At least it is exciting.

[mrydel]

4 games this week in Div 1 have over/under of 70 points or more. One is Hawaii and New Mexico State. The other 3 are in CUSA. Let us call this exciting displays of offense rather than pitiful displays of defense and it can make our conference look exciting for the fans.

[Stallion]

Marketing!!! But its true -none of the CUSA schools at least in the West have recruited the type of quality recruits necessary to play quality defense. Now many might claim that this is just the level of college football we are at in the BCS age. There is some validity to that argument. But TCU has had strong defenses for years-still pretty stout this year-and the reason is that they have recruited a demonstratively better quality of athlete. It ain't Coaching 'em up-it ain't rah rah! wrap up with both arms and motivate the boys. Its athletic talent. Until CUSA teams recruit quality talent then expect more Sun Belt level defensive play.

[mr. pony]

question.
Do you ever get tired of typing the same thing?

[smupony94]

Cut and paste makes it easy

[Stallion]

not any more than 98% of the people that think SMU has lost for 20 years in both FB and BB because of poor coaching. Or that each and every loss is tied to poor coaching. The only difference is that I'm generally right-the 98% of the people that keep hoping to find a miracle coach who will coach 'em into a consistently strong program are wrong-if its accomplished it will be because of a substantial upgrade in talent.

[Bergermeister]

not any more than 98% of the people that think SMU has lost for 20 years in both FB and BB because of poor coaching.

Never let'em see you sweat.

[Charleston Pony]

not any more than 98% of the people that think SMU has lost for 20 years in both FB and BB because of poor coaching. Or that each and every loss is tied to poor coaching. The only difference is that I'm generally right-the 98% of the people that keep hoping to find a miracle coach who will coach 'em into a consistently strong program are wrong-if its accomplished it will be because of a substantial upgrade in talent.

While pretty much all of us can agree that it's more about the talent than the coaching, we can also agree that coaching the talent you have is also a big part of the equation for success. And the bottom line is that for ANY coach to be successful here at SMU, he and his staff are going to have to convince a higher caliber of recruit that they can get the job done right here at SMU

[mustangxc]

Athletes enable coaches to look like geniuses. However, a bad coach can sour a great team! Just look at Dennis Erickson. He was able to turn around Oregon State, which benefited from great recruiting by Mike Riley. Look at his inability to win at Idaho State, did he simply forget how to coach last year? Idaho State doesn't have the talent necessary to win games. Then look at what he has done so far this year. Granted ASU has yet to play the meat of their schedule. Dirk Koetter is looking to be a great recruiter, but a terrible coach.

Phil Bennett is probably a mediocre recruiter taking into account what he can sell at SMU (mainly that we are a mid-major, not a BCS). Unfortunately, he is not a good tactician or coach given his shouts for "all out" vs TX Tech, lack of preparation against Navy in 2002, and his inability to win the close ones such as Rice last year and Tulane and UTEP this year.

[Charleston Pony]

CUSA does play it's share of exciting games. We are the "new WAC". Once upon a time, the ACC had this reputation (high scoring games, no defense). If my team must lose, I'd much rather watch a 48-45 OT loss than a 7-3 slugfest

But then again, I've always enjoyed "scoring". I'm sure a lot of ponyfans can relate to that

[The XtC]

[quote="Stallion"]Marketing!!! But its true -none of the CUSA schools at least in the West have recruited the type of quality recruits necessary to play quality defense. [/quote]

Does that mean that every team in C-USA needs to change its Model?

[Stallion]

I know of at least 3 trying to play Division 1A football on their own terms that do-that is of course, if they are concerned about winning-that's for each school to decide. Suffice to say that this is the reason that TCU decided to go west-to get away from the eggheads at Rice, SMU and Tulane who don't care too terribly much how strong their Football or Basketball teams are. In the early turn of the Century I too warned about getting stuck in a Magnolia type environment -before TCU made its decision. The reality is that the perception of the CUSA West teams is that it is minor league football-which in turn leads to poor recruiting. Perception is becoming reality. The gap between the CUSA West and the MWC is now widening to as much as 10 points per team. Perception is becoming reality. Reality will soon become frustration then discontent. We may still see the Magnolia Conference rear its ugly head which will be the end of SMU feeble attempts at Big Time College Football.

[bigdaddy08091]

I know of at least 3 trying to play Division 1A football on their own terms that do-that is of course, if they are concerned about winning-that's for each school to decide. Suffice to say that this is the reason that TCU decided to go west-to get away from the eggheads at Rice, SMU and Tulane who don't care too terribly much how strong their Football or Basketball teams are. In the early turn of the Century I too warned about getting stuck in a Magnolia type environment -before TCU made its decision. The reality is that the perception of the CUSA West teams is that it is minor league football-which in turn leads to poor recruiting. Perception is becoming reality. The gap between the CUSA West and the MWC is now widening to as much as 10 points per team. Perception is becoming reality. Reality will soon become frustration then discontent. We may still see the Magnolia Conference rear its ugly head which will be the end of SMU feeble attempts at Big Time College Football.

Stallion, you type to much [deleted]. How many CUSA teams went to bowl games in 2005 and won, and how many went and won in 06? CUSA has players all over the NFL. There is nothing wrong with CUSA, it is SMU that sucks and us alone. We need to deal with our own issues on the hilltop, because they are huge.

[Stallion]

CUSA teams go to bowls because they have 5 bowl affilations in the past and 6 this year. None of these schools except perhaps UH last year have quality Top 50 Football programs. Its a mirage. I repeat-most College Football ratings put CUSA at the very bottom of College Football with the Sun Belt and about 10 points per team less than the MWC. Heck we are rated below the damn Southern Conference(Division 1-AA) by some systems. Line up enough Pillowcases into one conference and somebody will win and somebody will lose.

[McClown27]

Playing out in the new Cowboys stadium could help. SMU plays in the wrong part of the town to help recruiting, and the Park Cities would freak if SMU ever truly became Dallas college football team--because poor people and minorities would infiltrate the bubble.

[bigdaddy08091]

CUSA teams go to bowls because they have 5 bowl affilations in the past and 6 this year. None of these schools except perhaps UH last year have quality Top 50 Football programs. Its a mirage. I repeat-most College Football ratings put CUSA at the very bottom of College Football with the Sun Belt and about 10 points per team less than the MWC. Heck we are rated below the damn Southern Conference(Division 1-AA) by some systems. Line up enough Pillowcases into one conference and somebody will win and somebody will lose.

And this is where we will stay, because this is who we are. Are you and other posters hoping for a top ten team at SMU. This will never happen, and when it did happen.... We won't even drag up the saga! We won football games before they wore helmets. Then we cheated to win, so actually we have never won at modern day football. I want to compete, and for us to compete with the Jones, we must do as the Jones do, or the saga will continue.