The 3 games that will determine our season

[Big10Ponyfan]

This was dated on Aug. 26

Friends,
As the clock ticks toward Sept. 2 in Lubbock, we have dreams, hopes and fears about the season. I think we can all agree that this is probably the most anticipated season since the death penalty. I don't think any of us saw 6-5 in 1997 coming. And the mood for 1998 was mixed.

But if we are a program that is truly on the rise, there will be several signature games that will determine if there is a bowl to be played in December.

Here they are:

1. Sept. 9 at North Texas. Looks like an expected win, but keep this in perspective. They will be coming off their bug-on-the-windshield performance in Austin from the previous week. It's their home opener, and they will lay it all out for us. It's a homecoming QB Justin Willis, and he has to be composed. We have to be careful. Play to win and not play not to lose. Should we win that, 3-1 is sitting right there for us.

2. Sept. 30 at Tulane. This is first of only two games we play outside of Texas (the other is at ECU). It is the CUSA opener, but we have all sorts of issues with the Green Wave. Who knows why, but we don't play well against them. Plus, this is their first game in New Orleans since Katrina. They will likely be 0-3. We must win here. Being 4-1 when we play in El Paso on Oct. 7 gives us momentum and likely split on a two-game road trip. And it would be our first 1-0 start in conference play in how long?

3. Nov. 11 vs. Houston. You could argue the Oct. 31 game against UAB with national TV. But to me, this game has more significance. They want revenge from last year. Plus, they are in our division, and it sets up how we play Tulsa the following week. We could be in the middle of the CUSA West division race. Now, last year's game was not a fluke. In fact, I thought last year's win was probably the defining point of the season. That said, we have contain WR Vincent Marshall and place great pressure on QB Kevin Kolb. We can only hope by this time that we are seeing a confident Justin Willis than the one who probably had the jitters in the early go.
But I will never forgive them for 95-21 in the Astrodome in 1989. I was there.

That's how I see it. Thanks for reading.

[Hoop Fan]

i dont like how the tulane game sets up. They will be sky high. i think SMU will have to play a great game to beat them.

[that's great raplh]

no offense B10

but the Tech game is the one game that will determine our season - if we beat a ranked opponent, then keep winning - we could see our team in the top 25

[ThadFilms]

no offense B10

but the Tech game is the one game that will determine our season - if we beat a ranked opponent, then keep winning - we could see our team in the top 25

I don't know man, putting all you eggs in that basket is a little dangerous. I mean I want the players to be thinking that way.... but let's temper our expectations. I think a conference championship is doable - I think the best we can hope for is a strong showing at Tech. Sure I'm hoping for a win, I just don't see it happening. Though, as I have said before nobody picked us to beat TCU, esp. the week after they upset OU.

Now, SHOULD we somehow beat Tech then we can talk about a run at the Top 25. But, I'd give us one chance in ten to beat Tech. However, should we beat Tech, I would be very leery of playing UNT the next week. We thumb our nose at them even more than normal, and get our lunch handed to us. Those UNTers are looking at this like their Super Bowl. We look at this game like a nuisance... even moreso if we somehow knocked off Tech the week before.

I see the UNT game and the Tulane games as our trap games. Win those and we are golden.

-Thaddeus

[mr. pony]

Expecting to win is good. We're at that point. I think that's how Bennett is approaching them all.

[westexSMU]

As I've said before, if our QB play is about where it was at the end of last season, we should be a bowl team and maybe a Champion as well. However, we need to play QB alot better than last week's srimmage or we could be in trouble as usual. We won some games last year throwing long touchdowns at critical points in the games. Just having a decent short passing game and a good running game alone won't cut it in D 1 today.. You've got to be able to throw deep also. Just ask Rice who went 1-11 last year running the bone.

[GoRedGoBlue]

1. Sept. 9 at North Texas. UTexas on the road right before SMU

2. Sept. 30 at Tulane.
Don't forget that Tulane will just have played 3 road games, with LSU right before us.

3. Nov. 11 vs. Houston.

[mr. pony]

The Tech game is it.

Suck it up. Play it like the Super Bowl, guys.

[WorldStang]

I would say that 3 games WILL NOT make or break SMU's season. It's almost funny to think that's the case..

SMU is historically awful in September.. now we're scheduling teams that we're SUPPOSED to beat.. outside of Sand Aggy. I'd say every game could make or break a season.

What happens if Tech hurts some of our starters?
What happens if UNT, SAM Houston and/or Ark-Little Rock beat us?

Make/Break games are every weekend when injuries come into play. Can you imagine if we lost Willis or even worse.. some of our LB's? We're deep at RB, WR and TE.. but man.. I worry about going to Tech and getting someone hurt, more than losing.

That's the story folks.. we HAVE to stay healthy at key positions for any of this "good stuff" to happen. To quote Bull Durham.. "I just take it one game at a time and thank the good Lord for my abilities and pray I stay healthy." .. something like that..

[EastStang]

There are several games that can wreck a season. These are the early season losable games that we might be favored to win:
UNT, Ark. State, Marshall and Tulane are those.

Also keep in mind that we do have some positions where we lack depth, so any key injuries (or other problems), could also severely impact our won/loss record. And given our luck since the DP, these are possible as well. Let's hope that we keep our starters relatively healthy all year. That's where the Tech game is important to us. Coming out of it healthy.

[Big10Ponyfan]

Now we know why this UNT game is very important.