I won't say "good game" SMU

[mrydel]

Yeah, Dallas is too savy to be fooled by 4-5 bull-s wins. When we pull upsets that get on ESPN...that's when they'll start coming.

Trying ti be objective. Would smu have better attendance for rutgers with a 4-0 record or 1-3 and not competitive? SMU is not at a level right now to compete with most big 12 teams right now. I'd rather create a winning atmosphere to attract recruits who want to win. Continuing to hit your head into the wall over and over isnt going to work. Recruits arent coming until you win...not 6-7 wins but 9, 10, 11 wins. It wasn't going to happen at TCU and it won't happen at SMU either. There is no Larry Brown equivalent in college football who can just attract talent overnight. Saban isn't coming...

Head coach in football is very limited in how much he can actually recruit. The key is to have someone who has the ability to assemble a staff of recruiters to get the job done. I think we need someone with a recognizable name who has the ability to attract young energetic support. It could be an assistant coach from a big program if it is someone who has some kind of name recognition. Or it could be an over the hill retired coach if he has the energy that Larry Brown oozes. The key in my opinion is to get someone who has the pull to get a staff of go-getters put together to produce a class of recruits that can complete on a BCS level.

[SMUer]

I honestly don't see what winning 8-9-10 wins against nobodies does for us anymore.

Recruits/Dallasites: "Meh" or "who are those teams they beat, and where are they located?"

Unless, we are putting on a show and racking up 45+ points per game, or beat bad P5 schools like Vandy/Duke/Wake Forest/Kansas, no one will care, even recruits. TCU worked the model perfectly for what it was: "you got 9-10 wins, welcome to the dance". Little guys are no longer invited to the post-season supper table unless they have serious skins in their wall, so instead or playing for inclusion, we should be chip-on-the-shoulder OOC mercenaries.

Plus, hate to break it to you TCU, but this is the second game in a row we could have legitimately beat you if we hadn't completely pissed down our legs with fumbles, miscues, stupid penalties and atrocious special teams play. I personally don't see playing TCU/Baylor/Tech as "beating our heads against a wall." Yes, there is a talent gap but when our guys are motivated, they can hang with mid-level B12 schools. We just get let down by poor player-prep and coaching. That's my take. I know you aren't being intentionally unkind but "no thank you" to that "you shouldn't be playing us" patronization.

[ReedFrawg]

I honestly don't see what winning 8-9-10 wins against nobodies does for us anymore.

Recruits/Dallasites: "Meh" or "who are those teams they beat, and where are they located?"

Unless, we are putting on a show and racking up 45+ points per game, or beat bad P5 schools like Vandy/Duke/Wake Forest/Kansas, no one will care, even recruits. TCU worked the model perfectly for what it was: "you got 9-10 wins, welcome to the dance". Little guys are no longer invited to the post-season supper table unless they have serious skins in their wall, so instead or playing for inclusion, we should be chip-on-the-shoulder OOC mercenaries.

Plus, hate to break it to you TCU, but this is the second game in a row we could have legitimately beat you if we hadn't completely [deleted] down our legs with fumbles, miscues, stupid penalties and atrocious special teams play. I personally don't see playing TCU/Baylor/Tech as "beating our heads against a wall." Yes, there is a talent gap but when our guys are motivated, they can hang with mid-level B12 schools. We just get let down by poor player-prep and coaching. That's my take. I know you aren't being intentionally unkind but "no thank you" to that "you shouldn't be playing us" patronization.

Wasnt meant to be patronizing. Sorry if it came across that way.

[ojaipony]

And for what its worth, I think SMU should schedule soft OOC to build up some confidence and shoot for some 10 win seasons. Winning 6-8 games per year is like sitting in Neutral.

You were actually making sense until that sentence. Scheduling soft doesn't guarantee confidence will be built (because there's not anyone in FBS we'd beat for sure) but it does guarantee that the stadium will be less than half empty. These OOC slates only look daunting because of how we recruit. That problem needs to be fixed instead of just trying to hid it with wins over junk teams.

I wouldnt worry about attendance - it aint great now. Start a couple seasons 4-0 or 5-0 and that will sell tickets. I know you disagree but this is what I would do. I have seen all of the debates on here related to scheduling so I know all the pros and cons. Something has to change and getting some votes in the polls would be a nice place to start. There were a couple years in cusa where we won 10 games with smoke and mirrors and relatively easy schedules....but it got us on the map. Build recruiting through winning.

I COMPLETELY agree with this (ReedFrawg). When a season is over, no one cares who you played, they only care about your record. Hell, look at UH. They haven't play a damn soul but I bet their players think they are a pretty good team right now and their fanbase is energized (they are 4-0 and we are 1-3 . . . are they better than us? Who knows, but on paper they'd kick our [deleted]!). Right now, we just need wins. Play TCU but no one else that's remotely good. String some 9 win seasons together, spin that you are on the "way up" to recruits and get it done. We have nothing to lose. We already can't fill the stadium as it is. This isn't about short term attendance or ticket sales. This is about survival and you have to get extreme and SELL. We are starting almost close to ground zero unfortunately. I feel very strong about this . . . I could be wrong.

[Stallion]

In fact we can fill our stadium when TCU, Baylor and A&M are opponents. When they aren't we have 15,000 fans. People might not remember who you play but they damn sure remember that you can't fill half your stadium. We eliminate ourselves from BCS consideration by playing the schedule some of you guys suggest. I've watched this for 50 years-we aren't getting anywhere without playing and beating teams that our fans care about. Some of you are about to learn a harsh lesson in irrelevancy from the AAC home attendance.

[SMUer]

In fact we can fill our stadium when TCU, Baylor and A&M are opponents. When they aren't we have 15,000 fans. People might not remember who you play but they damn sure remember that you can't fill half your stadium. We eliminate ourselves from BCS consideration by playing the schedule some of you guys suggest. I've watched this for 50 years-we aren't getting anywhere without playing and beating teams that our fans care about. Some of you are about to learn a harsh lesson in irrelevancy from the AAC home attendance.

This. Stallion and I agree. Life has come full-circle.

[PK]

Some of you are about to learn a harsh lesson in irrelevancy from the AAC home attendance.

And for those who think it would be different playing MWC teams...don't make me laugh.

[gostangs]

I agree with Reedfrog and have pushed this for some time. My basic point is - it is a ladder where you have to take the next step - we have been stuck on the second step with June for 4 years now. recruiting will be greatly enhanced if we schedule 2-3 nobodies (more nobody than us) and then pull off some conference wins and get 8-9 wins. Your have to build some success first - even if it is fake - and then move up the ladder. TCU did not schedule out of conference tough games when they were in the MWC until they pulled their talent up enough to take them on.

[PK]

I agree with Reedfrog and have pushed this for some time. My basic point is - it is a ladder where you have to take the next step - we have been stuck on the second step with June for 4 years now. recruiting will be greatly enhanced if we schedule 2-3 nobodies (more nobody than us) and then pull off some conference wins and get 8-9 wins. Your have to build some success first - even if it is fake - and then move up the ladder. TCU did not schedule out of conference tough games when they were in the MWC until they pulled their talent up enough to take them on.

Unfortunately we don't have the luxury of time anymore that TCU had. The college football landscape has and is continuing to change rapidly. If we are to have any chance at being invited into one of the better conferences we have to make some major strides quickly and our current football staff does not appear to be up to the task. We have already wasted several years and I dread the ultimate outcome if we do not make changes very soon.

[sbsmith]

recruiting will be greatly enhanced if we schedule 2-3 nobodies (more nobody than us) and then pull off some conference wins and get 8-9 wins. Your have to build some success first - even if it is fake - and then move up the ladder. TCU did not schedule out of conference tough games when they were in the MWC until they pulled their talent up enough to take them on.

Recruiting will be greatly enhanced when it becomes a priority at SMU (see SMU basketball). No one in this town (fans, recruits or otherwise) will be fooled by a bunch of fake wins in front of lackluster crowds. Plus the buzz from improved recruiting will get more fans interested even if the product isn't immediately top notch (see SMU basketball). We all want the same thing but some of you are focused on building this thing the long and pointless way which we simply don't have the time for in this current climate.

[ReedFrawg]

recruiting will be greatly enhanced if we schedule 2-3 nobodies (more nobody than us) and then pull off some conference wins and get 8-9 wins. Your have to build some success first - even if it is fake - and then move up the ladder. TCU did not schedule out of conference tough games when they were in the MWC until they pulled their talent up enough to take them on.

Recruiting will be greatly enhanced when it becomes a priority at SMU (see SMU basketball). No one in this town (fans, recruits or otherwise) will be fooled by a bunch of fake wins in front of lackluster crowds. Plus the buzz from improved recruiting will get more fans interested even if the product isn't immediately top notch (see SMU basketball). We all want the same thing but some of you are focused on building this thing the long and pointless way which we simply don't have the time for in this current climate.

So what is the alternative to building something over the next 4-6 years????

[sbsmith]

So what is the alternative to building something over the next 4-6 years????

The alternative is putting us on the SMU Basketball Rapid Rebuilding Plan. Make recruiting a priority (need to reallocate June's salary to pay for some big time assistants) and keep the OOC schedule full of teams that people want to see (since AAC football is weaksauce and we won't get any decent crowds from conference opponents). Recruiting will undoubtedly improve thus creating buzz that we can use to build up some goodwill with the fanbase and prospective casual fans (helps ticket sales, makes marketing easier, etc). With this plan there's no need to hide behind junk for 4-6 years to cover for lousy recruiting while we play in front of tens of thousands of empty seats. SMU basketball gave us the blueprint, all we need to do is follow it.