Before The Season Started: Would You Take 5-4 Right Now?

[StallionsModelT]

I seem to catch myself thinking after a win this year if we had just found a way to close out the Wazzu and Navy games, we would be 7-2 right now. However, when you take a step back and look at this season, we have actually found ways to win games in very unconventional ways. Margus Hunt's impact on special teams has been absolutely mindblowing. Defensively we have gotten very timely turnovers. On offense we are getting better with a true freshman quarterback still learning on the fly. While I'm sure JJ is a bit disappointed in our production offensively, the bigger picture is that he and his staff are getting these kids to believe they can win. Whether its offense, defense, or special teams we are creating ways to win as opposed to looking for a way to not lose. Ultimately, had you told me we would be 5-4 with 3 games to go before the season, I would have taken that in a heartbeat.

[Dutch]

Agreed.

[smuuth]

No. You play the games and try to win every one. Why limit your players.I am curious to see if we go 6-6 because that was the "best we could hope for and would make us bowl eligible". Maybe we would have won those two games, Navy and WSU, if we would have had the attitude we could win every game. What will be the goal next year after nine games 6 and 3? Why not 9 and 0. To get to the top, you gotta believe.

[ponyscott]

When you stop and think about where we are and maybe IF and hope that we get a bowl game this year, do we really think that this young team is ready to play a much higher caliber team if we had that better record? If we end up in a bowl game with a 6-6 or 7-5 or even a, heaven forbid an 8-4 record, we will play someone of like caliber with a similar record. We would have a much better chance for a good bowl showing, and possibly a win against the teams we would face. Lets play this year out and hope for an even better record next year with a more experienced SMU team ( especially with another several weeks of meaningful practice for that bowl this year)with some new freshman impact players that add depth and we will make a better impact on the national bowl scene.

[Wuba]

No. You play the games and try to win every one. Why limit your players.I am curious to see if we go 6-6 because that was the "best we could hope for and would make us bowl eligible". Maybe we would have won those two games, Navy and WSU, if we would have had the attitude we could win every game. What will be the goal next year after nine games 6 and 3? Why not 9 and 0. To get to the top, you gotta believe.

So what was your prediction for the first 9 games before the season started? 9-0?

[smuuth]

As a fan, I would have predicted that the TCU, Houston, ECU, Tulsa and maybe Navy games would be extremely tough to win......and then I would think back to last year and realize that we should have beaten Houston and Tulsa even though they were much better than us last year. Who knows....SMU has lost for so long and been stepped on by everyone that eventually even the most ardent fan just wishes for a glimmer of success.....kind of like Baylor before they won the SWC in 1974, and Florida State before they hired Bowden, and Miami before the old pipe smoker, and Pitt before Johny Majors, and Texas to an extent before Mac Brown. We sometimes forget that, unless I am mistaken, SMU and Texas are the only teams in Texas to win National championships in football in the last how many 30,40,50,60 years. (D1) I referenced earlier in the year how SMU had a real good team in 1965 and lost a lot of winnable games before winning those kinds of games and the conference in 1966 with Levias. My point was that sometimes a team is ready and able to win now but they don't realize until after the season is over that it was possible. Why limit yourself before the games are played. We should have beaten Navy by 2 or 3 touchdowns and just yeasterday they beat mighty ND with a qb just coming back from injury with no passing attack!

[friarwolf]

yes, absolutely............

[Wuba]

As a fan, I would have predicted that the TCU, Houston, ECU, Tulsa and maybe Navy games would be extremely tough to win......and then I would think back to last year and realize that we should have beaten Houston and Tulsa even though they were much better than us last year. Who knows....SMU has lost for so long and been stepped on by everyone that eventually even the most ardent fan just wishes for a glimmer of success.....kind of like Baylor before they won the SWC in 1974, and Florida State before they hired Bowden, and Miami before the old pipe smoker, and Pitt before Johny Majors, and Texas to an extent before Mac Brown. We sometimes forget that, unless I am mistaken, SMU and Texas are the only teams in Texas to win National championships in football in the last how many 30,40,50,60 years. (D1) I referenced earlier in the year how SMU had a real good team in 1965 and lost a lot of winnable games before winning those kinds of games and the conference in 1966 with Levias. My point was that sometimes a team is ready and able to win now but they don't realize until after the season is over that it was possible. Why limit yourself before the games are played. We should have beaten Navy by 2 or 3 touchdowns and just yeasterday they beat mighty ND with a qb just coming back from injury with no passing attack!

I do not think a fan looking at the schedule before the season and predicting which games the team will win and which they will lose is in any way limiting the team before the games are played.

[Mustangs35SMU]

The fact that this team easily could be (and probably should be) 7-2 right now and the fact that they are still 2 wins away from going to a bowl game for sure....I definitely would have taken this before the season.

If you would've told me that the defense would've been this good, and Hunt would've set the school record for blocked kicks 9 games into the season.....I probably would laughed in your face.

[hawaiisashimi_smu]

SMU almost beat Navy.

Navy beat Notre Dame this past week.

If SMU were to play Navy at SMU this week, I would bet that SMU would beat Navy.

Before the season started, I would be lucky if SMU won 2 games for the season.

The defense is big time!

The offense is too!

This is a very young team!!!

A bunch of believers and JJ is good at doing that!!!

$2 million dollars for over acheiving?

PRICELESS!!!!

[docabel]

Happy with 5-4. Absolutely.

Would I be happier with 7-2. Sure, but, I would be even happier with 9-0 and talking about a BCS bid, but lets keep our feet planted in reality for now.

[SMU2007]

yea we could be 7-2. but couldn't we just have easily lost the ECU game, the UAB game or even the Rice game this week??

i feel you though - those 2 OT losses were so close to going our way. Still, can't be upset with 5 wins with 3 games to play

[ReedFrawg]

It's always like this. You certainly could have won both WSU and Navy. However, I think ECU wins 8 of 10 against SMU - stats were slanted in their favor. Also, SFA and Rice could have gone either way...

All in all...I think 5-4 is great and you have a great shot to win at least 2 of the last 3 (if not all 3)! Baby steps...

[couch 'em]

Before the season I said 4 wins to maintain JJ's momentum/minimum to be happy. A bowl berth to blow up recruiting and to be out of my mind happy.

[The PonyGrad]

Before the season I said 4 wins to maintain JJ's momentum/minimum to be happy. A bowl berth to blow up recruiting and to be out of my mind happy.

Agreed, that is how I took the question. The most optimistic would have said 4-5 at this point. 5-4 is great but only if we finish. At this point though one would really expect 7-5 as a finish and that would be outstanding. First winning season since losing to winless TCU.

Thrilled with special teams, very happy with the progress of the defense, disappointed but hopeful about the offense compared with the start of the season.