TT's Leach Won't Mention SMU by Name

[MrMustang1965]

This article from Red Raiders.com talks about the possibility of Texas Tech moving its Bix XII conference game against aTm to the Metroplex. It also talks about Tech's scheduling of OOC games since Leach took the reigns from Dykes. Near the end of the article, Leach gives a nod to SMU but not by name (see bold type).

from www.redraiders.com (courtesy Lubbock Avalanche-Journal):

If the Texas Tech-Texas A&M football game moves to Dallas, Red Raider Athletic Director Gerald Myers knows he will need to be proactive in finding a way to pacify upset West Texas fans.

"We hope we can schedule a quality game to replace that game," Myers said. "Scheduling is difficult because we want to set up home-and-home games with opponents. We could go out and play a great schedule if we didn't want to ask them to return the game at home."

Relocating the Raider-Aggie game to the Metroplex is far from a done deal, but Myers is sensitive to conversations from fans, students and businesses to make sure Tech replaces the game on its home schedule. However, that's not as easy as one might think.

"There was a time when we didn't mind going on the road and playing high-quality opponents, but we didn't get them back here," he said. "That's not our philosophy anymore."

Indeed, during the tenure of Spike Dykes, the Raiders' previous head football coach, Tech ventured all over the country to play top-notch programs. The Raiders played at Tennessee, Georgia and Penn State, among others, without a return game.

When the coaching reins were handed to Mike Leach prior to the 2000 season, Tech's scheduling approach changed as well. The Raiders scheduled home-and-home matchups with North Carolina State and Mississippi.

Leach said he wasn't worried about who the opponent might be, but he was adamant about one thing.

"It should be a home game," he said. "We have too many games on the road this year. It would just need to be a home game against the best possible opponent. It's become trickier and trickier to schedule because there are so many 12-team conferences. You're seeing more and more schools playing one game against a 1-AA opponent and some are playing two."

There was some criticism of the Raiders' home schedule a year ago when the team faced a pair of 1-AA opponents in Sam Houston State and Indiana State. Tech also played Florida International in a non-conference home game. Tech won the three games by a combined score of 199-31.

The Raiders play six home games this season, including non-conference games against Southern Methodist and Southeastern Louisiana. Tech has six road games as well, including trips to Texas Christian and Texas-El Paso for non-conference games.

"You don't worry about who the opponent might be," Leach said. "We're never going to apologize for our schedules because over the past six years, we've played as tough a schedule as anyone. Over the past six years, I would put our schedule up against anyone in America, so that apologizing for our schedule is a bunch of foolishness.

"Last year, I probably would have liked to have had one game different, but this year we're playing two bowl teams out of conference on the road (UTEP and TCU), and we have another non-conference game that is a home game against a team that beat both of them, so the only problem we have with our schedule is it doesn't have enough home games."

For his part, Myers is determined to schedule an attractive non-conference opponent that would spark enough interest to fill the stadium.

"We would work on that," he said. "We would try to attract a quality opponent from a BCS conference to take the place of that game if we did move it."

That's important for students as well, said Ryan Worley, Tech's Student Government Association president.

"Students want to see a strong home schedule," he said. "It's important to the school and to students. We want athletics to make the best decision for Texas Tech University. We're all on the same page for Tech. We want to make sure the students' voice is heard and considered in the process. We want to be part of the process and we want our input to be valued."

[RHS]

He didn't meantion UTEP or TCU either. That was the DMN adding them in the ( ). It was still a compliment because he mentioned SMU beat the 2 bowl teams the DMN did feel free to add.

He was just talking about the schedule. Relax.

[PonyPride]

Agreed, I wouldn't read too much into that. Besides, Leach has that Spurrier quality about him, where he'd say whatever's on his mind, and if it bothers someone, his response likely would be "well, then come out and beat us." I don't think he's worried at all about what he says getting quoted.

[MrMustang1965]

He didn't meantion UTEP or TCU either. That was the DMN adding them in the ( ). It was still a compliment because he mentioned SMU beat the 2 bowl teams the DMN did feel free to add.

He was just talking about the schedule. Relax.

The article was in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, not the DMN. I've edited the original post to reflect that.

[PonySnob]

Post DP, have we ever even given Tech much of a game out in Lubbock?

[tristatecoog]

FWIW, Tech won't do a 1:1 with Houston. They demand a 2:1 and therefore the Cougars aren't playing them. Did SMU get a 1:1? If so, the attractiveness of the Metroplex alumni base probably helped a lot. Same with TCU.

TT got Ole Miss to come out there but generally it's got to be tough to get top tier teams to do a 1:1 with them because everyone's trying to load up their home schedule.

At least Tech's in a position to pay weak teams to play home games in Lubbock without a return trip.

[MrMustang1965]

At least Tech's in a position to pay weak teams to play home games in Lubbock without a return trip.

Like they did against Sam Houston State last year.