Can you say anything else? They go from 1-10 and no bowl in 40 years to a bowl game. The biggest game of the year, and their starting QB is hurt. They don't get a brand new on campus stadium. They pay for the things they want by opening with FSU, UCLA, and Texas. And they seize opportunity when it is presented to them.
SMU, on the other hand, well...it went from "we'll compete with Texas & Texas A&M for recruits" and "We want to compete for championships" to "well we didn't have the athletes I thought" and "well we lost too many QBs" to "Expect a bowl" and "Well we told everybody it would be 4-5 years."
1st and Goal at the ONE. TWICE.
A fourth quarter STOP of the opposition, followed by a three and out. TWICE. A running play called with less than two minutes to go, and a trainwreck. Followed by another trainwreck. Leaving your season up to 4th and 10.