SI: Projecting major conference bowl lineups from 2014-19

[MV pony]

CUSA looking to create its own bowl game in Boca Raton. Boca is a great place for fans.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootbal ... boca-raton

[bubba pony]

JJ is gone after this year no matter what

I would like SMU to move on from JJ but Hart doesn't strike me as a guy who has the guts to make a decision to improve our future. referring to dropping Baylor and 12 year commit commitment with North Texas.I won't be surprise if Hart gives JJ a multi year extension to ensure SMU remains exactly where it is as JJ and Hart won't try to improve over what we have today.

[gostangs]

you think Hart is calling this shot? Thats a good one!

[Mexmustang]

Yes Sir Mr. Jones, Yes sir Mr. Brown....

Hey! We can dump Jones and get some HS coach from Southlake, err NTU, err what High school is coaching at he now?

I shudder to think who would be coaching football or basketball if these two coaches hadn't approached us. You guys better have a strong replacement in mind before you change horses. We had a reasonably strong AD and we almost couldn't close either open positions after months of trying, despite all the money being thrown at the position. Be honest with yourselves, who was runner up to these hires? Answer, there wasn't one! At either position! Until our administration is changed, no one you may have in mind, will take the bait.

You would be better off challenging the administration to get the IPF under construction, get basic math and English course reinstated, and get athletic friendly majors our recruits can actually finish and find meaningful employment following their athletic careers. When SMU's recruiting pie is only 25% of the size of A&M's before recruiting season begins, don't expect any SMU coach to win in College Station. When LB loses his first inner city recruit or transfer due to academics, SMU will also lose Larry Brown--here comes the Sunbelt Conference.

How many AD candidates passed on SMU before we went and stole one from that powerhouse the Tennessee Chattanooga Moccasins?

[ponyboy]

So you do you fix things, Mex? How 'bout some practical tips. And, no, it doesn't start with firing Turner.

[PonySnob]

So you do you fix things, Mex? How 'bout some practical tips. And, no, it doesn't start with firing Turner.

Selling beer in Ford.......

[blackoutpony]

So you do you fix things, Mex? How 'bout some practical tips. And, no, it doesn't start with firing Turner.

Yes. Yes it does

[Stallion]

MexMustang is off his meds. 25% of the Texas A&M recruiting pool? Try 99%+ of the A&M pool. Fact he can't even name a single SMU commitment since June Jones got here who was denied admission to SMU and has started a single game at the Division 1A level. SMU has no more academic failures than your average NCAA school since Acdemic Progress Toward Degree standards were increased. Starting in 2016 there will be the most significant increase in NCAA admission standards in history. In fact, we have less academic failures than TCU in recent years who have had a string of kids flunk out. Just because he is ignorant of the academic flunkees at any other school doesn't make him right. We have signed as many non-qualifiers as any major program in Texas since June Jones-and we have waited on all of them to qualify-even multiple years. Most never qualified anywhere and none did [deleted] anywhere else. I guess we did finally move on from a very marginal recruit in 2013 but that was only because our class was completly -over full-according to NCAA rule-that's a coaching decision.

[Mexmustang]

Stallion--First, you need to understand our coaches do not recruit kids that they know have a low probability of staying in school or graduating. This doesn't mean they don't make errors and try to sign kids that don't later qualify. But, if a kid looks like he can't make it, generally they stay away. (especially since Rheinbolt's departure) This is changing with Larry Brown. He appears to be going after any recuit regardless of their academic potential, betting that those academic changes will come as promised. But, June was given some of those same promises--remedial English and math and courses of study that are not only friendly to athletes, but courses that appeal to them as well. During the past ten years our academic programs have actually gone in reverse. Those remedial courses and majors have disappeared.

Second, SMU's academic record is used constantly against us in recruiting. You can't look a recruits mother in the eye and assure her that her son has a course of study available to him that he can graduate in and actually secure a job outside of athletics.

Third, you might be interested to know that nearly all of this year's football and basketball transfers are having to go to school this summer to remain in school. Something they didn't encounter at their prior schools. There is nothing I can do to convince you that it is not the same at SMU as other schools, and that conflict between academics and athletics comes from leadership at the top--it sets the tone as to whether a professor gives a C- or a C, whether our faculty sees athletics as an asset or a burden.

What can you as an alumn do? Make sure promises made are promises kept. When you see progress has been delayed write your letters. Already the athletic friendly majors have been put off until the Fall of 2014 rather than this year. Remember how we were all sold a "bill of goods" that te School of Education would provide a safe haven for athletes?

If we are going to recruit kids, we better be fair and be prepared to help them make up the shortfall in many inner city high school programs and also provide a course of study with which that they can graduate. Stanford does it, Vanderbilt does it, Cal does it, and SMU can't be fair? If you recruit these kids you should be obligated to see that they succeed. Do you really believe that Vanderbilt's recent success isn't directly related to the new athletic friendly majors installed in their Peabody School of Education?

Yes, we don't lose many kids to grades after they arrive, but Larry Brown has just widened the "slice of the pie" that SMU will go after,regardless of academic potential. Lose one high profile Dallas recruit to academics, and say "Goodbye Larry, Hello Sunbelt!"

[BigT3x]

Mex, where's the proof?

Despite everyone associated with the program going on record stating that our academic standards are now low, despite SMU now offering a sports management bachelors and literally building a school filled with easy majors, despite SMU giving athletes an extremely nice facility filled with tutors, you claim that we are somehow academically unfriendly to athletes.

Prove it.

[Mexmustang]

Fair question.

But, you are wrong about "everyone" agreeing. Who is everyone? I am not aware of most of the comments you have related. There are several programs that have been eliminated that were very popular courses for athletes. We have been promised remedial courses in English and math, but they are not yet been delivered.

Have you asked the coaches? June was very vocal about it but, has been not been lately (probably because he resigned himself to playing out his contract), but Larry Brown is very vocal about it. His comment, "Why is everyone so afraid of change at SMU". Do they know how many of my current players are in academic trouble"? '"Do they don't know what it takes to win?" "How big time schools do it?" This was 48 hours ago! How do I know that kids that were at other schools are now having difficulty at SMU?

Until you talk to the coaches past or present you won't be convinced. But, I have seen level two exams given to players at Cal, I have seen the courses of study setup in the last four-five years at Vanderbilt. We are not there.

Second, no one has answered the question, "Just who were the runnersup to June and Larry?" I have problems with June's record and recruiting, etc. but please remember what happened in both searches. They went on for months--not days or weeks, but months! If they hadn't come to us, we would have had to go to completely unknowns. Orsini had no more names in the hat! Basketball coaches would not even consider the job--they felt they couldn't win under our system. Get this, we were offering millions of dollars and couldn't get head coaches second and third tier colleges to inteview!

Remember the Marquette Coach, we almost had him in the bag, we got "this" close, and he got cold feet. He stated that he didn't trust our administration to fulfill their promises. Promises he needed in terms of academics to win. Unfortunately, Orsini repeated that to a prominent alum who later told Turner and that was the end of the only athletic catalyst at SMU in 26 years.

Just remember these numbers:

3 Head Football Coaches
3 Head Men's Basketball Coaches
3 Athletic Directors
0 Conference championships in football and basketball
1 President in 16 years!

Firing the head coach isn't going to solve our problems, hell, we might not even find a replacement!

[RGV Pony]

Wasn't Fran the runner up to June?

[PonySnob]

Wasn't Fran the runner up to June?

AppleBowden.........

[dr rc]

Wasn't Fran the runner up to June?

SMU should be ecstatic they went with Jones over Fran. Fran coached Texas State to a loss vs UTSA last year. That was just UTSA's second year to even field a team.

[PonySnob]

Wasn't Fran the runner up to June?

SMU should be ecstatic they went with Jones over Fran. Fran coached Texas State to a loss vs UTSA last year. That was just UTSA's second year to even field a team.

Tulane...................................