When bowl games were earned

[LA_Mustang]

I was curious how times we had a winning record without going to a bowl before the day of 39 bowl games. I went back to 1950 and it's crazy how good some of these seasons were based on competition and how competitive we were. btw, I did this quickly so my apologies if there is an error and I left that early 80s probation year off when we were 10-1 or close to it


1950 6-4
Wins over #11 Ohio St, Georgia Tech, Missouri, Okie St.

1954 6-3-1
Wins over Missouri, Kansas, A&M, #4 Arkansas
Tie with Texas

1958 6-4
Wins over Missouri, #16 Texas, A&M, #17 Georgia Tech, #7 TCU
2 of the losses were to #1 Ohio St, 20-23 and #7 ND, 6-14

1959 5-4-1
Wins over Missouri, TT, A&M, #15 Navy

1972 7-4
Wins over Florida & Arkansas

1973 6-4-1
Wins over Oregon St., Virginia Tech
Tie with Arkansas

1974 6-4-1
Wins over Oregon St., Virginia Tech, #5 A&M
Tie with Arkansas

1985 6-5
Wins over #19 Texas, TT

1986 6-5
Wins over Boston College, TT, #13 Baylor

[Bergermeister]

Is the list continued on pages 2 and 3? I don't think you included everything.

Oh. Never mind.

[lwjr]

In today's sports world everyone has to bow down to ESPN. Besides, we wouldn't want to hurt little Johnny's feelings if he could not experience going to an irrelevant bowl nobody watches.
Everybody gets a trophy!

[well travelled pony]

Oh 1985, what an agonizing year. It also told me Bobby Collins was the wrong coach for SMU. We had a pretty good team, but had bad losses(at home to baylor, road to a$m). Should have won both. The guys seemed to be losing it at the end of the season. I expected better than the loss at arky, and ou.

Go Ponies!

[PlanoStang]

We had wage cutbacks in the process of RIFing our payroll to meet that year.

Booby Collins may have our best coaching record with something like 43 - 14 - 1

[Stallion]

the entire SMU football program was going to down faster than USC this year as huge scholarship reductions were hitting the program. It would have gotten progressively worse even without the Death Penalty.

[orguy]

Oh 1985, what an agonizing year. It also told me Bobby Collins was the wrong coach for SMU. We had a pretty good team, but had bad losses(at home to baylor, road to a$m). Should have won both. The guys seemed to be losing it at the end of the season. I expected better than the loss at arky, and ou.

Go Ponies!

Expectations were too high for the 85 team. Coach Collins was NOT the problem.

[orguy]

the entire SMU football program was going to down faster than USC this year as huge scholarship reductions were hitting the program. It would have gotten progressively worse even without the Death Penalty.

Yes, progressively worse but never to the level of the post DP teams.

[well travelled pony]

Oh 1985, what an agonizing year. It also told me Bobby Collins was the wrong coach for SMU. We had a pretty good team, but had bad losses(at home to baylor, road to a$m). Should have won both. The guys seemed to be losing it at the end of the season. I expected better than the loss at arky, and ou.

Go Ponies!

Expectations were too high for the 85 team. AndCoach Collins was NOT the problem.

Orguy, were you there? On the team? Collins and his staff caused a lot of problems. Me, I was there and knew a number of the team at the time. It was still a heck of a team.

Go Ponies!