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Rice Coach says they have had two weeks to prepare for SMU, have had great practices last week, and will be ready for the Mustangs.Watch video conference at official Rice site....I just hope we beat the hell out of Rice.

Rice has had our number for years - including Tulane. Anything could happen & probably will. Over confidence is our biggest opponent - not Rice or anyone else.

Agreed. We MUST play up to our potential! No Let Down!

They got a couple of starters back this week, that have been out for a while.

They didn't win a game when those starters were in the lineup. I think it would be best that we concentrate on what we do and do it well and stop fussing about what the opponent is and is not doing.

If we play like we have played throughout October, we will beat Rice.

The Rice game bothers me for one big reason. We have no margin for error. We have to win 3 of 4 to go bowling. We don't have 3 for sure wins out of the four games. And we have a quarter century history of failure in key games that make or break a bowl worthy season. Rice is a must win.

Rice has had an extra week to heal and prepare. Rice has everything to win and nothing to lose. Rice has a history of beating us like a rented mule so they will have confidence.

We are now talking bowl which is premature.

On paper we should beat Rice. But we lose and our bowl chances slip to slim.

Our players should be confident that they can and should beat Rice. They need to focus in practice and prepare to beat an opponent they should beat. Then play hard and smart. If so, we beat Rice.

Beat Rice.

NavyCrimson wrote:Over confidence is our biggest opponent

I think this is an over confident statement.

ponyte wrote:The Rice game bothers me for one big reason. We have no margin for error. We have to win 3 of 4 to go bowling. We don't have 3 for sure wins out of the four games. And we have a quarter century history of failure in key games that make or break a bowl worthy season. Rice is a must win.

Rice has had an extra week to heal and prepare. Rice has everything to win and nothing to lose. Rice has a history of beating us like a rented mule so they will have confidence.

We are now talking bowl which is premature.

On paper we should beat Rice. But we lose and our bowl chances slip to slim.

Our players should be confident that they can and should beat Rice. They need to focus in practice and prepare to beat an opponent they should beat. Then play hard and smart. If so, we beat Rice.

Ponyte, 2 of 4 will put us in a good situation with how CUSA's bowl picture is breaking down.

6-6 isn't a sure lock for a bowl. 7-5 is about as close to a lock as one can expect.

We have been at the 6-6 mark and not gone bowling. At 6-6 there are many other variables that come into play that work against us.

Go 7-5 and we eliminate many of those variables and we also earn our post season reward.

ponyte wrote:6-6 isn't a sure lock for a bowl. 7-5 is about as close to a lock as one can expect.

We have been at the 6-6 mark and not gone bowling. At 6-6 there are many other variables that come into play that work against us.

Go 7-5 and we eliminate many of those variables and we also earn our post season reward.

I know what happened in 2006 and all I am saying is that the variables this year are different. 7-5 would guarantee us a bowl, but there's a better chance we going bowling at 6-6 this year than there ever was in 2006.

As I said on another thread there are six slots open. 5 teams already have five wins (Marshall, UCF, USM, ECU, UH). 2 teams have four wins (us and Tulsa). 2 teams have 3 wins (UTEP and UAB). Yes, some of the teams have some tough games, but at 6-6 bowls are going to be counting heads. Assume that the teams with five wins all get to seven and that SMU, Tulsa, and UTEP end up at 6-6. Now you are the Eagle Bank Bowl in Washington, DC. Do you choose SMU, Tulsa or UTEP? UTEP - a team that has huge home attendance. SMU - for coverage of a team that hasn't been to a bowl in awhile - and has attendance problems or Tulsa a preseason poll favorite. At 7-5, Hawaii can choose us with the second pick and if not we are guaranteed either the St. Pete Bowl or the Eagle Bank Bowl. (hint St. Pete and Eagle Bank would work a deal to get UCF to St. Pete).

EastStang wrote:As I said on another thread there are six slots open. 5 teams already have five wins (Marshall, UCF, USM, ECU, UH). 2 teams have four wins (us and Tulsa). 2 teams have 3 wins (UTEP and UAB). Yes, some of the teams have some tough games, but at 6-6 bowls are going to be counting heads. Assume that the teams with five wins all get to seven and that SMU, Tulsa, and UTEP end up at 6-6. Now you are the Eagle Bank Bowl in Washington, DC. Do you choose SMU, Tulsa or UTEP? UTEP - a team that has huge home attendance. SMU - for coverage of a team that hasn't been to a bowl in awhile - and has attendance problems or Tulsa a preseason poll favorite. At 7-5, Hawaii can choose us with the second pick and if not we are guaranteed either the St. Pete Bowl or the Eagle Bank Bowl. (hint St. Pete and Eagle Bank would work a deal to get UCF to St. Pete).

You are the Hawaii Bowl. You can choose Marshall, UCF, USM, ECU, Tulsa, UTEP, UAB, SMU.

Marshall, UCF, USM, ECU, Tulsa, UTEP, UAB won't bring any fans. SMU won't either, but their coach is the former Hawaii coach and THAT will sell tickets.

The only economically feasible selection for the Hawaii Bowl is SMU and that is why if there are fewer 7+ win teams than there are CUSA bowl slots, SMU will be going to Hawaii at 6-6.

for now can we just make sure we don't pull an SMU and go out there and lay a big ol' turd vs Rice? Wouldnt that be just like SMU?

RGV Pony wrote:for now can we just make sure we don't pull an SMU and go out there and lay a big ol' turd vs Rice? Wouldnt that be just like SMU?

There's a reason why I don't think this is just another season for SMU. We didn't give up 4th and 18 against Tulsa.