Road to a bowl (continued)

[jesterondirt]

Back to .500, 2 more wins means opportunity, 3 more wins means we're going bowling in a very good league this year.

Tulane is playing Memphis very tough right now and nobody knows what UCF team will show up. We know they're bad, but there is no doubt they have the athletes to compete with anyone in this league.

1 win at a time.

Next up: The Golden Knights of UCF

 

[aTUfan]

i see 6-6 as realistic

 

[TUBballJunkie]

Why wouldn't we be going bowling at 6 wins?

 

[TU 1978]

We would go at six wins.

We've doubled the number of wins from last year.

 

[Gmoney4WW]

We've gotta be better and more entertaining to watch, than at least enough smuck 6-6 teams in crappy conferences, to get a bowl at 6-6. We by far and away won't be one of the better 6-6 teams in a bowl, but we should get a bowl.

 

[cmullinsTU]

Why wouldn't we be going bowling at 6 wins?

AAC is tied to 7 bowls this year (not including the access bowl for highest rated G5 team) so if we finished 6-6 but there's 7 better teams in the conference ahead of us we could potentially be left out. As it stands today we are the 7th team in the conference (based on win percentage), and IMO Memphis or Houston are almost a lock to be the team in the access bowl. So if we take care of business I think we get a bowl.

 

[barrister1602]

Must beat Tulane and UCF. Navy and Cincy will be tough. Would be great if we could steal a W at one of those but not counting on it.

 

[TulsaCane95]

If we get to 6 wins we are going to a bowl game. The conference has 7 bowls this year (The Cure, Miami, Boca Raton, Hawaii, St. Pete, Military, and Birmingham) plus Houston, Memphis and Temple have a very good shot at an a large bid and a very slim chance at a playoff spot. The conference won't be able to fill 8 bowl games.

 

[Gmoney4WW]

My two cents... East Carolina or USF will go to a bowl, thanks to Uconn upsetting East Carolina. Uconn won't become bowl eligible. If we win 6, we will be the 7th bowl eligible team. Otherwise we will not fill all 7 slots.

 

[PNTrough]

UCF has quit. They have some individual match ups that favor them, but if TU plays as a team, this edition of the series will not be close.

If I have to back Houston to go undefeated for Tulsa to go to a bowl, I'd rather stay home. I want the extra practice time for the program, but it isn't worth stomaching any type of Houston success or the price of sending the boys to Hawaii.

 

[RealTUTypical]

UCF has quit. They have some individual match ups that favor them, but if TU plays as a team, this edition of the series will not be close.

If I have to back Houston to go undefeated for Tulsa to go to a bowl, I'd rather stay home. I want the extra practice time for the program, but it isn't worth stomaching any type of Houston success or the price of sending the boys to Hawaii.

Are you crazy?

Any team that beat us having massive success is a win toward bowl consideration. I hope Houston or Memphis win out and create major buzz about the AAC.

And price to send the team to HI? Most kids never get the chance to travel to a place like the islands. Also a win for the program and recruiting.

 

[DirtyDanchez]

How about we just win out....8-4 would a damn good season.

 

[TUBballJunkie]

How about we just win out....8-4 would a damn good season.

Oh alright.

 

[RealTUTypical]

I'm good with that approach Dirty Dan.

 

[HHOOTter]

There are 40 bowls, 80 bowl slots to fill
IF AAC fills all 7 of their bowl slots
Any left over 6-6 or Bowl qualified AAC team
Can then become a “free agent”
& have an opportunity 2 participate in any other available bowl slots
that can’t B fulfilled by their associate conference affiliates


American - Bowl Eligible, 4 (Memphis, Temple, Houston, Navy)
Probably get there, 1 (Cincinnati)
Borderline, 4 (ECU, Tulsa, S Florida, Connecticut)
Probably don't get there, 1 (Tulane)
Already 7+ losses, 2 (SMU, UCF)

 

[barrister1602]

American - Bowl Eligible, 4 (Memphis, Tulane, Houston, Navy)
Probably get there, 1 (Cincinnati)
Borderline, 4 (ECU, Tulsa, S Florida, Connecticut)
Probably don't get there, 1 (Tulane)
Already 7+ losses, 2 (SMU, UCF)

I think you meant Temple is bowl eligible rather than Tulane

 

[mcane]

very difficult for me to root for UH to go undefeated. I still think the ACC champ with one loss (Temple, Memphis, Houston or Navy) gets in over Toledo. Hoping NIU takes Toledo out this weekend.

Aside from disliking Houston, a NY Day bowl merely starts the constant drum beat of UH being the next Big XII team (that's how TCU and Utah in the PAC 10 did it). I would rather see Temple, Memphis or Navy get the bid since I don't see any of them as realistic Big XII members. I really do think Memphis is the best team and Temple no. 2.

 

[TU_BLA]

We've gotta be better and more entertaining to watch, than at least enough smuck 6-6 teams in crappy conferences, to get a bowl at 6-6. We by far and away won't be one of the better 6-6 teams in a bowl, but we should get a bowl.

We're more entertaining that at least 1/2 the B1G and ACC teams that will make bowl games.

 

[aTUfan]

The conference associations with the bowls is very inequitable. the crummy teams, from the p5 conferences, get to play in better bowls with bigger payouts than the good teams from the group of 5.

 

[TU_BLA]

The conference associations with the bowls is very inequitable. the crummy teams, from the p5 conferences, get to play in better bowls with bigger payouts than the good teams from the group of 5.

ESPN pretty much owns all the bowls now. They are going to push the teams they perceive as better or the ones they are paying more money for. That pretty much sucks because we all saw Temple's D on Saturday night and they simply can bring it against anyone. That game was one of the better one's I have watched all season. The ND INT to end the game was an amazing play as well. Houston throttled an SEC team and Memphis throttled an upper tier SEC team a couple of weeks before that.

 

[TUBballJunkie]

We're more entertaining that at least 1/2 the B1G and ACC teams that will make bowl games.

ESPN keeps thinking we are entertaining enough to put on actual TV...

 

[HHOOTter]

U have to admit
AAC might not have a Huge TV contract payout per team
But the exposure being on ESPN/ABC
has been tremendous 4 the league.
Much better than crappy Conf "Who SA"

 

[Rjjackson4]

TU has a chance to go 7-5 maybe better. They just need to play each game at full speed and emotions with the hunger to win. The bowl game will give the young players more time to practices and get better.

 

[TU_BLA]

U have to admit
AAC might not have a Huge TV contract payout per team
But the exposure being on ESPN/ABC
has been tremendous 4 the league.
Much better than crappy Conf "Who SA"

I agree. There were some teams in the crapper that need to catch up. Tulane is about the only one that doesn't seem to be able to pick that up. SMU, as bad as they are, I don't doubt Morris will be able to recruit to get them to up their level of play. I think Monty is going to do the same and going to Dallas and beating SMU should give Monty some bullets to work with when recruiting a player both schools are going after.

Breaking down the season, we lost to OU by 14, Houston by 13, and Memphis by 24...all 3 were games that TU had a chance and were within a score in the 2nd half. All three of those teams are top 15 teams (although the AP and coaches' polls may not necessarily indicate that, in reality they are). We are a player or two away from being able to win those games and a little confidence and coaching experience. First year HC and a team that had zero confidence and no idea how to win...this is a solid first step. Remember when Kragthorpe took over, he said the team needed to learn how to win again. Same with this year.

 

[barrister1602]

I agree. There were some teams in the crapper that need to catch up. Tulane is about the only one that doesn't seem to be able to pick that up. SMU, as bad as they are, I don't doubt Morris will be able to recruit to get them to up their level of play. I think Monty is going to do the same and going to Dallas and beating SMU should give Monty some bullets to work with when recruiting a player both schools are going after.

Breaking down the season, we lost to OU by 14, Houston by 13, and Memphis by 24...all 3 were games that TU had a chance and were within a score in the 2nd half. All three of those teams are top 15 teams (although the AP and coaches' polls may not necessarily indicate that, in reality they are). We are a player or two away from being able to win those games and a little confidence and coaching experience. First year HC and a team that had zero confidence and no idea how to win...this is a solid first step. Remember when Kragthorpe took over, he said the team needed to learn how to win again. Same with this year.

I've heard that Morris wants out of SMU as quickly as possible. His agent is already making inquiries at every open job.

As for us being "a player or two away from being able to win those games" ... I respectfully disagree. I think we need at least 2 different big bodies on the Oline. I think we have them recruited already but they probably won't be ready for at least another year. However on Defense (which is by far our biggest problem), we need several new players to make a substantial difference. Our total defense is 122 out of 128 D1 teams. Currently we are simply not athletic enough on defense to compete at a high level. Our defensive coaching and schemes are solid. The guys are lined up correctly. They just cannot make the plays necessary.

We are what we are ... we have one of the best offenses in the country. Unfortunately, we also have one of the worst defenses in the country. Consequently, we are a .500 team. Improve on defense and we become a very good team.

 

[Tu Geo]

I've heard that Morris wants out of SMU as quickly as possible. His agent is already making inquiries at every open job.

As for us being "a player or two away from being able to win those games" ... I respectfully disagree. I think we need at least 2 different big bodies on the Oline. I think we have them recruited already but they probably won't be ready for at least another year. However on Defense (which is by far our biggest problem), we need several new players to make a substantial difference. Our total defense is 122 out of 128 D1 teams. Currently we are simply not athletic enough on defense to compete at a high level. Our defensive coaching and schemes are solid. The guys are lined up correctly. They just cannot make the plays necessary.

We are what we are ... we have one of the best offenses in the country. Unfortunately, we also have one of the worst defenses in the country. Consequently, we are a .500 team. Improve on defense and we become a very good team.

I don't know how you have info. about Morris but would he go back to an OC job? I can't see Morris getting a HC job right now.

GO TU!!!!

 

[Lumpuckeroo]

I've heard that Morris wants out of SMU as quickly as possible. His agent is already making inquiries at every open job.

As for us being "a player or two away from being able to win those games" ... I respectfully disagree. I think we need at least 2 different big bodies on the Oline. I think we have them recruited already but they probably won't be ready for at least another year. However on Defense (which is by far our biggest problem), we need several new players to make a substantial difference. Our total defense is 122 out of 128 D1 teams. Currently we are simply not athletic enough on defense to compete at a high level. Our defensive coaching and schemes are solid. The guys are lined up correctly. They just cannot make the plays necessary.

We are what we are ... we have one of the best offenses in the country. Unfortunately, we also have one of the worst defenses in the country. Consequently, we are a .500 team. Improve on defense and we become a very good team.

Our defensive ends too often lose containment, too little push by the defensive interior, the pick-six against SMU by Kerwin was a great jump start for TU that has not happened in a long time...usually our DB's are in soft coverage letting receivers catch everything in front of them. Barrister is on the money...two more years and we will be back on track. By then we better give Phil a pay raise if we want to keep him around. They have the money so I hope they will show it in two years.

 

[TU_BLA]

I don't know how you have info. about Morris but would he go back to an OC job? I can't see Morris getting a HC job right now.

GO TU!!!!

Remember who Morris worked for first at TU....the next job is his dream job. And so is the one after that and the one after that and so on.

 

[barrister1602]

I don't know how you have info. about Morris but would he go back to an OC job? I can't see Morris getting a HC job right now.GO TU!!!!

I agree completely it will be difficult for Morris to get another HC job right now. But not stopping his agent from trying. I've heard he wants out so bad that he might even be willing to take another OC job as long as it is at a major university.

 

[aTUfan]

smu is not a good coaching situation. small student body, like us, and too much local competition; TCU, Cowboys, Mavericks, Stars, Rangers, other texas schools . .

 

[TU Hurricane Warning]

smu is not a good coaching situation. small student body, like us, and too much local competition; TCU, Cowboys, Mavericks, Stars, Rangers, other texas schools . .

Yes, but if you do manage to win there the upside is pretty big.

 

[TU_BLA]

smu is not a good coaching situation. small student body, like us, and too much local competition; TCU, Cowboys, Mavericks, Stars, Rangers, other texas schools . .

We at least manage to make the home side of Skelly look somewhat full for the start of a game. Ford always looks empty for whatever reason. SMU just doesn't have a football culture for whatever reason...maybe the death penalty killed their fan base as well. And I'm not buying the competition part of it. TCU was terrible for a long time. We used to go down to Amon G to watch TU play TCU and the stands were pretty empty most of the time because the product on the field was awful. Win at a big level and that changes.

 

[aTUfan]

The city of Fort worth has stepped up for TCU since the got into the big12 and are winning. i dont think think the same would happen fo smu. a lot of their students are local and don't care about smu athletics.

 

[TUBballJunkie]

The city of Fort worth has stepped up for TCU since the got into the big12 and are winning. i dont think think the same would happen fo smu. a lot of their students are local and don't care about smu athletics.

Generally speaking, I don't think as many bros living on daddy's money are at TCU. It's a different culture, IMO. A little more blue collar, somehow.

I like TCU people in real life.

 

[soccrcubs7]

There were so many bros at the SMU game Saturday. SO MANY BROS.

 

[Li'l Eric Coley]

"I prefer Man-zier" - Frank Costanza

 

[Bill Lowery]

"I prefer Man-zier" - Frank Costanza

Giddy Up!

 

[TU_BLA]

Giddy Up!

Feats of strength, anyone?

 

[jerandlaur]

We had to park down by the frat houses at the SMU game on Saturday and there were several parties going on. Those students never made their way to the game. Ford is nominally larger than H. A. Chapman (2,000 seats) but does seem empty. I think they still suffer from the death penalty and will for years to come.

 

[Tulsafanzz]

We had to park down by the frat houses at the SMU game on Saturday and there were several parties going on. Those students never made their way to the game. Ford is nominally larger than H. A. Chapman (2,000 seats) but does seem empty. I think they still suffer from the death penalty and will for years to come.

There are a lot of people who either go to TU's pre game festivities or tailgates & never make it in to games here, either. Not necessarily students, either. There seems to be an increasing number of families with younger kids who take their kids to the pregame fun @ the U & then leave. It would be good for TU to figure out a way to encourage them to stay for the game.