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After reading about how Richard Bartel has such good arm strength and dedication today and that he very likely with be the 3rd string QB for the Dallas Cowboys next season, as well as reviewing his stats at Tarlton State, I am beginning to reconsider my 4-8 prediction. The prior coaching staff very well may have been that friggin' clueless.

SMU Football Blog wrote:After reading about how Richard Bartel has such good arm strength and dedication today and that he very likely with be the 3rd string QB for the Dallas Cowboys next season, as well as reviewing his stats at Tarlton State, I am beginning to reconsider my 4-8 prediction. The prior coaching staff very well may have been that friggin' clueless.

Mapps up the middle.

Designed QB draw (Collective holding of breath)

9-3
Aug. 29, 2008 at Rice game 1 WIN
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Sept. 6, 2008 Texas State Uni game 2 WIN
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at Texas Tech game 3 L
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Sept. 20, 2008 TCU game 4 WIN
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Sept. 27, 2008 at Tulane game 5 WIN
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Oct. 4, 2008 at UCF game 6 L
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Oct. 11, 2008 Tulsa game 7 WIN
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Oct. 18, 2008 Houston game 8 L
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Oct. 25, 2008 at Navy game 9 WIN
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Nov. 8, 2008 Memphis game 10 WIN
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Nov. 15, 2008 at Texas-El Paso game 11 WIN
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Nov. 29, 2008 Southern Mis game 12 WIN

It depends on JWill playing.

With him, I can see 8-4, without him, 4-8 or worse.
Likely wins are Texas St. and Southern Miss. Losses are Tech, UCF, Tulsa, Houston, and Navy. Swing games will be Rice, TCU, Tulane, Memphis, and UTEP. I see SMU beating Rice, TCU, and UTEP with JWill, without him those games are losses.

Rumor is Willis will be back on the roster after finals are over pending he passes all his classes.

couch 'em wrote:

Alaric wrote:they were 0-12 before he got there. sounds like a comibination of horrible coaching & poor skill position players but JJ said they had some pretty talented lineman

The point of my question was to find out whether JJ took a team that was 0-12, but could have easily had 4 or 5 more wins with slight improvement (like the ponies last year), or whether he made his miracle turnaround with a team that was a solid 0-12. I went ahead and looked up the scores from that year - they were a solid 0-12 and got beat handily in every game.

The same turn around at SMU would result in an 11 win season. Don't think that's going to happen though.

The Warriors were 0-12 and the offense was rated 118 out of 118. Under June they went 9-4 and were 2nd in offense. The turnaround from 0-12 to 9-4 is the biggest in NCAA history. Could the Warriors of 1998 won some games... with the last rated offense... not likely...

Dr Death wrote:The Warriors were 0-12 and the offense was rated 118 out of 118. Under June they went 9-4 and were 2nd in offense. The turnaround from 0-12 to 9-4 is the biggest in NCAA history. Could the Warriors of 1998 won some games... with the last rated offense... not likely...

Wow, that's impressive. I'm not expecting 9 wins this year, but I don't think 6-7 would be out of the question (although 4-5 is probably more likely).

Coaching definitely matters, and the 98 Warriors are a prime example.

couch 'em wrote:

Alaric wrote:they were 0-12 before he got there. sounds like a comibination of horrible coaching & poor skill position players but JJ said they had some pretty talented lineman

The point of my question was to find out whether JJ took a team that was 0-12, but could have easily had 4 or 5 more wins with slight improvement (like the ponies last year), or whether he made his miracle turnaround with a team that was a solid 0-12. I went ahead and looked up the scores from that year - they were a solid 0-12 and got beat handily in every game.

The same turn around at SMU would result in an 11 win season. Don't think that's going to happen though.

nope, dont expect a 9+ win turnaround. it would be great with this team but i dont see the defense winning one single game. A score on every possession (3 or 6) would result into a 9+ win turnaround

SMU Football Blog wrote:After reading about how Richard Bartel has such good arm strength and dedication today and that he very likely with be the 3rd string QB for the Dallas Cowboys next season, as well as reviewing his stats at Tarlton State, I am beginning to reconsider my 4-8 prediction. The prior coaching staff very well may have been that friggin' clueless.

They WERE that clueless!! With that said, here are my predictions. Of course this is prediction is prevalent on JWILL being back at QB.

Rice - W (We're just a better team)

Texas State - W (Ditto for 1st Game)

Texas Tech - L (They're a better team)

TCU - W (Game will be at Ford and we gave them game in 07)

Tulane - W

UCF - L (tough game in Florida)

Tulsa - W (Always a good game but we get edge at home and they have a new QB)

Houston - L (They hate SMU and will come to play) the whole Dallas vs Houston thing

Navy - W (new coach and a new offense with old offense players)

Memphis - W (We owe them, should have won last year)

UTEP - W (we're a better team playing at home)

Southern Miss - L (actually a toss up)

Record 8- 4
Other notes: JWILL will give us our best chance to win early with the new offense. If we have a new QB it will take several games to get use to D-1 Football.

DEFENSE and SPECIAL Teams will definitely be better than last year, giving us W's in close games that we lost last year.

I bet we go 7-5.

SMU Football Blog wrote:After reading about how Richard Bartel has such good arm strength and dedication today and that he very likely with be the 3rd string QB for the Dallas Cowboys next season, as well as reviewing his stats at Tarlton State, I am beginning to reconsider my 4-8 prediction. The prior coaching staff very well may have been that friggin' clueless.

You put that very politely. I nominate this line for understatement of the week.

I will go with 8-4 IF we beat Rice in the first game. I think this new era will bring wins, and lots of them, but I think it will bring lots of wins this year if we get some momentum early.

I'd love to bet against you folks who think TCU won't win this year's matchup v. the Ponies.

Were is Stallion with the Rice stats? We haven't beaten Rice in Houston since the 80's and our record overall against Rice post-DP is 4 wins and 15 losses.

03Mustang wrote:

Dr Death wrote:The Warriors were 0-12 and the offense was rated 118 out of 118. Under June they went 9-4 and were 2nd in offense. The turnaround from 0-12 to 9-4 is the biggest in NCAA history. Could the Warriors of 1998 won some games... with the last rated offense... not likely...

Wow, that's impressive. I'm not expecting 9 wins this year, but I don't think 6-7 would be out of the question (although 4-5 is probably more likely).

Coaching definitely matters, and the 98 Warriors are a prime example.

Sadly for us, the problem last year was defense, not offense. It will be interesting if the JJ's magic works on D, too.