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I saw one of the C-USA Championship game previews (I believe Orlando Sentinel) and a UCF player is quoted that SMU will be the best offensive line they've faced all year. IMO, this is the biggest reason for our turnaround. Before last year we rarely, if ever played a team that we could compete with upfront. Our guys were just too small and too slow to compete with division opponents, much less a BCS school. The same applies on the defensive side of the ball.

When TCU first started turning things around, the improvement I first noticed back then was their ability to compete with BCS teams in the trenches.

JJ is building this the right way, we are light years ahead of 5 years ago.

their D-Line might end up being the best one we will face this year.

So as a whole I've been pretty impressed with the O-line, they haven't been perfect (ie a center that can't really snap the ball) but they have done a really solid job protecting a QB that can be slow to throw. The best thing about it is they return all the starters and some of the younger guys who have played as back ups will push for starting spots. When that happens people work harder in the off season and in practice.

I know we have a tougher scheduel next year but I wouldn't be surprised if we make a big leap next year if we stay healthy (I'm thinking 10 wins).

not sure i'd say our schedule is tougher next year.

TCU, A$M navy, ucf, so. miss tulsa houston.....i would say it is much harder

NickSMU17 wrote:TCU, A$M navy, ucf, so. miss tulsa houston.....i would say it is much harder

with five of those on the road

even with the harder schedule though I think we have more wins. Serously 5 returning starters on the line, returning the best runner in the league, arguably the best passer, some experince and younge talent at WR, the team leader in Sacks ect ect 2011 the year of the Mustang Pony UP!!!!!!

Pony_Law wrote:even with the harder schedule though I think we have more wins. Serously 5 returning starters on the line, returning the best runner in the league, arguably the best passer, some experince and younge talent at WR, the team leader in Sacks ect ect 2011 the year of the Mustang Pony UP!!!!!!

Maybe 1 more regular season win, hard to see more than that with the suicidal road schedule.

Navy will be worse next year and TCU should take a step back, So that should be two more wins right there

Pony_Law wrote:Navy will be worse next year and TCU should take a step back, So that should be two more wins right there

I have a hard time writing off 2 well coached efficient teams like Navy and TCU, they may be losing a lot but both will be tough to beat especially TCU in Fort Worth. Hell we've had Navy down 2 scores each of the last 2 seasons and couldn't close the deal and we haven't beat TCU in Fort Worth in 17 years.

Learning to win takes time so i think 3rd times a charm for navy (remember we could/should have gone into OT vs navy). I'm so high on the ponies because of who we return. QBs improve each year, seriously imagine if Kyle threw 5 less INT's this year. Watch I bet we will be picked 1st in CUSA by over half of prediction makers.

We should have beaten Navy in 2009, we didn't. We should have beaten Navy in 2010, we didn't. I'm expecting the 2011 team to step up and notch some of these difficult victories. That's the next step we take.

I think that we will beat UTEP at home next year.