Numbers that tell the tale:
*1996* 4-7
OOC: #19 Iowa (27,800) @OU @Ok St.
In conference: #18 BYU 34,600 Colo St (25,000)
*1997* 2-9 No ranked opponents
OOC: Missouri (40,000) @Iowa @Cinnci
In conference two opponents 19,000
$1998$ 4-7 2No ranked opponents
OOC: SW Missouri State (24,000) Ok St (40,385) @ West Virginia
In conference: Air Force (21,000)
1999 2-9 Rader fired after game 8
OOC: SW Missouri State (25,000) Lou Monroe (15,000) @Ok St @#7 Texas AnM
In conference: #11 TCU (20,000)
$2000$ 5-7 Burns first year
OOC: Ok St (40,385) LaTech (17,600) @North Carolina @New Mexico St
In conference:#11 Fresno St (31,000)
2001 1-10
OOC: Indiana St (20,000) New Mexico St (17,000) @#3 OU
In conference: #11 Fresno St (31,000)
*$2002$* Burns Fired/Resigns end of season
OOC: OU (40,385) KU (17,900) @Arkansas St @Baylor
In conference: SJSU and Boise St (15,000) Highest attendance
2003 8-5 Kragthorpe's first season
OOC: Texas St (35,800) Arkansas St (16,000) @Minnesota @Arkansas
In Conference: La Tech 28,000 (I believe the win insured we recieved a bowl bid)
2004 4-8
OOC: SW Missouri St 17,900 Navy (23,600) @Kansas @Ok St
In conference: #18 Boise St (20,800) #24 UTEP (10,900) last game of the season (we won)
*2005* 9-4 Liberty Bowl
Minnesota (33,410) ESPN Thurs night game @North Texas @OU
In conference: every game was 20,000+ except Houston (15,500)
2006 8-5
OOC: Stephen F Austin (23,000) North Texas (22,000) @BYU @Navy
In conference: UTEP 28,000 the attendance steadily falls after breaking win streak with lost at Houston. Rice (18,000) a loss Tulane (15,000)
Chapman Field at Skelly Stadium Renovation
*$2007$* 10-4 GMAC Bowl Graham's first year. No ranked opponents
OOC: BYU (24,500) OU (¤35,542) @Lou Monroe @Army
In Conference: Houston (25,400)
2008 11-3 GMAC Bowl Defeat only ranked opponent #22 Ball St.
OOC: New Mexico (¤30,000) Central Arkansas (20,000) @North Texas @Arkasas
In Conference: UCF (¤30,000) all games were 22,000 plus. The Conference USA championship game 22,000 vs ECU
*2009* 5-7
OOC: #5 Boise St (¤30,000) Sam Houston (26,000) @#12 OU @New Mexico
In conference: #13 Houston (20,000) which was roughly our home conference avg attendance.
2010 10-3 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl. Graham leaves at end of season. Only season we finished ranked (#24)
OOC: Bowling Green (19,500) Central Arkansas (21,900) @Ok St @Notre Dame
In conference: Rice (19,000) next game after upset of ND on national TV (TU record 5-3), our attendance continues down. 7-3 vs UTEP (16,547) 8-3 Southern Miss (21,900 on senior day)
$2011$ 8-5 Armed Forces Bowl Blankenship's first year
OOC: #7Ok St (24,563??) North Texas (21,200) @#1 OU @#4 Boise St
In conference: #5 Houston (⊙29,000) after a 5 game win streak Marshall (17,600)
2012 11-3 Liberty Bowl
OOC: Nichols St (19,100) Fresno St (24,200) @Iowa St @Arkansas
In conference: Rice (22,500) conference home attendance below 20,000 avg. UCF (19,000) UCF championship game (17,000).
*2013* 3-9
OOC: Colorado St (22,800) Iowa St (20,100) @#14 OU @Bowling Green
In conference: Attendance drops from 20,000-17,000
$2014$ 2-10 Blankenship fired end of season
OOC: #4 OU (⊙29,357) Texas St (21,300) @Florida Atlantic @Colorado St
In conference: Tulane (19,000) home conference avg attendance roughly 17,000
2015 6-7 Monty's first year
OOC: Florida Antlantic (24,000) Louisana Monroe (17,400) @#16 OU @New Mexico
In conference: Houston (17,100) not ranked, but recieving votes #17 Memphis (20,200) UCF (16,100) #16 Navy (22,700)
$ = Home money game (OU or Ok St at home)
* = Home game vs P5 team or G5 top team (BYU, TCU before Big XII, Boise St, Houston when not on our schedule are examples)
¤ = Blatant lie, the max size of Chapman is 28,000ish
⊙ = Possibly true, again Chapman is 28,000ish