DMN Chat Question

[mrydel]

If he gets routed by TCU and loses to UTEP he will not make it out of the bye week

That would give another meaning to "bye" week.

[OC Mustang]

I said this on another thread and I'll say it again. Bennett will resign at the end of this season even if he has a 6-6 or better record. IMO, he's tired of being the HC of the SMU Mustangs.

I'll bite. What makes you say this? I wonder the same thing, actually.

[RGV Pony]

I said this on another thread and I'll say it again. Bennett will resign at the end of this season even if he has a 6-6 or better record. IMO, he's tired of being the HC of the SMU Mustangs.

I'll bite. What makes you say this? I wonder the same thing, actually.

I get the same idea. Look at the expression on his face during closeup shots on game broadcasts. Forlorn and spent.

[Bergermeister]

No defense

Poor coaching

poor execution

penalties

looking lost

their is some talent on the field but not enough to overcome [deleted] poor coaching-

He's gone

That sums it up pretty well.

[MrMustang1965]

I said this on another thread and I'll say it again. Bennett will resign at the end of this season even if he has a 6-6 or better record. IMO, he's tired of being the HC of the SMU Mustangs.

I'll bite. What makes you say this? I wonder the same thing, actually.

Bennett is smart enough to know when he's stayed past his welcome...although he may not be smart enough to know how to get the Mustangs on the +-side of the winning column. He appears tired and looks like he's ready to move on to another phase in his life. He's got a new wife and stepdaughter, who still live in Bryan/College Station (I believe), as well as his son and daughter from his first marriage.

Prediction: Bennett will announce his resignation from the HC position at SMU either after the Memphis game or after the C-USA Championship Game, if the Mustangs are lucky enough to make it there. He will make this announcement even if the Mustangs are bowl bound. A bowl game would be his 'swan song'.

[PonyKai]

I said this on another thread and I'll say it again. Bennett will resign at the end of this season even if he has a 6-6 or better record. IMO, he's tired of being the HC of the SMU Mustangs.

I'll bite. What makes you say this? I wonder the same thing, actually.

Bennett is smart enough to know when he's stayed past his welcome...although he may not be smart enough to know how to get the Mustangs on the +-side of the winning column. He appears tired and looks like he's ready to move on to another phase in his life. He's got a new wife and stepdaughter, who still live in Bryan/College Station (I believe), as well as his son and daughter from his first marriage.

Prediction: Bennett will announce his resignation from the HC position at SMU either after the Memphis game or after the C-USA Championship Game, if the Mustangs are lucky enough to make it there. He will make this announcement even if the Mustangs are bowl bound. A bowl game would be his 'swan song'.

All of this seems perfectly plausible and believable, just what if he is successful? If we find ourselves playing in the CUSA championship game, which at this point seems, well, a little less than likely it would go against everything he be resigning for. He would have found a way to turn this team around, get them into the win column, get support back on his side (because if we're playing in that game with him as coach, plenty of people will change their tune), plus he would also be looking at a likely extension, a pay raise, and probably better recruits to work with.

So IF he accomplishes that it would just seem unlikely for him to pack up and leave seeing as how genuine he has been in wanting to be the man to turn it all around here, and what he would be turning down.

Having said all that though, those are fine points to raise about forlorn looks and weathered faces, and seems like a very interesting possibility.

[ponyinNC]

i'll bite. if he gets us to a bowl game, he stays. that was the goal. and that would cap an amazing turnaround to the start of this season.

but who on earth thinks that is realistic?? c'mon.

Don't believe me?? Visit this site and ask if Phil Bennett will coach SMU next season. The answer I got..."Outlook does not look good."

http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~ssanty/cgi-bin/eightball.cgi

[ponygrad90]

The tired forlorn looks of PB, is the face of somebody who knows he is a lame duck.

Sure he tried and god knows he probably gave it his all.

but the 2007 version of the mustangs didn't pony up

he knows it

and his face illustrates it

deep down he knows he failed and I gotta believe it hurts!

I do not hold any ill will or animosty toward this man.

he gave it his all, but he got in over his head, he is not cut out to be div 1 football coach period

he made plenty of $$$ to live well in Bryan texas with his new wife and kids and god bless them


with that said we need to focus on our future:

we need to bring in a proven winner and then put a winner on the field

all of this teary eyed dream of the mustangs winning CUSA is almost comical

Our defense is wretched

PB couldn't restock the line even after all of his redshirting and trying to build depth at each position

with that said a new coach will bring even the biggest critics around- like Craig James

he knew Bennett wasn't up to the job and it just took a while for the rest of us to find out

Remember this teams needs our support because 2-10 isn't going to be fun for anyone but its what we are about to watch

pray for our players on Saturday night-

I am really worried about injuries

[Phxfan]

First post on this board. Been a fan for 45yr.s even though I went to SFSU.
In Tempe, AZ. Az. St. Univ. will routinely fire coaches with winning records. The Sun Bowl or Holiday Bowl does not cut it. They fired Dirk Kotter (sp). Now have Dennis Erickson. If the only goal is a winning record and going to the New Orleans Bowl, then SMU's goals are way to low. Is this all the team will ever get or expect. The Bush library will bring in Millions of $, surely SMU can come up with a good check for a good coach. Pay the $ and win. I fully expect ASU to be on probation in the next few yr.s because of Erickson. I also would bet they will get to one of the 4 or 5 top bowls in the country.

[carolina stang]

I think he finishes the year unless it really gets ugly and it could. I agree with MM65. I think he is done, regardless of what happens. Even if he pulls a 6-6 with a bowl game win to go 7-6 (and I'll believe that when I see it), it'll be the same deal next year and if he reverts to 5-7 he would be toast then.

[jtstang]

If we go 6-6 we are bowl eligible, same as last year. If we actually go to a bowl at that record, it's because of a numbers game as Stallion has pointed out. That would not be improvement over last year in my book, and I doubt it would be in Orsini's either. Those who want Bennett to stay should hope for better than 6-6, bowl or not. I think Orsini might pull the trigger and try to weather the storm rather than leave things in Bennett's hands another year. I also think he's having the biggest case of second thoughts in history about not cutting him loose last year.

[Charleston Pony]

6-6 this year is better than 6-6 last year because we replaced Sam Houston from last year with TCU on this year's schedule.

Agreed. Not to mention it would have been accomplised with a defense that was "gutted" and looks nothing like the group that helped win those 6 games last year

[perunapower]

this conversation is pointless, Does anybody honestly believe that after watching their first three games this is bowl calibre team?

2-10 = Bennett Gone

Sorry-

No defense

Poor coaching

poor execution

penalties

looking lost

their is some talent on the field but not enough to overcome [deleted] poor coaching-

He's gone

How many people thought we were capable of competing for the division title in November after the Denton Debacle last September?

I agree with Stallion et al. Bennett will not be fired if we make a bowl, even if it's the NO Bowl and we get routed by Troy (I wholly think that Troy will win the Sun Belt, so there is little chance of ASU going to New Orleans). In my opinion, that would show the college athletic world that SMU is not committed to athletic success. Period.

[mathman]

If we go 6-6 we are bowl eligible, same as last year. If we actually go to a bowl at that record, it's because of a numbers game as Stallion has pointed out. That would not be improvement over last year in my book, and I doubt it would be in Orsini's either. Those who want Bennett to stay should hope for better than 6-6, bowl or not. I think Orsini might pull the trigger and try to weather the storm rather than leave things in Bennett's hands another year. I also think he's having the biggest case of second thoughts in history about not cutting him loose last year.

I think jt has nailed it with this post. Orsini will do whatever is necessary to get the program where it needs to be.

[ALEX LIFESON]

Did anyone else watch his press conference yesterday? I have never seen Phil look like that, kind of like Cavan in his final few games.