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AFter reading today's DMN:

Bennett called Orsini to get the evaluation started?

Rice and SMU are "apples and oranges?"

Rice can recruit players we can't get? (columnist said SMU can't get a Dillard yet.)

No changes to Bennett's staff??

Bennett said if Dillard gets hurt, who wins the Rice game?

I've been an SMU fan my whole life and will continue to be, but I'm not pumped about this. Some say, hey, deal with it, Orsini made the call.

Well, we've BEEN dealing with it - for decades - and as one of the "sunshiners" on this board, I don't get it.

Another 4-4 conference record is not improvement.
Losing badly to a poor UNT team is not improvement.
No bowl is not improvement.
Nutty play selection is not improvement. (4th and goal vs. Houston - one example.)

17-41 is not the best we can do. San Jose St. is going to a bowl, for Pete's sake.

Our talent is improved, but they do not respond to this staff when it counts.

I think Orsini punted.

As one ponders the great years,

1962 2-8
1963 4-7
1964 1-9 (we did beat UT-Arlington)
1965 4-5-1
1966 8-3 (SWC Champs)
1967 3-7 (great follow up year)
1968 8-3 (And a classic Blue Bonnet Bowl game)
1969 3-7 (a pattern of Bowls followed by pathetic seasons)
1970 5-6
1971 4-7
1972 7-4
All the above are Hayden Fry seasons (3 winning seasons out of 11)

The great and omnipotent Rossley is as follows:

1991 1-10
1992 5-6
1993 2-7-2
1994 1-9-1
1995 1-10
1996 5-6

No winning seasons out of 6 (and an overall of 15-48-3; Bennett already has surpass the great Rossley in overall wins).

Before and after the DP, some of our greatest coaches at SMU have struggled. This isn't a pattern that just all of a sudden jumped up and bit SMU. This pattern has been seen before. The FBI would call it a clue. It isn't the coaches. There is something else going on.

Bennett has been given another year. There are valid reasons for and against keeping him and I wish not to revive that debate. However, a greater examination of the program, with a long established record of under achievement has to be taken into account when evaluating anyone at the SMU Head Coaching job. WE should give Bennett every opportunity just as Fry and Rossley had a chance (Even the great Rossley got 6 seasons).

Orsini has made his choice and I respect that. Orsini has been around and evaluated coaching talent and I accept his credentials. We just finished the most exciting year in almost a decade. Yes it was disappointing but it was disappointing because we failed at success and not because we were an abysmal failure. The coaching decision has been made. Time to move on to recruiting, then spring ball and a hopeful 2007 season.

Rice can recruit players we can't. They have athlete friendly majors (kinseology), we don't.

mr. pony wrote:Bennett said if Dillard gets hurt, who wins the Rice game?

So our pregame strategy is "hope their best player gets hurt"?

Did Bennett ever think that if Willis gets hurt we're 0-12 again? Like one of those 20 times the line stood still and gave the defense a free shot?

EastStang wrote:Rice can recruit players we can't. They have athlete friendly majors (kinseology), we don't.

Capital "B." Capital "S."

There are a whopping FOUR Rice owls majoring in kineseology according to their media guide, as well as a few others majoring in sports medicine. All in all, you are looking at 10% of the roster.

This whole ordeal was handled badly in the first place. Orsini should have said that Coach Bennett is returning when he was originally questioned a week or two back. If he would have, the past three to five days would have never taken place. Now everyone thinks Bennett is returning for one year & then he's gone - if nothing happens. Now, he's going into the recruiting season with one hand tied behind his back & the players in a holding pattern. And then you have all this crap on the board being discussed about what Orsini 'should have done' about letting him go. What a total $%^$$!!!

Good luck with recruiting because all our competition will now use his 'one year & gone' premise against us. "Why go to SMU, their coach will be gone next year?"

Orsini, thank you for lighting the fire that started all this BS. It could have been handled much more professionally & quietly.

aa

NavyCrimson wrote:If he would have, the past three to five days would have never taken place.

And then I might have actually gotten some work done instead of staring at this board.

I see nothing wrong with how Orsini handled this. Most all of the major programs I have paid attention to always wait until after the season to evaluate the program and the coach of that program. Here in Arkansas it is always known that immediately after the season (football and basketball, and the others) each coach goes into the office of Lord Broyles and comes out either smiling or crying. And believe me the speculation is always running rampant until the coach exits the office. This year Houston Nutt is already going to Miami, Alabama, and several other places according to the message boards. Nothing will be decided until Nutt meets with Broyles after the season. If Orsini had made his decision prior to the Rice game he would have been in a very difficult position if he then wanted to dismiss Bennett. Or if he had dismissed Bennett, we would have all believed we would have beaten Rice if not for the coach being fired.

MustangStealth wrote:

mr. pony wrote:Bennett said if Dillard gets hurt, who wins the Rice game?

So our pregame strategy is "hope their best player gets hurt"?

Funny stuff!

I doubt that Rice can get many players in that we can't but I do remember the Rice Study done a few years ago when they considered dropping droping football that showed a very large percentage -very high-of their players were in a single major. I forgot what it was-I actually thought it was Kinesiology too. The study is online on the Rice board I believe.

Stallion wrote:I doubt that Rice can get many players in that we can't but I do remember the Rice Study done a few years ago when they considered dropping droping football that showed a very large percentage -very high-of their players were in a single major. I forgot what it was-I actually thought it was Kinesiology too. The study is online on the Rice board I believe.

I would imagine that the Houston market is now flooded with Kinesiologists and the FB players have switched to another major.

BTW I do recall when that Rice study was discussed on PFs and it was Kinesiology at that time.

MustangStealth wrote:

mr. pony wrote:Bennett said if Dillard gets hurt, who wins the Rice game?

So our pregame strategy is "hope their best player gets hurt"?

Post of the year.

Can you imagine Pete Carrol after last years national championship?? "Well, if number 10 had gotten hurt, who wins the championship then huh?"

Is there any way to incorporate this excuse into our every day lives?

If we played UT we could hope for Bus Crash and against USC a Tsunami-an unbelievable stupid excuse.

The real question is, if Bennett had not been able to continue, could Duke Hasson have coached this team to victory in the second half?