Making a list, and checking it twice

[Big10Ponyfan]

I feel like St. Nick

Let's review:
1. The JUCO period is a flop.
2. Phil Bennett's a moron -- Because we all know we can coach better than Phil, even though he said he's forgotten more football than we'll ever know.
3. The coaching staff is full of idiots because they don't know what they're doing.
4. Most of the recruits who have committed flat out suck -- even though few of us have ever seen them play. So really our assessment is misguided because some of us subscribe to the Gospel to Mr. Recruiting.

Here's a little tip for you who think Mr. Recruiting's "expertise" on recruiting is valid. His guess on recruiting is as good as yours.

Does that cover it all or did I leave something out?

Just making sure I had the bottom line.

[RE Tycoon]

You can't see the forest for the trees.

How do you come on here and defend SMU football? Do you like that feeling after the UNT game? How about Houston and Rice? I sure as hell don't. If you accept these constant failures, and they go back 20 years, there is no hope for you.

[Stallion]

I don't agree that all the commitments are flops. I really like about 4-5 of them. Others are longshots-what else is new. My concern it is much later than most think-we've got a big class to fill and I don't believe I see the numbers of top recruits we are in position to really close strong as in the type of class we really need to take the next step. In his 6th year I'd like to see an established program that could outrecruit our sub BCS Rivals-all of them. We don't seem to have to grade Doherty on the Bennett curve-do we/

[Pony Up]

Isn't there some talk that because of walk-ons who have earned scholarships, etc., we might not sign a full 25, intentionally saving a couple for possible late additions? Absolutely the right way to go -- by all means, we can't sign guys just to sign them, and these coaches won't do that. If there's a way to get a late-signing guy (Chris Butler, etc.), then this is the right way to go. Get truly useful players, and save the rest.

[NickSMU17]

Here's a little tip for you who think Mr. Recruiting's "expertise" on recruiting is valid. His guess on recruiting is as good as yours.

The only way to prove that recruiting has been successful is record and in the last 5 years with bennet, we still suck. You can't argue against that.

[JasonB]

19-20 is what I heard.

[Stallion]

I'd be willing to bet that by next August there will be at a minimum 23 new faces that weren't enrolled last year. Probably 25+

[mustangbill67]

What I heard was sign 19-20 and hold back 3.

[Big10Ponyfan]

You can't see the forest for the trees.

How do you come on here and defend SMU football? Do you like that feeling after the UNT game? How about Houston and Rice? I sure as hell don't. If you accept these constant failures, and they go back 20 years, there is no hope for you.

Right and a lot of you go out of your way to discredit the Sam Houston State and Arkansas State wins. And given the attitude, we really didn't go 6-6. We went 4-8. Does that make you feel better?

And since we're already writing off TCU, Tech next year and uncertain about our chances AT Arkansas State and that we'll be lucky to beat North Texas -- even though I'm a Todd Dodge fan -- and that we're facing the better CUSA East team, what's the point in re-upping for 2007 season tickets?

We already know what's going to happen.

[PK]

It does make it a lot easier on the players when they don't have to go out and play the game since the outcome is already known...9 months before the season starts.

[RE Tycoon]

I may be naive, but I believe there is some talent on the field and I think we should be doing better. I blame Bennett for not getting us to a bowl, and with that schedule, the 6-6 record is inexcusable

What worries me even more is if we do find success next year, there will be an immediate and exponentially worsening level of talent replacing the current players. I'm looking past the current talent and into the future and according to our recruiting (the offers are a joke) we aren't replacing our graduating players with equal or better talent. Bennett has failed to keep his recruiting momentum, and as someone else said, that is his own fault.

[Big10Ponyfan]

I may be naive, but I believe there is some talent on the field and I think we should be doing better. I blame Bennett for not getting us to a bowl, and with that schedule, the 6-6 record is inexcusable

What worries me even more is if we do find success next year, there will be an immediate and exponentially worsening level of talent replacing the current players. I'm looking past the current talent and into the future and according to our recruiting (the offers are a joke) we aren't replacing our graduating players with equal or better talent. Bennett has failed to keep his recruiting momentum, and as someone else said, that is his own fault.

To state that is inaccurate. We don't know who has and has not been offered. We have heard of some people but not the whole gammit. Tidbits are not the gaunlet.

And we also don't know if the players forthcoming are better, worse, the same. We're going by projections that are unscientific guesswork. Remember JoeJon Finley. He's had a nice career at OU but I wouldn't call it overwhelming. Remember Jarvis Moss of Mansfield Summit who went to Wisconsin several years ago with all of this hype and talent. The kid has barely gotten on to the field.

We can go on and on with examples to the good and to the bad. The bottom line is recruiting is a total crapshoot. Half of it is making the right choice. The other half is the athlete willing to put in the work to be ready to play at the next level.

[Stallion]

you are playing the usually stupd exception game. See Jimmy Joe Stud who was Rated No. 7 QB in 2004 never made it. Proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that recruiting don't matter. [deleted]. SMU's poor recruiting over 17 years proves it matters. TCU's outstanding non-BCS recruiting over the last 10 years proves it matters. Arkansas recruitment of the No. 1 RB in the country Darren McFadden turned that program around from mediocrity. Baylor'nightmare in trying to compete in the Big 12 South with average recruiting proves it matters. National Championships won by OSU, UT, LSU, OU, USC, USC, Florida, Florida St. Miami et al proves it matters. Stop playing the damn exception game. Its an asinie argument.

[Big10Ponyfan]

you are playing the usually stupd exception game. See Jimmy Joe Stud who was Rated No. 7 QB in 2004 never made it. Proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that recruiting don't matter. [deleted]. SMU's poor recruiting over 17 years proves it matters. TCU's outstanding non-BCS recruiting over the last 10 years proves it matters. Arkansas recruitment of the No. 1 RB in the country Darren McFadden turned that program around from mediocrity. Baylor'nightmare in trying to compete in the Big 12 South with average recruiting proves it matters. National Championships won by OSU, UT, LSU, OU, USC, USC, Florida, Florida St. Miami et al proves it matters. Stop playing the damn exception game. Its an asinie argument.

To quote the great Jim Mora,
"You think you know. But just don't know, and you never will.''

How did the heralded recruiting classes that Miami and Florida State brought in the past couple of years work out this year? It produced a pair of 6-6 teams, cost one head coach his job and an offensive coordinator to step down. But back then the pundits were calling them great classes, blah blah, blah.

And you can throw all that great recruiting business out there all you want. If your staff doesn't do enough to challenge the players to reach a higher level, then that will also factor into a team's season.

Of course, talent is a factor. No one is saying that it isn't. But talent isn't the ONLY thing. And you know that. It's one thing to get the kids. It's another thing to bring them up to the next level.

[PonyPride]

Is that the first time anyone has ever referred to Jim Mora -- EITHER Jim Mora -- as "great"?