PonyFans.com

anybody else feel like the Rice game is a huge threshold game right out of the gate? Almost more interesting than any other opponent we could play in JJ's opener. I hesitate to say must win, but yeah, actually i feel like its a must win. Its either gonna be the same old thing losing to a Rice program we think we should be better than in Houston for the umpteeth time since 1986, or we win down there for a change. Thats as black and white as it gets symbolically. Failing to beat Rice in Houston is the epitomy of the program's lack of success and a particular house of horrors with 4th and goal and failed bowl attempt just two years ago.

If we lose, it can be recovered from obviously. But the TCU game would then vault to must win status.

Other thing is does anybody else feel like we are pumping up the June Cometh thing too much? I know we are desperate for things to market, but promoting a player is much more effective i think. I guess you cant promote a qb who sat out of spring ball though. My point is that if you disagree with Rice being a must win game, fine, but I think SMU has set up the Rice game as must win with the marketing campaign, national tv game and the $ being paid to JJ. Not sure SMU had a choice but opening with Texas State might have been lower risk, same reward in the scheme of first impressions.

Hoop Fan wrote:anybody else feel like the Rice game is a huge threshold game right out of the gate? Almost more interesting than any other opponent we could play in JJ's opener. I hesitate to say must win, but yeah, actually i feel like its a must win. Its either gonna be the same old thing losing to a Rice program we think we should be better than in Houston for the umpteeth time since 1986, or we win down there for a change. Thats as black and white as it gets symbolically. Failing to beat Rice in Houston is the epitomy of the program's lack of success and a particular house of horrors with 4th and goal and failed bowl attempt just two years ago.

If we lose, it can be recovered from obviously. But the TCU game would then vault to must win status.

Other thing is does anybody else feel like we are pumping up the June Cometh thing too much? I know we are desperate for things to market, but promoting a player is much more effective i think. I guess you cant promote a qb who sat out of spring ball though. My point is that if you disagree with Rice being a must win game, fine, but I think SMU has set up the Rice game as must win with the marketing campaign, national tv game and the $ being paid to JJ. Not sure SMU had a choice but opening with Texas State might have been lower risk, same reward in the scheme of first impressions.

I think they are doing the right thing by promoting JJ instead of a player. First, it puts the spotlight on the coach instead of adding extra pressure to a featured player. Second, with this being a new staff, we don't know who the starters are yet.

As Coach Jones pointed out, he lost his first game at Hawaii by 60-something points (granted, that was against USC), but they still finished with the biggest turnaround in NCAA history. If SMU wins, don't make bowl reservations yet, and if SMU loses, don't go doing anything unsafe just yet, either.

I don't think there are must wins in a Coach's first game taking over a 1-11 team. I do agree however that if SMU wants a shot at a winning record and one of CUSA's what 6 bowls it would behove SMU to win at Rice-otherwise the early season schedule could end up being a Bataan Death March with TCU, Texas St. (W), Tech, then two straight road games(Tulane, UCF), then CUSA favorites (Tulsa, UH) then Bowl team on the Road (Navy) on the early schedule. SMU likely will be underdogs in all those games except Texas State. Lose to Rice and we could easily start 1-8 or 2-7.

I would agree with Stallion that there are no "must-win" games coming off a 1-11 season. I would say that the Rice game is, at most, a "statement" game. Beating Rice would be a huge statement, especially given the pre-season hype about their offense. It is an opportunity for our D to show that they will not be pushed around.

Personally, I just want to see our lads get after Rice with aggressiveness right out of the blocks, and never let them have their way.

Rice is going to be a tough game with a new system. I agree with Stallion, there are no must win games after a 1-12 season. However, I do think that given that Rice, Tulane, TCU, UH and Tulsa were close last year when we went 1-12, it might not completely resemble the Bataan Death March. We were a couple of plays away in each of those games from being 6-6 last year.

Darn, we lost another game during the summer?

From a recruiting standpoint, Ron Meyer, who I think did ok in recruiting (no snide remarks please), always said to be successful in recruiting you needed to win your first game, your last game and the game against your biggest rival. Right now that makes Rice, Southern Miss and I would say TCU as our most important contests in regard to having a strong impact on the next years recruiting.

Must win, of course not, but it sure would be nice to start out a new season on a positive note.

Stallion wrote:I don't think there are must wins in a Coach's first game taking over a 1-11 team. I do agree however that if SMU wants a shot at a winning record and one of CUSA's what 6 bowls it would behove SMU to win at Rice-otherwise the early season schedule could end up being a Bataan Death March with TCU, Texas St. (W), Tech, then two straight road games(Tulane, UCF), then CUSA favorites (Tulsa, UH) then Bowl team on the Road (Navy) on the early schedule. SMU likely will be underdogs in all those games except Texas State. Lose to Rice and we could easily start 1-8 or 2-7.

by deduction, if losing to rice means we could easily start 1-8, to me that meets even the loosest definition of must win.

I just think at his age and with the cynicism that surrounds SMU, to be successful here in any real way, JJ needs a fast start and some early momentum. If this turns into a 3-5 year slog of a rebuild process, it won't be a happy ending. just my take.

"YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!"

must win!

it would be nice to not start the June Jones era the same way that the Phil Bennett error started..........................although the fire was pretty funny!

must win.

SmooBoy wrote:Darn, we lost another game during the summer?

No, we lost a game in such extraordinary fashion that it was retroactively changed to a double-loss.

Yep. If we lose this game, get the Circle of Champions on the phone so we can raise the money to buy out JJ and bring Bob Stoops in here.

Yes, a loss in the opener will be a disappointment, but with a 1-10 team implementing an brand new offense, only one QB who has taken a snap in a D1 game (and did not go through spring ball), a defense that couldn't stop the French Army last year, and we haven't won at Rice since my freshman year at SMU, we should not tag this game as a 'must win' and we should not expect a win (nod to JT).

I agree with hoop.