Looking forward to conference play - PUMPED ABOUT TULANE

[JasonB]

Our goal should be a bowl game this year. In order to get to a bowl, we realistically have to go 6-2 this year. That means winning the games we "should" win, and beating some other teams in close games.

SHOULD WIN: Rice, ECU.

50/50: at Marshall, at Tulsa, at Houston, Tulane

Tough: at UAB, UTEP

So, 6-2 = bowl, 5-3 = above .500. I think after the TCU and the positives out of the Baylor and A&M game, I think we should EXPECT a minimum record of 5-6 (4-4 in conference).

To get to .500 in conference, it means winning two of the 50-50 games. Marshall, Tulsa, and Houston aren't great, but they are away games. Tulane is supposed to be pretty good, but we get them at home. This is definatelly something we have the ability to accomplish.

A 6-5 record means two road wins and a win over Tulane.

A 7-4 game means two road wins, a win over Tulane, and then an upset over UAB or UTEP.

Therefore TULANE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT GAME OF THE SEASON. Beat Tulane, and we still have a shot at a bowl or a winning record.

Lose to Tulane and a bowl game is out the window, and a winning record is going to be tough. We could still go .500 in conference, but thatis probably the only goal left.

Defensively, we should be fine as long as we can tackle, obviously. But these won't be the mosnter atheletes that A&M had. As long as we can get a pass rush and put pressure on the QB, I like our D.

Offensively, I think it is interesting that we spend the fall working on the two TE, two back set and then haven't used it. I wonder if we are going to bust it out for conference season... the key to this game is going to be getting a push and establishing a running game to keep the defense active and fresh.

[Charleston Pony]

Unless CUSA has bowl slots to fill, don't expect an invite for a 6-5 or even a 7-4 SMU team. Maybe we would bring 1,000 or so to the Ft Worth Bowl, but I don't see SMU selling many tickets for a trip to Hawaii or Mobile and I wonder what they will do with the New Orleans game this year???

[FW]

No one sells tickets for the Hawaii Bowl. I know we didn't bring many fans at all in 2002. Heck, Hawaii only brings 30,000 fans or so.

[indianmustang]

would be good to see 7-4

[Lefty]

I think they're talking about Shreveport, aren't they?

[Stallion]

also considering Lafyette

[GoRedGoBlue]

Unless CUSA has bowl slots to fill, don't expect an invite for a 6-5 or even a 7-4 SMU team. Maybe we would bring 1,000 or so to the Ft Worth Bowl, but I don't see SMU selling many tickets for a trip to Hawaii or Mobile and I wonder what they will do with the New Orleans game this year???

I don't WANT to go to a bowl at 7-4...I just want to be 7-4 and hit the recruiting trail.

[Stallion]

you can't recruit from about December 20-January 4 anyway and most coaches think the extra practices a bowl games allowed is especially helpful. For SMU a bowl would signify success and become a huge media event for SMU. I don't think we are going to even get close but we shall see. I don't see at Marshall, at Houston being toss-up games as someone suggested. I think Tulsa based on what I've seen should be favored at Tulsa. Has SMU won an away game in the last 2 years-I thought we had lost 14 road games in a row. I didn't think Tulane was a tossup either but the situation has changed. Still think Tulane should be favored in their second game. Haven't beaten Rice in 4 games or shown we know how to stop the option. UAB, UTEP will be heavily favored.

[JasonB]

7-4 would get us a bowl. CUSA has 5 bowl tie ins, and if you go 6-2 in conference, you are going o a bowl.

Agreed with Stallion that we haven't won a game on the road in the last two years, but it is time to EXPECT better things from this team. Above, I am just giving the difference in the level of teams. As much as we have struggled against Rice in the past, we are much better on defense this year and Rice sucks. If we are "good", then Rice is a must win.

Before the season started, Tulane would have been in the category of the last three. Now, because of circumstances, they are in the "can beat them" category. They also struggled against a very bad Miss. St. team. Marshall is not a very good football team. Tulsa came back against UNT, but is not that great. Keep in mind UNT really struggled against Middle Tenn State last week. Houston has a great QB, but no defense. The are games that we "could" win.

UAB and UTEP are the games that we will be a large underdog in and that is why they go in the last category.

I think that as fans, we should EXPECT our team to go .500 in conference, and be disappointed with less. I think that a bowl game or a winning record are POSSIBILITIES. But all of that starts with the Tulane game. We lose against Tulane, and any accomplishments get really, really hard.

[Hoop Fan]

What makes Mississippi State "very bad"? They have SEC athletes dont they? Also, Marshall had K-State on the ropes before coach blew it. Pretty hard to call that a toss up game.

The Tulane game is huge for us. Season hinges on it, but I think 6-2 and a bowl game is a huge longshot even if we beat Tulane.

[SMUguy]

I agree, I think it's a longshot for this year. But let's make it interesting, starting with Tulane this Saturday.

Go Mustangs! Beat Tulane!

[abezontar]

I say instead of worrying about getting invited to a bowl, we just pray and cheer one week at a time. If we can beat Tulane, we will be sitting better at this point in the year than we have since......well I can't remem ber. A 2-2 September is better than I think anyone was hoping for. Now, let's go get that 2nd win. [/quote]

[SMUguy]

I say instead of worrying about getting invited to a bowl, we just pray and cheer one week at a time. If we can beat Tulane, we will be sitting better at this point in the year than we have since......well I can't remem ber. A 2-2 September is better than I think anyone was hoping for. Now, let's go get that 2nd win.

Damn right. Look, I'll be there if we make a bowl game, whether it's in Fort Worth or Honolulu or New Zealand. But my main concern right now is Tulane.

[SMUguy]

I say instead of worrying about getting invited to a bowl, we just pray and cheer one week at a time. If we can beat Tulane, we will be sitting better at this point in the year than we have since......well I can't remem ber. A 2-2 September is better than I think anyone was hoping for. Now, let's go get that 2nd win.

Damn right. Look, I'll be there if we make a bowl game, whether it's in Fort Worth or Honolulu or New Zealand. But my main concern right now is Tulane.

[JasonB]

Tulane is obviously the most important game of the year. I think we all agree on that.

Mississippi State is not good right now. Look at the last couple of years.

K State is about as good as Baylor right now, so don't look too highly on that close game. Baylor at least played a good game against us, K State played horribly against Marshall. Marshall has slipped significantly the last couple of years. They had to come back to beat william and mary. K State had to score late to beat FIU, which lost the next week to Tech by 4 billion. They are not a good team. And as I mentioned, the game is "winnable", not an "easy win". Just like the Baylor game would have fallen into the "winnable" category.

All I am saying is that if we are the "good" team that we showed in the TCU game and early in the Baylor game, we have a "chance" go 6-2. This team has the ability to compete against every single team in the conference.

I think, however, that if we lose against Tulane, the bowl or above .500 aspirations are gone for the season...