why play Wazzu anyway?

[Alaric]

from the dmn when the games were scheduled:


http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com ... sh-st.html
SMU sets up football series with Wash. State for '09 & '10
Posted at 7:22 PM on Mon., Jan. 5, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Bobbi Roquemore E-mail | News tips

The SMU football team has signed a home-and-home deal with Washington State for the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

The Mustangs will visit the Cougars on Sept. 19, 2009 and Washington State plays in Dallas on Sept. 18, 2010.

The game replaces SMU's previous home-and-home series in 2009 and 2010 with Missouri. That agreement was dissolved in November due to a scheduling conflict for the Tigers.

It will be the first meeting between the Cougars and Mustangs. SMU hasn't faced a Pac 10 team since UCLA in 1994.

"Most of our strategy is regional scheduling and we still want to stay with that but we looked regional for these games but there was nothing available," SMU athletic director Steve Orsini said. "We had to broaden our horizons."

"Washington State was really the best one to fit our needs."

[stc9]

I have to think about how much recruiting the Big Ten tries to do in Texas. It would be in their interest getting us on the schedule for a home and home. This would help them get exposure to TX recruits. Less chance of game buyouts.

[kull]

any chance of scheduling an ACC, Big East or SEC team?

[skyscraper]

any chance of scheduling an ACC, Big East or SEC team?

Not anytime soon.
http://www.ponyfans.com/schedule/

[kull]

any chance of scheduling an ACC, Big East or SEC team?

Not anytime soon.
http://www.ponyfans.com/schedule/

greatness! can't believe i missed this.

[SMU 86]

This may not be a cakewalk game as some might be expecting. We may be taking WSU too lightly. June has stated that we are not good enough to just show up and win yet.

[smu diamond m]

any chance of scheduling an ACC, Big East or SEC team?

Not anytime soon.
http://www.ponyfans.com/schedule/

The 2010 Schedule needs to be fixed.

[Stallion]

could qualify for SWC Championship in 2013 with 6-0 record. I'd expect changes

[West Coast Johnny]

honestly, why is this series on the books? Did we both look at each other and say its a winnable D1 game? Like many have commented, the midafternoon attandance is gonna be brutal for this. We should be playing Baylor this season. Baylor played Buffalo last week. why the hell are they playing? There are so many more schools that we could try to schedule that would bring lots o fans and be winnable games at the same time (Baylor, Kansas, Mizzou, Illinois, Minnesota come to mind). Oh well, Wazzu beats playing Sam Houston State.

strange thought: a week from saturday night, we will have completed half of the 2010 home schedule. Gone.

Its a good game for SMU because its a winnable game against a BCS foe. But scheduling in D1 football is just stupid. I think both schools could have found a more regional opponent that people would be more interested in.

[sbsmith]

This may not be a cakewalk game as some might be expecting. We may be taking WSU too lightly. June has stated that we are not good enough to just show up and win yet.

True, the passing game was the reason SMU looked so dominant last season against Wazzu and it's doubtful the way Padron is passing the ball that he comes out and lights them up like Bo Levi did (of course before his infamous Pick-6 fest began). This game will likely be a dogfight and SMU's running game and defense will have to win it in the 4th.

[EastStang]

With the Navy series, East Carolina and Marshall, we have about as much exposure in the mid-Atlantic as we are going to get. The problem is that the ACC teams like Wake and Duke would not draw well in Dallas and we wouldn't draw well there either. Pitt might be interesting now that PB is coaching there. But again, not going to draw much in Dallas. The Cotton Bowl game we played against them (when they had Marino and we had the Pony Express) was embarrassingly empty and pre-sales were awful. I would love games with Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota from the Big Ten, they would be competitive and probably draw very well in Dallas. Unless Jerry World scheduled a game here with Ohio State, Michigan or Nebraska, would not want to play them because it would be a payday game on the road and nothing more.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

It's a chance for a win against a BCS school, and when people are glancing at the scores in the paper or on the screen some of them will think SMU beat Washington which will help our national prestige.