Frogs get another big recruit

[LA_Mustang]

Navasota RB Chris Smith (3 stars on Rivals) committed to the purple puke over the weekend. He was also being recruited by Okie St and Baylor.

[gostangs]

It has always surprised me that TCU does not do better in recruiting then they do, given the relative success of their program over the last few years. Not saying we have outrecruited them (although there have been years within the last three or four when it feels like we have), but it seems pretty close - which is amazing given the difference in on field results lately.

[SWC2010]

Perhaps the recruits (of late) are seeing that TCU was running off the 'Fanchione Factor'. Now, 5-6, you see the 'Patterson Project'.

It could also be why A&M has had an absolute blowout this year on early commits. What an impressive list for 2005...

[Juice]

...will never be as good as they were with Fran's recruits. Patterson is a crappy coach and I've heard that he actually sucks on recruiting trips as much as he does during TV interviews.

TCU is STUPID, STUPID, STUPID for going to the Mountain West. Stupid!

[Dooby]

Greggo on the Ticket is a TCU alum and rips Patterson pretty regulary. That is, when the talk sports (rare) and when they talk local college football (even rarer). He also was down on the move to the Mountain West. If Patterson doesn't go to a bowl, or even just goes to a "lesser" bowl, then the froggies will be calling for his head.

[HorsePower]

Didn't they extend Patterson at a big raise recently?

[DallasFrog]

What Francione factor? Francione won with Sullivan's recruits and it is Francione's last class that just finished 5-6. Yeah we had a down year, but still beat you like a drum.

Quit beating up on Patterson when he has hands down owned Phil Bennet. 4-0, outscored him 119-29. According to rivals, he has outrecruited Bennet also...

And any honest SMU fan can't say they wouldn't have jumped at the chance to join the new MWC. If the shoes were reversed, you would have gone as well... CUSA is going to be a nice conference, with a couple of built in state rivalries, but the USM's and Memphis' and even ECU's of the world won't stay there forever, and then what are you stuck with???

[jtstang]

And any honest SMU fan can't say they wouldn't have jumped at the chance to join the new MWC.

Wrong, and in a couple of years, any honest TCU fan will say they wish they hadn't.

[Stallion]

No I don't think that there is even a single SMU fan who has ever even considered the MWC. Now there are plenty who wish we had ended up in a CUSA which was not as watered down but the Frogs really are the only ones wishing that they were in the MWC. There are plenty of posters on the UTEP and UH boards who will speak their minds and I have yet to hear a strong feeling for even considering the MWC. Enjoy but we all think you are nuts.

[DallasFrog]

That's my point Stallion. I don't think the MWC was our desired place to be either, it would have been an upgraded CUSA. However, CUSA was falling apart and we had to make the best of our situation which meant heading west instead of staying in a weaker CUSA.

[DiamondM75]

CUSA is going to be a nice conference, with a couple of built in state rivalries, but the USM's and Memphis' and even ECU's of the world won't stay there forever, and then what are you stuck with???

Probably correct statement, but they can be replaced with LaTech, UNT, Texas State and other more localized programs. Looks like the beginning of a western division of CUSA that would be similar in travel and rivalry comparable to the SWC.

Wouldn't that be nice, and where is TCU? Stuck in the Mountain West with no visiting fans, struggling to put 15K fans in the stands. That is what the WAC left SMU with, and I can't wait to leave.

[PonySnob]

Wouldn't that be nice, and where is TCU? Stuck in the Mountain West with no visiting fans, struggling to put 15K fans in the stands. That is what the WAC left SMU with, and I can't wait to leave.

Except when we use "rent-a-fans" we struggle to even have 10K at our games.

[gostangs]

snob - you are making the point for them - not that CUSA will drive thousands of fans into Ford - but if we get say, 3-4,000 from Houston, Tulsa, Rice, etc it will be 3-4,000 more then the WAC teams bring - on top of the possiblility we make some of our own fans if we can win a few games.

[Stallion]

3,000-4,000 from Rice, Tulsa and UH-you mean collectively over a 2 year period-because that will never happen. I readily concede that Air Force, Colorado St, New Mexico and BYU would likely bring more fans to Ft Worth than Rice, Tulsa or even UH-I just don't think the tradeoff is worth it especially when no body will likely see you play on TV. As for the other poster wanting to add NTSU, Texas St and Louisiana Tech. Please-let's not water this thing down any farther. Quite frankly NTSU has it within its own power to become a player in Texas college football just by reaching its own alumni and developing a fan base from a huge alumni base. Then build a staduium and I will have no problem adding NTSU. Its up to them-but until they do they won't be invited.

[EastStang]

I think AF and BYU will bring some fans (and maybe CSU), but the rest of the MWC won't draw flies to Ft. Worth. Add in the cost, playing away games at altitude, and lack of exposure in the eastern time zones, and the MWC will shrink even more. Also, if you even think it might expand, think again. No way the gang of five will let it expand above nine because they want and need control. That's why they left the WAC, and that's why they only added TCU and not another school this time around. So TCU will be all alone in the central time zone surrounded by teams from CUSA and the Big XII. The FWST will still cover you.