Emotional Wreck or Train Wreck?

[Stallion]

win your home games(UTEP, Rice, Tulane, UCF) plus one which could be Memphis. None of these teams are even what could be termed a good, quality team right now except perhaps UCF. I'm not sure any of these teams have above a .500 record over the last 1 1/3rd season even in this weak conference. In my opinion if you can't win 5 games on this remaining schedule then you aren't a very good football team anyway and don't deserve a bowl. This is not a Bataan Death March to get to 6 wins.

[Bergermeister]

I don't believe SMU would fire the first coach who got the team to a bowl game in 20 years.

Believe it.

[MrMustang1965]

I don't believe SMU would fire the first coach who got the team to a bowl game in 20 years.

Believe it.

PB will not be fired. He'll resign, bowl game or not.

[Stallion]

SMU Bataan Death March:

SMU could actually qualify for a bowl by beating one team in the Top 93 teams in the country according to Sagarin with 5 of those victories at home:

UCF 60
UTEP 94
Memphis 112
Tulane 142
North Texas 165
Rice 174

Go Conference USA West!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mr. pony]

Not really. He stays. I actually think 6-6 with this record is another step of improvement. Tougher schedule this year in several respects.

Didn't President Turner remark last year he wasn't looking to go 6-6 and sneak in?

[Charleston Pony]

I agree that going 6-6 with a schedule that includes replacing a home game against SHSU with a road game at TCU - and includes road games at USM, Tulsa and Houston - would be an improvement and probably give Bennett another year. As long as the program improves year after year and reaches a point where SMU is a consistent post season program that can compete for CUSA titles, Bennett stays as long as he wants to.

I do believe that 5-7 or worse means we start all over again

[SMU Football Blog]

i love the enthusiasm, but 5-3 or 6-2 record the rest of the way to get to a bowl?? i hope for it...but unlikely after what i've seen so far.

can someone realistically name the 5 or 6 teams we'll beat...

Don't mistake anything for optimism. It simply stating an "If..., then..." argument. I am certainly not saying it is going to happen.

But Stallion has the games pegged. Win the four home games plus Memphis. Heck, it isn't out of the realm of possibility that SMU will be favored in four of those five games. Favored against UTEP, Tulane and Rice at home. Possibly favored against Memphis on the road. Where it gets dicey is you have to believe SMU wins three straight after playing Tulsa and Houston on the road back to back.

And MrMustang's comment that Bennett is going to quit win or lose is bubkis.

[OC Mustang]

Let's go one game at a time... 9-3 is a long way away, but they get there one game at a time. Start there, and then see what plays out.

UTEP is first. SMU can't look past it.

Go in with hard ground attack, be patient thru some stalled drives, and pop open play action pass. If Price isn't a liar about injuries, that's a good plan.

[carolina stang]

I don't believe SMU would fire the first coach who got the team to a bowl game in 20 years.

Believe it.[/quote


Not a chance. (Wishful thinking on your part-IMO) I agree with Stallion on the 6-6 bowl deal. SMU would be crucified for changing coaches. And it would scare any coach who considered coming here. No brainer. I can see the headlines and accompanying quotes, "SMU fires coach after first bowl game in 23 years. Bennett and players ponder uncertain future"

Not saying that we're going 6 and 6, but it's possible.

As an addendum, I do think MM65 may be on to something. Bennett may have as self preservation accepted that this may be it and resign. (Although, resignation vs. firing would have severance implications) I'm sure it would be portrayed as a "resignation" with severance quietly granted.

Like most everyone else, I will believe 6 and 6 when I see it.

[Mexmustang]

I believe as many of you suggest, that 6-6 and a bowl would get Bennett retained for another year, BUT IT SHOULDN'T

Our losses have been especially bad. It is hard for me to see improvement and even more frustrating given the promises made by our marketing campaign and our head coach for 2007. At this point, I would be pleased to just see the improvement made year to year by Ark. State, but I haven't.

I do have some questions:

First can we win 5 more games? based upon your thoughts here, quite likely. Our play todate suggests it is a pretty significant challenge.

Second, if we do win 5 more games would we be invited to a bowl? Given the quality of our wins, maybe not.

Third, given that we do win these 5 games, would we accept a bowl invitation to a very "secondary" bowl? Maybe not.

Fourth, if we do go at 6-6, and then lose in a "non-name" bowl to a Division 1 team, will Bennett stay? At 6-7, and losses to two Div. 1 Teams, I doubt it.

At 6-7, would you be just estatic? Would we all agree we have finally turned to corner? What would the fans feel? Would season ticket sales skyrocket? Would student line up for the pep rallies? No!

Bad press is good for SMU, because any press is better than none.

I say, lose most of the recruiting year and hire a name!

[perunapower]

I believe as many of you suggest, that 6-6 and a bowl would get Bennett retained for another year.

But our losses have been bad, it is hard for me to see improvement given the promises made by our marketing campaign and our head coach for 2007. At this point, I would be pleased to just see the improvement made year to year by Ark. State, but I haven't.

I do have some questions:

First can we will 5 more games? based upon your thnoughts here, quite likely. Based our play a pretty significant challenge.

Yeah, I agree it'll be a challenge, but it's not out of the question.

Second, if we do win 5 more games would we be invited to a bowl? Given the quality of our wins, maybe not.

The quality of our wins don't matter. We would get a C-USA affiliated bowl. C-USA has 6 bowl tie-ins this year, so getting to bowl eligibility should be good enough to get us a bowl invitation.

Third, given that we do win these 5 games, would we accept a bowl invitation to a very "secondary" bowl? Maybe not.

Are you serious? We're too good to go to a "secondary" bowl? That has to be the most arrogant thing I have heard in a long time. Of course we accept the bowl invite. It doesn't matter if it's the Toilet Bowl, the Cereal Bowl, or the Salad Bowl. We get bowl exposure, bowl money, and to end our ridiculously long bowl drought. This should be a no-brainer.

Fourth, if we do go at 6-6, and then lose in a "non-name" bowl to a Division 1 team, will Bennett stay? At 6-7, and losses to two Div. 1 Teams, I doubt it. Lose most of the recruiting year and hire a name!

Well at 6-7, we would have lost to 7 FBS colleges, so I'm not sure what you're talking about with the "two Div. 1 teams". Regardless of the outcome of the game, we will destroy respectability for the program, scare off potential coaches, and discourage new recruits, by firing PB. If we go 6-6 and get to a bowl game, his job is safe for at least a year. No matter how much you guys whine and cry about how much you hate PB, Orsini would not make the stupidest athletic move in firing the first coach post-DP to get us to a bowl.

[Mexmustang]

Will that record put fans in the stands and money in the program? No! That is really the bottom line. We can't sell a lousy product!

I beg to differ, if the coach is retained, it will simply mean that SMU is content to maintain the status quo, mediocrity. Plenty of coaches have lost their jobs at major institutions after having lost a bowl game, unlike Phil, they generally had some seasons with winning records, Under this scenario, Phil will not have had one winning season his entire watch!

I don't think anyone else will feel we mistreated the staff. They have had a number of years to show improvement. He simply failed to make the right progress after having been given a number of year to try. Making it to a third rate bowl and loosing, is simply not much of an accomplishment, even after fifty years!

(I meant to say two losses to two former Div 1A teams, AK St. and our bowl opponent).

[Charleston Pony]

[quote="Mexmustang"]

Third, given that we do win these 5 games, would we accept a bowl invitation to a very "secondary" bowl? Maybe not.

you're kidding, right? This program would benefit tremendously from just the extra month of practices in connection with ANY bowl appearance...regardless of the outcome.

[Mexmustang]

Would you want the school to go to a minor "no-name" and loose money and feel tied to the current coaches? I wouldn't! Not many of these bowls have a payout sufficient to take the band!
As far as having one more month with these coaches...

[perunapower]

Will that record put fans in the stand and money in the program? No! That is really the bottom line. We can't sell a lousy product!

I beg to differ, if the coach is retained, it will simply mean that SMU is content to maintain the status quo, mediocrity. Plenty of coaches have lost their jobs at major institutions after having lost a bowl game, unlike Phil, they generally had some seasons with winning records, Phil will not have had one his entire watch!

I don't think anyone else will feel we mistreated the staff. They have had a number of years to show improvement. He simply failed to make the right progress after having been given a number of year to try. Making it to a third rate bowl and loosing, is simply not much of an accomplishment, even after fifty years!

(I meant to say two losses to two former Div 1A teams, AK St. and our bowl opponent).

No, if PB keeps his job after losing a bowl game that's not maintaining the status quo. The status quo is no bowls. Those plenty of coaches you speak of didn't lead a football program back from the death penalty and wouldn't be looked upon as bringing their program back from obscurity. Your comparison is faulty.

They would have had multiple years to show improvement and they would have shown improvement. Getting to a bowl at all is improvement.

But hypothetical situations are stupid to be arguing over. Let the season play out as it will and then the decision will be made whether or not PB is the right man to be head coach.