PonyFans.com

...There are other programs with histories, the bluebloods, if you will. Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas, and USC are some of those, while several others can also make a compelling case.

One that has no case to be in that discussion, though, is Dallas-based SMU...That didn't keep veteran political reporter Chuck Todd from making an all-time out there claim regarding both SMU and Notre Dame, however...he made a comparison that even the most loyal Mustangs fan would have trouble defending.

"By the way, imagine what SMU's football program would be if they never had the death penalty," Todd said, "They'd be Notre Dame."

Throughout history, SMU has largely been a joke around college football. Yes, Doak Walker is an all-time great and the cheating ways of the Pony Express days made them a national power in the eighties, but SMU has an all-time winning percentage as .492 as a football program.

Ohio State (.735), Alabama (.733), Michigan (.733), and Notre Dame (.731) are all light years ahead of SMU, not to mention the three national titles the Mustangs claim, compared to the literal dozens the above schools total.

https://www.si.com/college/notredame/fo ... tball-take

What Chuck Todd said and what SMU's record says are not mutually exclusive. SMU was a powerhouse, or at least competitive, for most of its history up until the Death Penalty. then it had 20 losing seasons in a row, thanks to the Death Penalty. Not just losing seasons, but many seasons had 3 wins or less. So would SMU be Notre Dame if it had not gotten the Death Penalty? That is a stretch, to be sure. But this article does a poor job of disproving Todd's assertion by comparing winning percentages. If anything, it kind of proves Todd's point.

Who knows whether SMU could have sustained the success we briefly enjoyed in the Pony Express era but if we had been able to compete for major conference titles, if not national titles over what would now be a more than 40 year stretch, Todd's comment is not as far fetched as most think

There used to be an old joke: A Notre Dame player went to confession. He told the priest, I spit in my opponent's eye. Terrible said the priest. I also held him multiple times. Horrible said the priest. I also kicked him in the groin. Reprehensible said the priest. By the way who was this opponent. Southern Methodist said the player. To which the priest replied. Boys will be boys.

So back in the day, we were blue blood enough to be considered part of a Notre Dame joke. They didn't pick other Christian schools like TCU, Baylor, Brigham Young, USC, Duke, or Harvard.

I believe that with constant NIL funding at a medium to high level.

Dallas, education and metroplex jobs will keep SMU competitive.

BUS wrote:I believe that with constant NIL funding at a medium to high level.

Dallas, education and metroplex jobs will keep SMU competitive.

Agreed. SMU can remain competitive as long as we have generational wealth supporting SMU athletics

Here are the stats. From 2016-Present including post season 66-42. From 1989 to 2015 we were 94-215-3. From 1917-1986 we were 364-292-29. Eliminate the death penalty years and hangover and we are: 430-334-29, a respectable 55%.

If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a Merry Christmas. So is he bagging on us or them? Or who friggin cares? Just win now and all these fools will shut it.