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Look, I understand for wanting to schedule them. Easy driving distance and they would bring a respectable number to Ford. However, there is no incentive now for us to ever play them. They will now be the only DFW program that doesn't have AQ status. Let them rot. If we win its expected but if we lose its a disaster. Not to mention the enormous case of [deleted] envy they have for us that it would be their Super Bowl to beat SMU. Now that we are in the Big East, I think we should use that elevated status to try and start a series w/ Notre Dame.

There are OBVIOUS reasons to want to do this, but we have to make it worth ND's while. Agree to play 3 in South Bend and 2 at Cowboys Stadium. We fit their profile of school they like to play (academically strong with a commitment to athletics) and have a lot of ties with them thanks to Steve Orsini. SMU and Notre Dame have played in the past and now that we are at the big boy's table I would think Notre Dame would be more apt to listen to a possible series with SMU. They would love the recruiting exposure in Dallas and the opportunity to play at Jerry World. Think about this as a possible upcoming SMU schedule:

Texas Tech
TCU
Notre Dame
Baylor
BYU
Houston
South Florida
Boise State
Air Force
Navy
Cincinnati

That would be a truly KICKASS schedule.

Texas Tech
TCU
Notre Dame
Baylor
BYU
Houston
South Florida
Boise State
Air Force
Navy
Cincinnati

That would be a truly KICKASS schedule.

True, we'd definitely get our asses kicked playing that schedule. Maybe 5-7 in a good season.

Maybe so. But I want to play a great schedule week in and week out. Our last two recruiting classes and the one we have developing this year are going to put us in a position talent-wise to play with every team on that schedule. Don't back down. If you can go 8-4 or 9-3 with that schedule we will know that this program has broken down the barrier from a talent perspective. There is a very good chance this upcoming recruiting class will be Top 50 just like last season. With the BCS conference label behind us we will be able to take this thing to another level. Klemm wont have to fight that argument anymore. Either way, that is a schedule that any program in America would be proud to play. Top 25 in everything we do right? Well lets prove it on the field.

Our last two recruiting classes are good non BCS classes not good BCS classes. We still need to go to bowl games to keep recruiting top talent. We also need to stop thinking like non BCS team trying to ramp up OOC games to get into a BCS game. BCS teams play OOC schedules that are mostly tune up games for the BCS conference games. We are not that talented compared to BCS teams. We have got to recruit better just to competitive in the Big East Western Division. And better have more coachess than Klemm recruiting high level talent now that we are in a BCS conference or else we get jacked up on a weekly basis.

StallionsModelT wrote:Maybe so. But I want to play a great schedule week in and week out. Our last two recruiting classes and the one we have developing this year are going to put us in a position talent-wise to play with every team on that schedule. Don't back down. If you can go 8-4 or 9-3 with that schedule we will know that this program has broken down the barrier from a talent perspective. There is a very good chance this upcoming recruiting class will be Top 50 just like last season. With the BCS conference label behind us we will be able to take this thing to another level. Klemm wont have to fight that argument anymore. Either way, that is a schedule that any program in America would be proud to play. Top 25 in everything we do right? Well lets prove it on the field.

Your plan is admirable but there's a reason no one schedules like that (especially AQ teams), it's not necessary to get to the Top 25. Houston's there right now, so is So Miss and they've played no one. We're about to be an AQ team so we need to start scheduling like one.

Yep. Get rid of the heroes. Bring on the zeros. Ive been saying this for years

I hate sounding like a [deleted], but I'd prefer to get rid of the Baylors, A&Ms, etc for teams like UNT, UTSA, Texas State. We still get regional exposure while padding our schedule. Sometimes we NEED those easy wins not just for the win/loss ratio at the end of the season, but for gaining confidence and working out kinks in the system for stronger teams. The Big East is going to be tough compared to what we've faced. Our OOC really can't be full of TCUs and Notre Dames. Though I do love the idea of Notre Dame... maybe drop Baylor completely? Who gives a [deleted] about them?

Keep in mind SMT, most teams that are ranked have 4-6 wins against crap teams (either from OOC fluff balls or bottom feeders in their conference). Then they may have 1-3 wins against ranked teams. 3 being a max really. Top 15 BCS teams use their OOC to guarantee wins and to get lighter weeks for the sake of endurance. That schedule you came up with would undoubtedly be one of the toughest schedules in the nation, and we just got out of a non-AQ conference. We're YEARS from being able to break even against a schedule of that caliber. You have to build up to it.

Sadly, I agree more with SMT than the rest. Maybe not make such a tough schedule take out a team or two to play UNT or a lesser team, but if we go out and make a really crappy schedule the BCS will never pick us to play nationally. I mean when we start out sure lets get all OOC games to be crappy since we will need the wins but in like 4-5 years we need to up the schedule a bit so our fans arent bored out of their minds. When SFA came to play, it was typical 20-22k people and it was the first game. If we play weaker teams, all it does is give them real exposure, it does nothing for us. Look at Boise st., they beat the living crap out of all the WAC teams, but if someone topples them theyre national heroes.

SMU_Alumni11 wrote:Sadly, I agree more with SMT than the rest. Maybe not make such a tough schedule take out a team or two to play UNT or a lesser team, but if we go out and make a really crappy schedule the BCS will never pick us to play nationally. I mean when we start out sure lets get all OOC games to be crappy since we will need the wins but in like 4-5 years we need to up the schedule a bit so our fans arent bored out of their minds. When SFA came to play, it was typical 20-22k people and it was the first game. If we play weaker teams, all it does is give them real exposure, it does nothing for us. Look at Boise st., they beat the living crap out of all the WAC teams, but if someone topples them theyre national heroes.

We're in a BCS conference now, if we win the conference we get a BCS bid, even if we beat Texas State, UTSA, UNT, LA-Monroe, etc. There's very little to gain at this point to be scheduling a Tulsa-like schedule (Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Boise State in one month). That was the means to BCS respect from a non-AQ conference. We're not there anymore.

Comet wrote:

SMU_Alumni11 wrote:Sadly, I agree more with SMT than the rest. Maybe not make such a tough schedule take out a team or two to play UNT or a lesser team, but if we go out and make a really crappy schedule the BCS will never pick us to play nationally. I mean when we start out sure lets get all OOC games to be crappy since we will need the wins but in like 4-5 years we need to up the schedule a bit so our fans arent bored out of their minds. When SFA came to play, it was typical 20-22k people and it was the first game. If we play weaker teams, all it does is give them real exposure, it does nothing for us. Look at Boise st., they beat the living crap out of all the WAC teams, but if someone topples them theyre national heroes.

We're in a BCS conference now, if we win the conference we get a BCS bid, even if we beat Texas State, UTSA, UNT, LA-Monroe, etc. There's very little to gain at this point to be scheduling a Tulsa-like schedule (Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Boise State in one month). That was the means to BCS respect from a non-AQ conference. We're not there anymore.

No i understand the bid, but we would have to be number 1 in BE, which I dont see that happening. So we still need to have a competitive schedule so we have a chance at really good bowl games. But easy non-AQ wins will never lead to you to the BCS game, maybe the BE vs Big 12 but thats it

No i understand the bid, but we would have to be number 1 in BE, which I dont see that happening. So we still need to have a competitive schedule so we have a chance at really good bowl games. But easy non-AQ wins will never lead to you to the BCS game, maybe the BE vs Big 12 but thats it

Getting in the "really good" bowl games is about how well a team's fans travel not the schedule the team plays (especially regarding BCS at-large selections). The only way we're ever playing in a BCS game is if we win the Big East, we're not at-large material.

StallionsModelT wrote:Texas Tech
TCU
Notre Dame
Baylor
BYU
Houston
South Florida
Boise State
Air Force
Navy
Cincinnati

Guh. That's a scary scary schedule.

Navy would be the easiest team on there, and they've owned us.

No! Bama, LSU, or Florida never schedule like that and we should not either. Typically, Bama plans on ONE big out of conference game per season For example, Penn State this year and Michigan next year. NTSU, either New Mexico school, or even one of the directional LA schools should be targeted. SMU has to think recruits and AQ from this point on.

TidePony wrote:No! Bama, LSU, or Florida never schedule like that and we should not either. Typically, Bama plans on ONE big out of conference game per season For example, Penn State this year and Michigan next year. NTSU, either New Mexico school, or even one of the directional LA schools should be targeted. SMU has to think recruits and AQ from this point on.

They don't schedule like that because they are in the SEC and already play a tougher schedule. We won't have a conference schedule this tough. There is probably a balance here, 2-3 more respectable opponents and 1-2 not so tough. IMO, we should be playing old-SWC mates as much as possible. Those rivalries can be re-kindled. TCU and Baylor should be on the schedule every year. Rotate in the others. Also schedule Ole Miss, Vandy and other similar schools from time to time. We may take a few more losses but who wants to watch SMU v. UNT? We need to bring back a fan base that disappeared for a generation so need wins but we need respectable wins.

Mustangs35SMU wrote:Navy would be the easiest team on there, and they've owned us.

Nah. Notre Dame would be! Navy has beaten them 2 out of the last 3!