June's logic ... SEC or WAC foe?

[newshound]

Here is where you have to side with June Jones ... If, some how, some way, SMU were to win the league, the Mustangs would have to play an SEC team in a virtual road game in Memphis. You want any part of any SEC team right now? Not when even Jones himself admits he's one recruiting class ahead of schedule. SMU does not physically match up vs. any SEC West team and probably not anyone from the SEC East, either, at this point. You'd hate to go to Memphis and play 6-6 Tennessee -- because the game has to sell some tickets -- and get slaughtered.

Last time June Jones took a team to a bowl game and played an SEC school it was not pretty: Sugar Bowl vs. Georgia. It was "name your score" after two possessions.

Whereas, in going to Hawaii, it's familiar ground, a true neutral site and probably some locals rooting for Jones. And, you play a WAC team, which the coach knows just a little something about. There is a much better chance of winning that bowl game that there would be vs. the No. 8 SEC team in Memphis.

When he refers to it being better to go to Hawaii for recruiting at this point, that makes sense. Win your bowl game vs. risk being taken apart physically. It would be different if SMU mowed through C-USA with a 10-2 or 11-1 mark. Remember, as hot as the team is now, this team lost to Washington State and has actually been outscored in conference games.

June can easily couch this politically by playing the "butts in seats" card with C-USA. Send Southern Miss or East Carolina to Memphis to get fed to the SEC wolves. While it would be great to play a bowl game within reasonable travel distance, the object is to get to that game, to get the extra practice time and to WIN on national television.

Surely, this team can play with anyone except Boise State in the WAC. As for the SEC, I want no part of Arkansas, Ole Miss, Auburn, Georgia or Tennessee.

June's logic makes sense; he just can't actually come out and say that. And, of course, none of this matters unless SMU wins three more in a row and, let's be honest, it's been a fun season, but is this team truly good enough to win six in a row? We all saw the last two games and how we were only a play or two better than winless Rice and 3-6 UTEP. I am just glad a bowl game appears on the horizon.

[Stallion]

and ECU is much better equipped to compete with an SEC team since they play great. physical run defense. That's why he mentioned ECU I think. I agree-we really don't want to play an SEC bowl caliber team right now

[EastStang]

Add in that he has had some success recruiting polynesian players who happen to make very good linemen and linebackers and making an appearance at the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl gives him some opportunity to have some face to face recruiting discussions with these recruits. Don't know if we can invite them to the game or comp them tickets, but that might be in the back of his mind.

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

Here is where you have to side with June Jones ...June's logic makes sense; he just can't actually come out and say that.

Yes newshound I would think you pretty much have it right....but of course some of these people are not capable of seeing the big picture and are prone to complain about the shade of blue on a sunny clear blue sky day. They wanna try and micro-manage the man that has us where we are....they wanna pretend the man just does not know what he is doing....then others wanna pretend Orsini is out to screw us on CUSA championship tickets and CUSA Blvd spots....many of these folks live to bite the hand that feeds.

[ALEX LIFESON]

All of that makes sense, but, we could take more fans to Memphis, to freeze their tails off, and see SMU get pounded. It just makes more sense, to have June break his word to his players, so we can go get mauled by an SEC team.

[ozfan]

JJ is right on this matter. JJ is now recruiting fast players because he took UH to the Sugar Bowl and saw what a fast SEC team can do to a good non BCS team, when he thinks he has the team to play a BCS team then SMU will bowl with a BCS team

[mustang2012]

this is ridiculous. i registered an account just to reply to this. The payout for the liberty bowl is around $1.7 mil. the payout for the hawaii bowl is $398,000. (last year's numbers). Furthermore, it is not up to SMU or steve orsini or june jones. The liberty bowl gets the c-usa champion (provided not a bcs buster). there is a contract in place.

[SMU 86]

this is ridiculous. i registered an account just to reply to this. The payout for the liberty bowl is around $1.7 mil. the payout for the hawaii bowl is $398,000. (last year's numbers). Furthermore, it is not up to SMU or steve orsini or june jones. The liberty bowl gets the c-usa champion (provided not a bcs buster). there is a contract in place.

Payout for the Hawaii Bowl is around 750,00 now.

[Hoofbeat83]

no, i think the liberty bowl is obligated to INVITE the champion but the champ is not obligated to go. plus all the bowl proceeds are split among the members so as long as there is a cusa team in the bowl we get the same amount either way.

[SMU 86]

no, i think the liberty bowl is obligated to INVITE the champion but the champ is not obligated to go. plus all the bowl proceeds are split among the members so as long as there is a cusa team in the bowl we get the same amount either way.

I forgot about the split. That's true.

[huskerpony]

This is stupid. Good thing we don't have any Big 12 teams or TCU on the schedule for next year. I'd hate to see us lose to them.

You don't improve by striving for success in mediocrity. Bring on the big dogs and let's see where we stand!

[jtstang]

Dooby and I had this very discussion earlier today. I kind of think there may be something to this line of thought.

[mustang2012]

regardless, smu remains an irrelevant program on a national scale if they go to hawaii. Casual college football fans don't watch the hawaii bowl, but they DO watch Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn, and Arkansas--probable candidates for the liberty bowl. This would be a serious step forward for recruiting

[SMU 86]

regardless, smu remains an irrelevant program on a national scale if they go to hawaii. Casual college football fans don't watch the hawaii bowl, but they DO watch Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn, and Arkansas--probable candidates for the liberty bowl. This would be a serious step forward for recruiting

It was not a serious step forward in recruiting for Hawaii when they got a beatdown from Georgia.

[mustang2012]

it absolutely would have had june jones stayed there. A bcs appearance is 10x better for a non-bcs school than a win in any non bcs bowl