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ThisIsOurTime wrote:if they are as good as you think, why did they have trouble with UCLA and UTEP? Those are two teams that are not exactly top teams. If Houston has not even played one team with a top 50 defense, couldn't it be that maybe your opinion of Houston's offense is just a tad overstated?

UCLA was opening game and Keenum had some rust but I know you're only looking at the final score. UH was up by 17 at half time and up by 10 with 1:30 left to go. UCLA is a hit or miss team. Sometimes they look good. Sometimes they look horrible. If the season ended right now, they would play in the Pac12 championship game.

As I said before, UTEP is one of those matchup problems, especially in El Paso. Just like UH is a bad matchup for SMU. But we won and scored 49 points doing it.

We've improved as the season has gone along. Unlike 2009 where the injuries started piling up, basically our whole team is healthy.

So you tell me, how does SMU beat UH this year which is where this all started? You point out poor performances by UH, care to look at SMU this past week losing to a 4-6 Navy team. A Navy team that lost to a 4-6 ECU team that UH beat 56-3. SMU has a signature win against TCU, but they've lost 3 of the last 4. They look like they've given up at this point in the season.

Give me your argument on why SMU will beat UH this week.

I've seen Keenum and Houston play a number of times just not this season. The fact is they haven't played a good enough opponent for me to notice them this year until now. Only recently has this changed and I believe my opinion on this point will be the same as most fans across the country.

I am sure Houston is putting up some nice offensive numbers. However, if they have not played even 1 top 50 defense, how can you expect us to take those statistics very seriously. How do you know the Houston offense would not struggle against say a top 15 defense or a top 25 defense? For example, Hawaii also had a high scoring offense until they played Georgia which was a good defensive team in that Sugar Bowl. How do you know Houston is not more like that Hawaii team rather than say Oregon?

With regard to the wins at home, it was as I suspected. Not many pelts on the wall. I thought that Tech win was their biggest win. I saw that game and know that Houston was lucky to win and won more out of Leach's arrogance rather than being the better team. However, if Houston had more of those wins at home, I would give your argument more weight. But since that is it, your bragging about Houston's record at home doesn't mean a whole lot. I'm sorry I just don't see any big opponents being afraid about playing at Houston. If it makes you feel any better, I think TCU historically doesn't have much of a home field advantage either. Of course, this may be changing with the new stadium design. I don't think you really want to get into comparing TCU and Houston so I will be nice and leave it at that.

I couldn't tell you exactly how many games I have seen of Houston's over the past 4 years. I saw the Okie State and Tech games and have seen them play a few Conference USA teams (SMU, Tulsa, Marshall, etc.). I think that is more than enough to get a feel for what they can do. But since you have been watching Houston play all this year, how do you think they compare to the Houston team that beat Okie State and Tech? If Keenum gets hurt again, will they fall apart just like that team?

NTXCoog wrote:

ThisIsOurTime wrote:if they are as good as you think, why did they have trouble with UCLA and UTEP? Those are two teams that are not exactly top teams. If Houston has not even played one team with a top 50 defense, couldn't it be that maybe your opinion of Houston's offense is just a tad overstated?

UCLA was opening game and Keenum had some rust but I know you're only looking at the final score. UH was up by 17 at half time and up by 10 with 1:30 left to go. UCLA is a hit or miss team. Sometimes they look good. Sometimes they look horrible. If the season ended right now, they would play in the Pac12 championship game.

As I said before, UTEP is one of those matchup problems, especially in El Paso. Just like UH is a bad matchup for SMU. But we won and scored 49 points doing it.

We've improved as the season has gone along. Unlike 2009 where the injuries started piling up, basically our whole team is healthy.

So you tell me, how does SMU beat UH this year which is where this all started? You point out poor performances by UH, care to look at SMU this past week losing to a 4-6 Navy team. A Navy team that lost to a 4-6 ECU team that UH beat 56-3. SMU has a signature win against TCU, but they've lost 3 of the last 4. They look like they've given up at this point in the season.

Give me your argument on why SMU will beat UH this week.

I don't know if SMU will beat Houston or not. I was bringing up the thread b/c a lot of posters on this forum thought SMU had no chance which didn't make a lot of sense to me. There was a defeatist air which seemed strange considering they had knocked off TCU earlier in the season.

They mentioned 3 losses but I don't think that necessarily means anything. I said all this before but I guess I will have to say it again.
Losing to Tulsa or S. Miss may not turn out to be such a bad thing as they could be the best teams in the conference.

I don't even really consider the Navy game that much because playing option teams is always tricky. Most schools can't properly prepare in a week of preparation which is why the academies are occasionally able to upset some teams they otherwise would not. Option attacks can eat up a lot of time of possession which results in reduced chances of scoring which would hurt a team like SMUs. I also saw part of that game and the parts I saw, SMU was able to freely move the ball and so feel like they may have just had a bad game on offense in the other parts. In the end, they lost by 7 points so I just don't see it as that big of deal.

Now, why I think SMU could beat Houston is because they do have a high scoring offense that has been able to put up points against TCU, Tulane, UCF, and Memphis. I suspect that just judging by the opposing teams scores on Houston that SMu can also put points on the Houston D. I also think Zach Line if he plays provides SMU with a solid running threat which will probably be the best RB Houston faces all year.

How SMU's defense fairs will be the big factor on how they do against Houston if SMU's offense shows up like I think they can? I was impressed with the defensive line play of SMU in the TCU game and suspect that if they get similar pressure on Houston, they could give Keenum some trouble. SMU really just needs to find ways to slow down the Houston offense. They don't have to shut them down. If they can do that, they will give themselves a chance.

FInally, its college football. Upsets happen all the time. What if Keenum has a bad game? What if an SMU player has an unbelievable game? What if there are a number of turnovers or Houston can't handle the pressure of a big game before a national audience? My point is upsets happen and often it can be a little thing that makes it possible like coach's seeing a mismatch or an injury that creates an opportunity. TCU was a 15 point underdog against Boise and beat Boise. Tech was I think a 35 point underdog to Oklahoma and they upset them. If Boise and OU could lose, why couldn't Houston also?

Houston's next three games will likely be against the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd best teams in the conference. They are playing extremely well but you cannot make the argument that they have been tested thoroughly up until this point in the season besides their opener.

UCLA was opening game and Keenum had some rust but I know you're only looking at the final score. UH was up by 17 at half time and up by 10 with 1:30 left to go. UCLA is a hit or miss team. Sometimes they look good. Sometimes they look horrible. If the season ended right now, they would play in the Pac12 championship game.[quote][/quote]



If UCLA plays in the PAC12 championship, they must REALLY have a S.HIT division. They have won 5 games. 5. They got blown out by Arizona. Az has 2 wins.

We are a Run and Shoot offense that can't...Shoot.

ThisIsOurTime wrote:...and they obviously don't have much of a home field advantage in Houston...

Keenum has won 22 straight home games. So, yeah. I'd say having the game at a sold-out Robertson is an "advantage."

UHCoog27 wrote:Keenum has won 22 straight home games.

Perfect. TCU had a similar record before we showed up at their house.

Is HOUSTON ready for SMU?!?!

No, unfortunately, I don't think we're even close to being ready.

H-Town is on fire over this game.It is all over the radio and T.V. but having said that I think we burst their ballon.Coogs havent played any body and I think our guys play mad as hell for [deleted] away what started out a banner season
GO PONY GO!!!!!!!!!!!!

UHCoog27 wrote:

ThisIsOurTime wrote:...and they obviously don't have much of a home field advantage in Houston...

Keenum has won 22 straight home games. So, yeah. I'd say having the game at a sold-out Robertson is an "advantage."

Well, if you're a betting person, odds just got better for us.

Pony Fans take notice.

UAB is up on USM at the half. If UAB can do this, SMU certainly can too against Houston. In College Football, anything can happen. Take down the Cougs.

I think someone needs Cable TV with Sports Package for Christmas or weekends off. After watching UH numerous times during Keenum career and especially at Robertson I'd have to agree with most everything the Cougar fan said. Only way SMU stays in this game is a big turnover advantage and exploiting a very average UH defense for big plays. Maybe UH receivers gets drop-sies like they did in one game earlier in season when I lost count of the perfect passes that UH receivers misplayed or dropped.

Any college team can beat another. Ask Texas Tech. Beat Oklahoma in Norman. Get blown out by UT in Austin, then get blown out in Lubbock by Okie St. Any C-USA team can beat another. UAB over UCF. Houston barely over UTEP. SMU blowing out UCF. Tulsa blowing out SMU and barely beating UCF. With Houston being a commuter school, maybe Keenum and Sims get stuck in traffic and miss the game. Or maybe Keenum can't get a day off from 7-11. He is on their work-study program. Go Ponies.