become bowl eligible with the win. The DMN does a breakdown of SMU's bowl scenarios.

Tulsa
Best Case Scenario - SMU 37 Tulsa 20
Worst Case Scenario - Tulsa 34 SMU 14
Sunshiner Prediction - SMU 21 Tulsa 20... Mustang Mania is returning to Dallas, but is being overshadowed again by TCU's stellar season.

@ Rice
Best Case Scenario - SMU 67 Rice 3
Worst Case Scenario - SMU 14 Rice 10
Sunshiner Prediction - SMU wins 27-14 and waits for the Miners to play that night. A UTEP loss to Memphis means the Mustangs are the CUSA west champs. Memphis stings the miners and the Mustangs are headed for the championship game against ... Marshall.

C-USA Championship
Best Case Scenario - @ SMU vs. anyone. SMU wins.
Worst Case Scenario - Sitting at home.
Sunshiner Prediction - SMU @ Marshall. SMU atones for their earlier loss to Marshall with a stunning 32-28 win.

Bowl Game
Best Case Scenario - SMU goes udefeated and crashes the BCS party and to face Texas.
Worst Case Scenario - Sitting at home.
Sunshiner Prediction - SMU faces Tennessee in the Liberty Bowl. Tennessee are huge favorites on paper and in the stands. But a lethargic team disenchanted with their bowl situtation hands the game to the plucky Mustangs. SMU 24 Tennessee 21.


Season Predicitions (including potential championship and bowl games) -

Worst Case Scenario - 4 wins
Best Case Scenario - Undefeated
Sunshiner Prediction - 11-3

Unbiased Season Prediction - 8-5 (no championship game but a bowl bid to the Fort Worh Bowl - and an SMU win)

5-7 is my prediction.

I'll try this...

@ Texas Tech
Best Case Scenario - Tech's run defense breaks down, and the Techoffense (all one word) has a hard time getting their rhythm. SMU wins 34-28
Worst Case Scenario - Tech wins 100-0
Sunshiner Prediction - SMU loses by 10 in a hard-fought game.

@ North Texas
Best Case Scenario - SMU wins 37-0
Worst Case Scenario - UNT wins. By any score.
Sunshiner Prediction - Willis shines in front of friends and family, throwing for 300 yards and 3 TDs, complimenting a 100-yd rushing performance by DeMyron. SMU doesn't shut down Thomas, but the rest of the UNT offense doesn't work and they become too one-dimensional. SMU wins 35-24

Sam Houston State
Best Case Scenario - SMU wins 63-0.
Worst Case Scenario - SMU wins by 7 or less.
Sunshiner Prediction - SMU wins 42-10.

Arkansas State
Best Case Scenario - SMU 35 ASU 10
Worst Case Scenario - Arkansas State's new QB turns out to be as good as their last one. ASU 31 SMU 28
Sunshiner Prediction - SMU 24 ASU 14

@ Tulane
Best Case Scenario - SMU wins 42-0 against a beaten-up Tulane team that took a lot of lumps against LSU the week before.
Worst Case Scenario - SMU loses by a TD against a Tulane team on an emotional high.
Sunshiner Prediction - SMU wins 24-21 on a last second field goal that deflates the NOLA crowd.

@ UTEP
Best Case Scenario - SMU wins 40-27 on some bad play by Jordan Palmer (hey, it could happen!)
Worst Case Scenario - SMU is caught up in winning the first game back in the Superdome; the team is still on Bourbon Street and a bunch of replacements have to play the game. UTEP wins 56-14.
Sunshiner Prediction - Close game, but SMU a little overconfident and UTEP pulls it out in an offensive shootout, 44-37.

Marshall
Best Case Scenario - SMU destroys the Herd; talk of Marshall returning to the MAC surfaces. SMU 63 MU 0
Worst Case Scenario - SMU leads 10-0 going into the 4th, then they blow it and lose in OT 13-10.
Sunshiner Prediction - SMU gets payback for last year, beating the Herd 24-10.

@ East Carolina
Best Case Scenario - SMU causes ECU fans to start calling for Holtz's head. SMU 42 ECU 14
Worst Case Scenario - ECU blows out SMU, 45-10.
Sunshiner Prediction - The game goes down to the wire, with SMU leading 17-13. ECU tries a Hail Mary but the rain has made the field slippery, leading the receiver to fall down and SMU intercepts it, running it out the back of the endzone for a 17-15 win.

UAB
Best Case Scenario - The world is awakened to the great back that DeMyron is, as he rolls up 250 yards on a weak Blazer run D.
Worst Case Scenario - UAB sends SMU back to the DP days, winning 56-10.
Sunshiner Prediction - UAB is nothing without Hackney at the helm, and SMU wins 31-17.

Houston
Best Case Scenario - SMU destroys the Coogs 42-20.
Worst Case Scenario - UH's vaunted passing game overcomes their lack of a run-D, 47-37.
Sunshiner Prediction - SMU wins 23-21 on a last-second field goal.

Tulsa
Best Case Scenario - SMU 31 Tulsa 14
Worst Case Scenario - Tulsa 31 SMU 14
Sunshiner Prediction - SMU looks good, and the sellout crowd (when was the last time we had one) gives the Ponies the boost they need to beat a very good Tulsa team, 21-17.

@ Rice
Best Case Scenario - SMU 73 Rice 0.
Worst Case Scenario - Rice 17 SMU 14
Sunshiner Prediction - Rice completes a winless season, SMU wins 32-10.

C-USA Championship
Best Case Scenario - @ SMU vs. anyone. SMU wins.
Worst Case Scenario - Sitting at home.
Sunshiner Prediction - SMU @ UCF. George O'Leary outcoaches PB and UCF takes the game 27-21.

Bowl Game
Best Case Scenario - SMU in a BCS bowl...playing Auburn in the Sugar Bowl. Auburn just got beat by Georgia in the SEC championship on a controversial call and feel cheated because they would have otherwise been a shoe-in for the national championship. They don't show up to play and SMU wins 21-7.
Worst Case Scenario - Sitting at home.
Sunshiner Prediction - SMU faces Baylor in the Fort Worth Bowl. Baylor glad to be in a Bowl while OSU and A&M are sitting at home, but they are only happy to be in the bowl. TCU fans dress in red and blue and give the Mustangs a home-away-from-home atmosphere. SMU rewards the crowd by winning 34-24.


Season Predicitions (including potential championship and bowl games) -

Worst Case Scenario - 1 win
Best Case Scenario - Undefeated
Sunshiner Prediction - 11-3

Unbiased Season Prediction - 8-5 (SMU bowl bid to Ft. Worth Bowl - Loss against Iowa State)

Here we go; I simplified my version

@ Texas Tech
Worst case would involve injuries to our big horses, not unlike what happened last time in Dallas. Best case is obvious.
Prediction: TTech 34, SMU 20

@ North Texas
NTSU sucked last year when they thought they wouldve done well, with the two best rushers in the nation. NTSU is playing SMU two years too late. Worst case here is obvious.
Prediction: SMU 21 NTSU 12

Sam Houston State
Worst case would be a huge SHSU crowd & big sounding band and an offense we can't stop. I don't think there is a best case; lose lose situation for SMU.
Prediction - SMU wins 38 SHSU 27

Arkansas State
Best Case Scenario - see comments above. Worst case is Ark St is someone SMU has grossly underestimated, and one year removed from a bowl game.
Prediction: SMU 27 Ark State 17


@ Tulane
Best Case Scenario - Big win, big party, big fun, trip worth it for all of us. Worst case: the opposite. Same game as last year and we all [deleted].
Prediction: Tulane 33 SMU 20 in OT; Tulane scores first; SMU turns the ball over and it is returned for a TD on their possession

@ UTEP
Best Case Scenario - SMU wins, period. Worst case: Mike Price doesn't let lightning strike twice. 40 points hung on his team last year and he's pissed.
Prediction: UTEP 38 SMU 9

Marshall
Best Case Scenario - We win and everyone stops [deleted] about last year's game. Worst case is same thing as last year.
Prediction: SMU 17 Marshall 13

@ East Carolina
Best Case Scenario - SMU doesn't lay an egg like last year. Worst case scenario: ECU has confidence from last year and Holtz starts to turn the corner.
Prediction SMU 23 ECU 14


UAB
Worst case: UAB is pissed and they clean the field up with our boys. Best case: a rebuilding year for UAB while SMU continues its rise.
Prediction SMU 26 UAB 20...UAB has a chance to return the favor on the last drive but JRogers stops it early with a sack for a safety

Houston
Best Case Scenario - back to back w's vs. Houston.
Worst Case Scenario - UH's recruiting of great athletes catches up to us.
Prediction - UH 31 SMU 17 and we all wonder where our offense was and what happened to our d

Tulsa
Best Case Scenario - we solve Tulsa and play like we did at homecoming two years ago. Worst case: Tulas plays like a defending conference champ.
Prediction: SMU 30 Tulsa 28

@ Rice
Best Case Scenario - we go down there and win at Rice. Worst case: where did this Rice offense come from?
Prediction: SMU 27 Tulsa 13

Record Prediction: 8-4. No CUSA champ. game. Ft. Worth Bowl vs. Baylor or the Frogs. We go and it's cold. Upper deck at AGC is empty, as are the endzones.

I'll predict now that Sam Houston State will score more points against SMU than Arkansas State will.

I predict that the Mustang Band will be louder than the others.

Oh, and 9-3. Losses being to: UTEP, and 2 other random teams from the schedule we should've beaten (Tech?).

Without the best and worst case scenario which by the way are 14-0 and 0-12, no matter how you call it.
A realistic scenario in my view is as follows:
Wins: SHS, UNT, ASU, Marshall, ECU, Rice,
Losses: TT, UTEP
Toss ups: UAB, UH, Tulane, Tulsa

Where do I think we'll end up? 7-5 is my prediction. Could be 6-6, could be 8-4.

We go to the Ft. Worth Bowl and win against the Big XII #8 team or TCU.

Eastang has got this pegged.

The range of 6-6 to 8-4 is my range too.

I could see us going 9-3 but I am going to have to see some maturity out of this group of guys and some play calling that is more aggressive.

Oh, and J. Willis will need to be as good as I hear.

Go Mustangs.

it all depends if we start one Qb all year - 1qb - 13-1
more than one qb 5-7

Thad, how can your sunshiner prediction be gloomier than your best-case-scenario prediction? That seems backwards.

Oh, and it's "interception."

I'd like to see Willis play before making a prediction, but since I'd rather do this than work .... put me down for 6-6, and some low-end bowl game.

If we went 10-2, we would go to a low end bowl. lol! I will take 8-4, with a low end bowl to go please!

Assuming we have QB play at the level of last season, 8-4. The range is 10-2 and 6-6.

Worst case we can lose to ASU BTW. Gotta be ready every week.

@ Texas Tech
Best Case Scenario - SMU wins by any score
Worst Case Scenario - Tech scores 70+
BUTitan Prediction - SMU loses by 10-20

@ North Texas
Best Case Scenario - SMU wins & scores 50+
Worst Case Scenario - North Texas Wins
BUTitan Prediction - SMU 35-17

Sam Houston State
Best Case Scenario - SMU wins by more than 40
Worst Case Scenario - SHSU wins
BUTitan Prediction - SMU 49-24

Arkansas State
Best Case Scenario - SMU wins by 30+
Worst Case Scenario - Arkansas State Wins
BUTitan Prediction - SMU 31-10

@ Tulane
Best Case Scenario - SMU wins by 20+
Worst Case Scenario - SMU loses by 10 or more
BUTitan Prediction - SMU 24-20

@ UTEP
Best Case Scenario - SMU wins
Worst Case Scenario - UTEP whips SMU
BUTitan Prediction - UTEP 35-21

Marshall
Best Case Scenario - SMU wins by 25+
Worst Case Scenario - Marshall wins by 20+
BUTitan Prediction - SMU 28-14

@ East Carolina
Best Case Scenario - SMU wins
Worst Case Scenario - ECU wins by20+
BUTitan Prediction - ECU 42-38

UAB
Best Case Scenario - SMU by 40+
Worst Case Scenario - UAB wins
BUTitan Prediction - SMU 38-7 (UAB is very weak this year)

Houston
Best Case Scenario - SMU wins
Worst Case Scenario - Houston wins by 30+
BUTitan Prediction - Houston 38-17

Tulsa
Best Case Scenario - SMU wins
Worst Case Scenario - Paul Smith wins Heisman for SMU game alone
BUTitan Prediction - Tulsa 35-31

@ Rice
Best Case Scenario - SMU by 50+
Worst Case Scenario - Rice comes in ready to play and SMU doesnt resulting in a Rice win
BUTitan Prediction - SMU 38-24

C-USA Championship
BUTitan Prediction- USM 40-UTEP 38

Bowl Game
BUTitan Prediction- FT. Worth Bowl- Baylor 42-38


Season Predicitions :


BUTitan Prediction: 7-6

....that's the most realistic assessment I've seen-not surprisingly by a Baylor fan except Tech with its outstanding crop of receivers will pass all over SMU's new CBs in route to a big win-4 Touchdowns or more with Martin held below 60 yards -and if I had to pick the SMU/Tulane game I'd go with Tulane in a emotional return to New Orleans. Smu/Tulane will likely be the key to a winning season and possible bowl game