QB Greg McElroy To Tech

[Stallion]

perhaps the most notable recruit who had never started a game before this season, Southlake Carroll QB Greg McElroy has committed to Texas Tech. SMU was never really in it but TCU was and thought they might get a package deal with Renfro. He is only rated No. 84 in Texas but that should go up since now that he has started he is among the state leaders in most categories.

[LakeHighlandsPony]

Tech got a steal. I can't beleive Enright does not have some old teammates atleast interested in SMU. We did not need both SLC players to go to TCU-Thank God

[Billy Joe]

Bennett loses out on another great player in the D/FW area. There will not be any quality Division 1-A players left with academic eligiblity before too long. We will then be stuck with the marginal players and 'left-overs' as usual. Another frustrating recruiting year lies ahead.

[Stallion]

can you really lose out on something you really never had a shot at. I heard from some SMU people we had a shot but I never heard it from McElroy or Renfro. Seriously, there is an alarmingly small list of top football players that are strongly considering SMU. Here's an example that tells it all-I am not aware of a single three star recruit from the Metroplex who is even considering SMU. Except for a couple of brothers of players already on the team can anybody even name a top player that is leaning in SMU's direction. I don't think I can and I sense that even those brothers are looking elsewhere. You can talk all you want about how difficult it is for SMU to recruit in the modern day environment. FINE-BUT what are you going to do about it. You better start looking at your facilities and personnel and start making some hard decisions-otherwise this thing may never get turned around.

[smu96]

Are the recruiting problems the fault of the coaching staff or of the rules they have to work by? Both?

[Stallion]

to take this a step further I only see SMU in contention for ONE count em ONE recruit rated 5.3 or higher in the METROPLEX-one more if you count Ennis which is pretty much on the fringes. And that is out of about 87 5.3 or better rated recruits from the Metroplex. That is dumbfounding. Totally unacceptable. Probably as bad as I've ever seen it. That's just the cold hearted truth.

[Nacho]

If we win tomorrow I don't want you to come here all cheery, Stallion. Be consistent. You were on top of the world when we beat TCU. Now the sky is falling after A$M. Try an even keel approach, like Jim Copeland. He is the same if we win or lose. You should try to be more like him.

We are following his model. He is the AD. The coach isn't the AD. The buck stops with Copeland. Actually I'm quite proud of Copeland. He has maintained his good humor, affability and weight despite all. Like watching a train wreck some part of me would love to see who he would select as the next coach.

[Billy Joe]

The rules in place at SMU make it almost impossible to recruit JUCO players and attract Division 1-A tranfers. Tulsa, La. Tech, UTEP, and Houston have significantly lower admission standards for their athletes that allow them to accept and attract more quality athletes than SMU. The aforementioned schools are willing to take more credit hours from JUCO and other Division 1-A schools. For example, a JUCO player who could start at SMU is looking at going to SMU or Tulsa. Tulsa will take all of his credits but SMU will only take half. Where is he going to school? Hint: It ain't SMU. Another example, a QB who attends Northwestern wants to transfer to SMU. He is so good that he could start and allow the younger QBs to redshirt and get one more year in the system. When SMU will not take all of his credits, even when Northwestern is a superior academic school to SMU, then he ain't coming here. SMU is not good for a reason. It is not by accident. Granted, we beat TCU this year....but the old saying goes...even the sun shines on a dog's as* every now and then.

[PK]

Exactly...so why is everyone taking it out on the coaches? They can complain and badger the Administration to make changes, but beyond that their hands are tied. The next new coach, and then the next new coach, and the next new coach after that, etc., etc. will all have the same problems until the people who run the university see fit to make the necessary changes. I'm afraid only the really big dollar alums can force those changes and unfortunately they haven't seemed too interested in doing that.

[smu96]

I agree with PK, the system must change if we want to win. The staff works with what they are given. What they are given is changed how? How do we make the decsion makers understand we are tired of losing? For those of us that aren't big $ donors, is there anything else we can do besides going to the games and supporting the teams?

[Stallion]

Hey Nacho I'm not the one who was getting all giddy about our play against TCU and making silly predictions about the rest of the season. I posted last week that I didn't think going to a bowl was a realistic possibility this year and I stated that SMU could play its best game and be fully prepared and still not beat the spread against A&M. Unlike you I'm thinking 2-3-4 years down the line based on the fundamentals in our program-not one good game. That's why 6 years ago I predicted at least a 5 game winning streak by TCU over SMU just based upon the talent discrepancies alone -that's why although I still think TCU has a better program-I didn't extend that prediction for this year because we were trending more competitively toward TCU and had them at home. That trend appears to be trending TCU's way again in the broad perspective based upon recruiting in 2005 and the large number of BCS Division 1A transfers TCU has signed. You don't build a program for a single surprise upset victory even over a rival. You build it for long term sustainable success. I don't think I'd give SMU very high grades for the trends over the last 2 years.

[Crong]

For those of us that aren't big $ donors, is there anything else we can do besides going to the games and supporting the teams?

Unfortunately, there are few options. Lack of attendance is one way but few people already attend. Start a campaign and have one loud collective voice. Show the stats of the past 16 years and demand more changes. In football, what are we 6 and 15 against Rice and TCU over the past 10 years? If those teams are supposed to be rivals, that isn’t acceptable. I have friends that are avid sports fans, and they don't care about the SMU programs. They are adopting other universities. If the school doesn't show they are eager to produce competitive (not even championship) teams, then why should students and alums show blind faith?

[SWC2010]

The rules in place at SMU make it almost impossible to recruit JUCO players and attract Division 1-A tranfers. Tulsa, La. Tech, UTEP, and Houston have significantly lower admission standards for their athletes that allow them to accept and attract more quality athletes than SMU. .

Wow, didn't know UofH had ANY admission standards-- the El Centro of the CUSA!

[Sic_em]

SMU needs to bring their admission standards in line with two other private institutions in CUSA: Tulsa and Tulane. Forget about Rice...why would you want to pattern SMU's athletic program after theirs? When's the last time Rice went to a bowl compared to Tulsa and Tulane?

[DallasDiehard]

I can't believe this guy wants to go sit on the bench for four years before he gets to be the next fifth-year senior to play (maybe) for The Leach.