Game Thread: SMU vs. Texas Tech

**ISUAlum2002** · 09-05-2010, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by tee1up

I don't understand everyone hoping Big 12 teams, or any team on our schedule, loses. It helps us if KU beats NDSU, then we beat KU. We want the teams we play to have a great record, makes us look better when we win, and not as bad if we happen to lose. Now, if we beat KU, the nation will say "so what, KU lost to NDSU".

Having teams like KU lose helps us because it makes it less likely that they will be battling for one of the Big 12's bowl slots when we play against them. Emotion is a huge factor in college football. When teams lose games, especially early in the season against what is believed to be inferior competition, it shakes the total team confidence and chemistry and hurts them for future games.

Not only that, but what has the Big 12 really done for us since its inception? Not much. Aside from Baylor, I'd bet we have had the most conference games go untelevised of any program in the conference. And even that might not be accurate as Baylor plays Texas and OU every year and they're always going to be on TV. Why should we hope for success for other conference programs? We're recruiting against them, too.

At the end of the year, they don't ask who, they ask how many (wins).

**cstrunk** · 09-05-2010, 04:02 PM

Originally Posted by tee1up

I don't understand everyone hoping Big 12 teams, or any team on our schedule, loses. It helps us if KU beats NDSU, then we beat KU. We want the teams we play to have a great record, makes us look better when we win, and not as bad if we happen to lose. Now, if we beat KU, the nation will say "so what, KU lost to NDSU".

We've got enough tough teams on our schedule. We're just looking for places to find some W's.

Tech goes for it on 4th down on the SMU 30 (instead of risking another blocked FG) and doesn't get it.

SMU drives down the field and scores a TD with 1:30 to go in the 1st half.

14-7 Tech.

**Rhoadhoused** · 09-05-2010, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by tee1up

I don't understand everyone hoping Big 12 teams, or any team on our schedule, loses. It helps us if KU beats NDSU, then we beat KU. We want the teams we play to have a great record, makes us look better when we win, and not as bad if we happen to lose. Now, if we beat KU, the nation will say "so what, KU lost to NDSU".

Except for the part where when we are 6-6, and KU, CU, ect are either 6-6, 5-7, or 7-5 and the difference is bowl game positioning and hundreds of thousands of dollars for our university.

**ISUAlum2002** · 09-05-2010, 04:08 PM

That's a killer for SMU. The defense really needed to step up and hold them to a FG attempt before half.

**cstrunk** · 09-05-2010, 04:09 PM

Tech has an impressive drive in the last minute and scores a TD.

21-7.

Our secondary is still going to have their hands full with the Red Raider air attack.

**xboxfever** · 09-05-2010, 04:15 PM

You want every team in the conference to win every game in non conference. That way if you beat them, it makes you look that much better. If ISU loses to Kansas, that makes ISU look terrible. ''Wow, you guys must really suck. Kansas lost to a FCS school.''

**cstrunk** · 09-05-2010, 04:17 PM

How about the halftime segment on the Tech players? Potts takes his linemen out to eat and spends $200+ on the bill? I bet he's paying for that with his part-time job.

**cyrocksmypants** · 09-05-2010, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by tee1up

I don't understand everyone hoping Big 12 teams, or any team on our schedule, loses. It helps us if KU beats NDSU, then we beat KU. We want the teams we play to have a great record, makes us look better when we win, and not as bad if we happen to lose. Now, if we beat KU, the nation will say "so what, KU lost to NDSU".

You're essentially talking about Strength of Schedule. The only time that matters is if you're vieing to get into the National Championship game. As that is likely not going to be the case for us, it is of zero importance that the teams we play do well with other games.

It IS important though, to get better positioning in bowl games. The more the Big XII teams lose, the better foothold we can gain.

**dualthreat** · 09-05-2010, 05:16 PM

35-14 with SMU driving. I think Northern Illinois is a better team than SMU. What do yall think?

**jburke** · 09-05-2010, 05:27 PM

Originally Posted by dualthreat

35-14 with SMU driving. I think Northern Illinois is a better team than SMU. What do yall think?

35-20 now, SMU is not that good, they seem to have a few athletes but no depth, just before half their defense was way too gassed. Tech's passing attack is impressive as anticipated but their running game is not at all what I expected, I know SMU is blitzing a lot to control this but I still would have expected more. For a Tubberville team and Batch returning.

**jburke** · 09-05-2010, 05:30 PM

Really bad play calling by Tubberville on 4 and 1.... They are letting SMU come back...

**dualthreat** · 09-05-2010, 05:45 PM

Wow, 35-27

Tech gettin nervous!

**Rhoadhoused** · 09-05-2010, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by xboxfever

You want every team in the conference to win every game in non conference. That way if you beat them, it makes you look that much better. If ISU loses to Kansas, that makes ISU look terrible. ''Wow, you guys must really suck. Kansas lost to a FCS school.''

And this is only relevant in "my team is better than your team because we beat XXXX who beat YYYY". In other words, only relevant to children bickering.

**IowaSTATCyclone** · 09-07-2010, 10:27 AM

I don't know how happy Raiders fans can be with a touchdown win over SMU. They are much improved under June Jones, but Tech's offense looked pedestrian (for them), and the defense wasn't any better than Leach's, as far as I could see. Certainly not better than the Tech defense that held Okie State to 24 last year.

But a win is a win.

**jbhtexas** · 09-07-2010, 10:49 AM

Originally Posted by Rhoadhoused

Except for the part where when we are 6-6, and KU, CU, ect are either 6-6, 5-7, or 7-5 and the difference is bowl game positioning and hundreds of thousands of dollars for our university.

How does bowl game positioning among 6-6 and 7-5 teams mean hundreds of thousands of dollars for ISU? The answer: It doesn't. The revenue brought in by those lower bowls to the conference barely covers travel expenses. In addition, the Big 12 equally splits all bowl revenue after travel expenses are taken out.

What does mean extra money for ISU is how many Big 12 teams make BCS bowls. If your argument is money, then you should want all Big 12 teams to win their non-conference games, as this could help improve the BCS ranking of the top Big 12 teams, and help the Big 12 get two BCS bowls.