Believe it or not, TCU's move is good for SMU

[Undercover Frog]

Sure, it sucks for y'all today. But in the big scheme of things, there are some benefits here for you guys:

1. It proves that teams have a bright future as long as you can keep winning. SMU has a lot of strengths. Like TCU you are in a large media market, have good academics, solid recruiting soil, and tradition. Now all you need is to win some football games and you will become an asset.

I don't know if it will be in a reorganized Big12 or a crumbling Big East, but keep winning and eventually a door will open up somewhere.


2. Out of TCU's shadow, SMU will get more media exposure. ESPN actually likes to hype the non-AQs because Americans like to root for the underdog, and with TCU now AQ it opens up a spot for someone else to show up on Sportcenter. Become dominant in C-USA and ESPN will spend more time talking about SMU alongside Boise State. This will give you increased media exposure, which will lead to better recruits, and eventually sway voters your way.


3. It weakens the MWC and strengthens C-USA. The MWC is still the better conference, but now the two closer to the same level. I'm not sure whether an undefeated C-USA champion could have made it to the BCS. Not sure if this helps things either, but it can't hurt.


4. It legitimizes the TCU-SMU rivalry. The game will get more attention with ESPN being located in Connecticut and more drawn toward Big East events, and it will automatically add an AQ team to SMU's schedule. Also, you now get to say you play a Big East basketball team every year, even though our basketball team sucks.


Oh, and don't worry. We'll still play you guys every year in football. We need to take a few weeks off now that we'll have to deal with our brutal week-to-week BCS schedule.

[PonyTime]

Point #4 - right on. Will be mech nicer to get a W vs a AQ team.

[sbsmith]

It doesn't suck at all for SMU, it sucks for WAC 3.0 (formerly known as the Mountain West) especially new member Boise State.

[smupony94]

I don't understand the sucking for us today. I am happy for you and all, but we are just fine.

[Undercover Frog]

I don't understand the sucking for us today. I am happy for you and all, but we are just fine.

A lot of people on this board were saying it sucked for SMU. Was mostly paying lip service to them.

Also, the MWC will be just fine. The MWC AD, "Hair," will take care of them.

[gostangs]

maybe i havent been reading the TCU thread, but I havent seen anyone say this sucks for us today. It is neutral to positive.

Its just the Big East afterall. Not all the ACQ is created equal. If I am recruit x between TCU and SMU (or better yet parent of recruit x) and i am on a plane to coldsville every other week, I think my SMU interest just went up.

[regis]

As I see it, this is nothing more than a whore putting on some lipstick and moving to what they think is a better street corner.

Maybe the whore becomes Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.

Or maybe the whore, as a result of changing corners so often, just comes down with a scorching case of VD.

Time will tell.

[Pony Fan]

Other than the Big East CURRENTLY has a automatic bid, I would suggest the Mountain West is a better football league. Big East is clearly better in basketball. I wonder how many recruits the toads will get out of upstate New York?

[koolherc]

Other than the Big East CURRENTLY has a automatic bid, I would suggest the Mountain West is a better football league. Big East is clearly better in basketball. I wonder how many recruits the toads will get out of upstate New York?

No, just no, hell no.

Best part about this is that TCU won't be going undefeated every year from playing the likes of New Mexico and NMSU. Sure they might get a BCS bowl the odd year but the notion that they walk into that conference and just dominate like they have in the MWC (like I've heard insinuated on the radio, internet, etc.) is just ridiculous. It will be a rude awakening when the teams they face will have players the same size/speed.

[Samurai Stang]

2. Out of TCU's shadow, SMU will get more media exposure.

SMU will be in TCU's shadow more than ever. It is ridiculous to believe that TCU will receive less coverage due to its advancement, or that SMU will magically become more appreciated due to the success of another school.

[Big Hoss]

3. It weakens the MWC and strengthens C-USA. The MWC is still the better conference, but now the two closer to the same level. I'm not sure whether an undefeated C-USA champion could have made it to the BCS. Not sure if this helps things either, but it can't hurt.

The Mountain West conference losing Utah, BYU, TCU, and gaining Boise St, Nevada, Fresno St, and Hawaii isn't really any better than the current CUSA. But that's a matter we could pointlessly debate and never make any headway.

Good luck to you guys in the Big East. Honestly, I think it's a great move for TCU. It will be interesting to see what happens with conference realignments in the next 2-3 years. The Big East likely implodes, but if TCU continues its success as part of it, they can position themselves to be one of the 16 team Super-conferences.

[SMU 86]

2. Out of TCU's shadow, SMU will get more media exposure.

SMU will be in TCU's shadow more than ever. It is ridiculous to believe that TCU will receive less coverage due to its advancement, or that SMU will magically become more appreciated due to the success of another school.

Agreed. TCU will also now have more money to put into facilities that we will not have. With this move they should leave us far behind in budget, recruiting, and exposure.

[HB Pony Dad]

I find Jesse Palmer's comments on College Football live rather interesting.

He is absolutely emphatic that should Oregon and/or Auburn lose next week then Stanford and/or Wisconsin should jump TCU for the NC game.

He refers to the "eyeball" test and points out how unimpressive TCU's only AQ win vs. Oregon State really is, and how vulnerable they looked in two of their Non-AQ victories specifically against SMU and San Diego State.

Anyway TCU's move to the BE is a good move for them!

They are going to need those extra AQ Conference $$$ to pay the additional travel expenses they are going to incur as their average Travel Mileage is now a whopping 1140 miles!

Going to need true diehard fans to travel on the road as well.

Our objective still remains the same...


JUST WIN BABE!

The fallout will be whatever it will be.

[SMU 86]

Gary Patterson said that the travel is about the same. And to the Frog, I could care less if we played you guys or not so I am not worried about that at all.

[HB Pony Dad]

Gary Patterson said that the travel is about the same.

Probably a loose interpretation of the word "about".