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I love the ponies, but lets be objective. Tulsa has only lost 3 games--1 game was on a Hail Mary Pass, one on the road to good a Okla. State team, and to us by 3 points when they essentially couldn't catch some passes. They are better than our young kids are at this point.

I don't think big picture it would be good to hang on and win the West (even assuming we can), and then go place the East division team in their place and lose badly. Rather beat Marshall, lose to ECU and stay home at 6-6 for the Armed Forces Bowl. We save travel and other expenses, easier for our small fan base to have home bowl game, etc.

Let Tulsa go as the West representative, I think as of now they deserve it more anyway. I wish we would just focus on beating Marshall and getting to 6 wins and possible bowl, rather than the focus on West champs. I think winning last one on road at ECU very difficult and do not think we are anywhere 13 points or whatever the line is better than Marshall.

I understand your point that Tulsa may be better than we are, but I do not understand how long term playing for the championship - win or loose - will hurt us. I see it as a learning experience and a recruiting benefit. Our players need to experience playing in big important games and recruits will be more impressed with our playing in the championship game than not. Now do I think we will get that opportunity - that's a different question. At this point, after watching what we have done since halftime at Navy, I will not be surprised if we loose the next two games.

BEAT MARSHALL

Yes many times, some teams are more deserving than others, but are you serious? I don't care if we lose by 50 in the C-USA Championship game. The fact is: we made it. That is a huge accomplishment, especially considering the injuries/perceived lack of talent or success.


If we win our final two games, we are more deserving. We beat Tulsa fair and square.

Harry0569 wrote:Yes many times, some teams are more deserving than others, but are you serious? I don't care if we lose by 50 in the C-USA Championship game. The fact is: we made it. That is a huge accomplishment, especially considering the injuries/perceived lack of talent or success.


If we win our final two games, we are more deserving. We beat Tulsa fair and square.

I see the original poster's point and agree with a lot of it. Still I take Harry's view more. I would rather take that next step and play for the championship, regardless of the outcome. Sure, Tulsa has only lost three, but one of them was to us. If we make it to the championship game, no apology necessary to anyone.

We earned it, if Tulsa wanted to go, they should have beat us.

I am borderline speechless when I hear a supporter of our team suggest that we should lose a game so that we can avoid playing someone. I agree that Tulsa is playing very well right now, but ... well, anyway.

San Antonio Mustang wrote:I understand your point that Tulsa may be better than we are, but I do not understand how long term playing for the championship - win or loose - will hurt us. I see it as a learning experience and a recruiting benefit. Our players need to experience playing in big important games and recruits will be more impressed with our playing in the championship game than not. Now do I think we will get that opportunity - that's a different question. At this point, after watching what we have done since halftime at Navy, I will not be surprised if we loose the next two games.

BEAT MARSHALL

If we somehow make the championship at 6-6, and lose the championship, we aren't bowl eligible. That's how playing for the championship will hurt us.

This is ridiculous. Tulsa "deserves" it? If that's the case, they should have beaten us. They didn't. We "should have" beaten UTEP & Houston and be undefeated in conference play. We didn't.

That's the way football go.

We can't improve unless we continue to play better teams & eventually beat them as long as we are committed to that improvement. There are going to be frustrations, setbacks, and losses associated with growth.

With your attitude & logic, why not drop a division and maybe play for a D2 championship?

Saying Tulsa deserves it more than SMU isn't very fair at this point in the season....

For non-conf. the ponies played TOUGH TCU, Navy, and Tech teams... and a somewhat respectable Pac-10 team, Wash. St.

Tulsa played a good Ok. St. team, a decent Notre Dame team, and 2 terrible teams in Central Ark and Bowling Green.

Our conference schedules are similar... so to say Tulsa being 7-3 is better than SMU being 5-5 isn't necessarily true. Do you think if Tulsa would have swapped c. ark and bowling green for Navy and Tech that they would not have 2 more losses (like SMU).

These 2 teams are very closely match... evident from the head to head score of 21-18. Them team who does best over the next 2 games will be the one that deserves to be division champ.

Probably one of the worst posts I have ever seen at this stage of the season. What if we win our last 2 and Tulsa loses their last 2? We would have identical records. Would you have posted this garbage immediately after the Tech game? After all we had the worst record in college football at that time. This team has a chance to turn it around, and I hope they do, but if they do not they will get what they deserve based on the full years play.

CalallenStang wrote:

San Antonio Mustang wrote:I understand your point that Tulsa may be better than we are, but I do not understand how long term playing for the championship - win or loose - will hurt us. I see it as a learning experience and a recruiting benefit. Our players need to experience playing in big important games and recruits will be more impressed with our playing in the championship game than not. Now do I think we will get that opportunity - that's a different question. At this point, after watching what we have done since halftime at Navy, I will not be surprised if we loose the next two games.

BEAT MARSHALL

If we somehow make the championship at 6-6, and lose the championship, we aren't bowl eligible. That's how playing for the championship will hurt us.

I would rather go to the CUSA championship game than a bowl game at 6-6 with a match up against a middle of the road WAC opponent.

I agree with mrydel -just line up and play to win when you are scheduled to show-up. The rest will take care of itself

Topper wrote:

CalallenStang wrote:

San Antonio Mustang wrote:I understand your point that Tulsa may be better than we are, but I do not understand how long term playing for the championship - win or loose - will hurt us. I see it as a learning experience and a recruiting benefit. Our players need to experience playing in big important games and recruits will be more impressed with our playing in the championship game than not. Now do I think we will get that opportunity - that's a different question. At this point, after watching what we have done since halftime at Navy, I will not be surprised if we loose the next two games.

BEAT MARSHALL

If we somehow make the championship at 6-6, and lose the championship, we aren't bowl eligible. That's how playing for the championship will hurt us.

I would rather go to the CUSA championship game than a bowl game at 6-6 with a match up against a middle of the road WAC opponent.

Bowl games buy practice time. CUSA championships don't.

Don't be mistaken --I want us to win both of our next games by 30 plus points, then go play the east and win than one by 30 plus points, then win our bowl. I have poured more money and time into this program the last 20 plus years than you guys know and want us to succeed, hell I just was asked about writing another check for another athletic dept. project.

My concern is the bad press a 6-6 team would generate if we beat Marshall, then lose to ECU, and back into this thing with 4-3 conference record (they would say we didnt' deserve it, etc.) and then worse we end up 6-7. Calallen Stang posts then we don't go to a bowl. I think you have to look long term and say a home bowl game at 6-6 with a good crowd, that we win to to to 7-6, generates more positive for the program. Better than bad loss in championship game and final losing record in my opinion. Doesn't mean I am right.

I appreciate the reasonableness of the posts always by San Antonio Mustang and others. I do think our kids should go if same record as Tulsa because we beat them, but I am objective to know we are not playing as well as them now. But I acknowledge how young we are and think our future is bright.

Don't mind the attacks on me, but don't misunderstand my committment to the ponies or that I want them to win all the time. Probably did not do good job, posted really quick but wanted to make the point I think we should stop all the focus on this West Divsion talk and lets just win games and go from there. I agreed with SA Mustangs -- lets BEAT MARSHALL !!

i am speechless.