Liberty Bowl or bust ...

[newshound]

Based on 25 years of relative football futility, it might seem to some that SMU should not get greedy, take it one step at a time. But, just look at what has had to happen for SMU to be in this position of controlling its own destiny to host the Conference USA title game. SMU fans should know best of all the fickle finger of fate. No program has had worse luck, lost so many heartbreaking close games in the last two decades. So, while luck is shining on us, let's take advantage of it. It seems that even Marshall lost two key players on Saturday, too.

Just look at the 2006 season, when we finished 1-11; that could have been an 8- or 9-win season with some luck. But, it wasn't. Heck, with a little more luck, we could be 8-2 this season, So, shoot high. Give me Liberty. You just don't get that many chances to win championships. Who's to say that next season, we don't get the breaks, we have injuries, we lose close games. There's no way to know what will happen, but what we do know is that a division championship is sitting right in front of us with two games remaining. So, get greedy, kick some [deleted], finish 8-4 and give us a bonus tailgate!

This whole notion of being locked in to the Hawaii Bowl is just plain stupid, short-sided and self-serving (for the coach). After 25 years, SMU would rather play a game thousands of miles from home and a game that has amongst the lowest payouts that is the most inconvenient and expensive -- by far -- to travel to? That makes no sense. If the coach wants to spend time on the islands, he can do that on his own time. If we finish 6-6 and that's our only choice, you bet we'll take it. But, wouldn't it make more sense to try to get into a game on the mainland that 6 or 8 or 10,000 of our long-suffering fans can go see in person? Wouldn't it make more sense to get in a bowl game where we net more from the payout? Last I checked, SMU's athletic budget isn't exactly brimming over with extra funds laying around.

As for the team, I don't usually like it when any individual player gets called out. In fact, some of the the name-calling directed at BLM out here was unfair and inappropriate. However, I called out Emmanuel Sanders here a few weeks back because he wasn't holding up his end as a senior leader and NFL prospect. Well, three weeks later, he is. The winning catch -- which has gotten little play on this board -- was among the great clutch catches in the program's HISTORY. Forget that the defense allowed 627 yards and we still won; Emmanuel Sanders made THE play, the biggest play of the season. He is one of the HUGE reasons SMU has won three straight and is poised to win this division.

Now, on to Marshall and let's keep burying those ghosts of losing seasons past.

[mr. pony]

The Sanders' catch WAS fantastic AND clutch.
NFL surely took note.

[KnuckleStang]

Hear hear

[mr. pony]

...This whole notion of being locked in to the Hawaii Bowl is just plain stupid, short-sided and self-serving (for the coach). After 25 years, SMU would rather play a game thousands of miles from home and a game that has amongst the lowest payouts that is the most inconvenient and expensive -- by far -- to travel to? That makes no sense. If the coach wants to spend time on the islands, he can do that on his own time. If we finish 6-6 and that's our only choice, you bet we'll take it. But, wouldn't it make more send to try to get into a game on the mainland that 6 or 8 or 10,000 of our long-suffering fans can go see in person? Wouldn't it make more sense to get in a bowl game where we net more from the payout? Last I checked, SMU's athletic budget isn't exactly brimming over with extra funds laying around.

....

That short-sighted, self-serving thing is evidently about to happen.