Was it tougher to go to a Bowl game in the SWC or CUSA?

[Rebel10]

Wonder how JJ would have done in the SWC and how Meyer would have done in CUSA since some seem to be comparing coaches from that era to JJ. 2 different levels of competition.

[ponyboy]

Different era when bowl games were much less plentiful.

[1983 Cotton Bowl]

Well, one factor is that there were far fewer bowl games in the SWC era. Some of the guys on here who were around back then can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe only 1 or 2 teams from the SWC would typically go bowling in any given year. I don't think 6-5 or 7-4 teams typically went bowling back then.

Bottom line is that SMU had limited success in the SWC except for a few short periods (late 1940s, early 1980s, etc.). And we were on probation seemingly all the time for cheating starting in the 1970s up through the DP, with bowl bans, no TV, etc several times. So I question the version of history that reflects on the SWC as the halcyon days of SMU football, except for a few years in the 1980s.

[dbone]

Easy...there were I believe 18 bowl games back then and 35 today.

Additionally...from 1970 through 2006 SMU went to 4 bowl games but had 8 more seasons with 6+ wins and did not get a bowl bid. (3 of those no bids clouded by probation though).

[Grant Carter]

Was it easier to flood message boards with pointless polls in the early 1980s than it is in 2013?

[Rebel10]

They were also going against Texas, aTm Arkansas, etc every year along with some decent out of conference games. I think Meyer would have done better in in this era of more bowls and with less talented teams in CUSA imo.

[Arkpony]

Under Hayden Fry SMU went to a bowl game with only 5 wins

[ponyte]

In 1980, there were 15 bowls. The SWC put 5 teams into those 15 bowls. That was the most any conference had every sent to post season bowls. And the Big 10 and SEC had more teams then. The SWC was considered the best conference in college football then.

Also, of those 15 bowls, one had non major college affiliation (the Independence Bowl).

So in reality, there were only 14 bowls for the 'big boys' back then.

The only conference tie in with a bowl then was the Cotton Bowl.

I use 1980 as this was the year Meyer took SMU to a bowl (and his only year).

Limited number of bowls certainly made it more of a challange to make a bowl game. But solid conferences helped.

[Rayburn]

Under Hayden Fry SMU went to a bowl game with only 5 wins

Actually with only four wins. In 1963 the Mustangs went to the Sun Bowl against Oregon at 4-6.

[Arkpony]

You are correct Rayburn.