Eagle1855

"Eat em up Coogs", is apparently a saying at UH, but I've never heard that as much as Go Coogs and the "Whose House/Coog's House" call and response. I do think "Go Mean Green" is a great motto/saying/whatever.

Yes. I think if we had any semblance of an offense in the Tulane and UTSA game, we'd have definitely gone 10-2. Possibly 11-2, with a title game.

True. But if recruiting and player development prove to be as good as we all hope (and if this staff pulls 8 wins out of this team this year, we have no reason to believe otherwise), there's no reason 2015 can't be a conference championship-type season. That would (in theory) mean we have found a QB -- which I think is the most important part of the equation this side of the defense (which I believe will prove to be the lone consistency/great highlight of play in McCarney's tenure). But it's all a lot of hypothetical at this point, of course. And 8/30 can't get here soon enough.

All of these things. If by some chance we go 8-4 this season, you can go ahead and pencil us in for an historic, record-breaking Mean Green season in 2015.

If they had the defense UT had in 2005 and 2009, they'd have likely won a National Championship in 2012. Now whether or not that's even a possibility with a Kevin Sumlin-coached team (and the offense they run) is another matter entirely.

I saw an article by the DMN beat writer for A&M predicting a 9-3 season. Which is a one-game improvement over the 2014 team, which featured Manziel and a couple more first-round draft picks. OKAY. I'm not convinced Rice doesn't have as good a chance (or better) of beating A&M this year as we do at UT. That said, if they keep up the recruiting, they're gonna be in for a good run of 9, 10, or 11-win seasons. Bank on it.

I think so too. Like, you'd think someone along the way would say "wait... no."

Exactly. I also think this idea that Texas is going to be "bad" is very likely little more than wishful thinking, but we'll see how it all plays out. They've got a proven defensive-minded coach with enough talent on defense to win some games. A good defense goes a long way towards covering up other issues -- something to which we are quite attuned at NT.

If we beat Texas, I'll mark us down for an 11-1 season. But if we're following the 2005 TCU plan, that means a loss against SMU.

It seems like most upsets come from a team that is loaded with experienced players and/or extraordinary play by a QB. Even in the SEC, among peers, this seems to be the case (see: Manziel vs Alabama in 2012). We have neither. So I don't buy this idea that this is our "best shot." But at least with McCarney, I always feel like we've got a shot. And that's saying a lot, after watching UNT football for 15 years.

That TCU team had a QB listed on the preseason Davey O'Brien watch list (there was no confusion as to who was going to be the starter) and had gone 42-18 in the 5 years that preceded the 2005 season. They ultimately ended up going 11-1. They came into the season being heavy favorites in most of their games. Not sure that fits here? NDSU had a senior quarterback who knew the offense backwards and forwards. That team went on to win the FCS championship for the third time in a row.

This, combined with Ash's return at QB is why I've had a hard time buying in to this being our "best chance" to beat Texas. We're going to be a good team by the season's end. I believe that. But there will be growing pains through the entire non-conference slate. Can anyone think of an analogous situation where a non-P5 type school has come in with so many question marks -- including QB -- and gone on the road in the first game to beat a ranked opponent? Like, ever?

I doubt their coaching staff and players are looking past North Texas. It's the very first game of a new coach -- the first time they've had a new coach in 17 years -- at home, at night. This is the first "must-win" of Strong's career at Texas.

I'm still sick knowing if it weren't for those meddling Roadrunners, we'd have been playing for the crown our first season in the league. STILL. SICK.

Yup. Just ask any Houston Oilers or Tennessee Titans fan.

Houston doesn't care. But I could understand why Jerry would: SA is a huge Cowboys market and allowing a franchise in SA is like voting money out of his pocket.

Yup. It wouldn't surprise me if this ends up being the toughest game on the schedule not named Texas.

I imagine it's because they (Baylor/OU) can invite local recruits who don't have the means to travel to Waco/Norman, find lodging, etc. It's a decidedly different experience to "know about something" and to see it in person, while receiving special treatment.

Further reason why you'll never see Baylor back in Denton: there's no reason.

I imagine part of it is that some of these teams already play in the DFW market, with regularity coupled with the fact that Houston is a strong recruiting market. There's no reason for Baylor to play UNT when they already play a game at Jerry's World against Tech and a game in FW every other year. Ditto for Texas. Stanford and NW are peer academic institutions. And also enjoy the chance to play in front of Texas talent.

I don't know about ruining the game, but I truly hate the arena-league feel of college football uniforms. But hey, I'm an old man who is prone to nostalgia. And I'm often grumpy for absolutely no reason at all.

It takes 4,000 donors at $250 to equal $1M. So I think a lack of wealthy "investors" underwriting the program is in fact an issue. And I'd venture to guess the athletics dept probably spends most of their time courting big fish, rather than groveling to smaller. The problem with that is that by ignoring the little fish, you may run off a little fish that turns into a big fish. And once that happens, they no longer feel the same kind of connection that would make them want to make such a donation. Another problem is our average attendance. We aren't filling a 40k, 50k, 80k, or 100k person stadium. We aren't even averaging 25k per game. And we don't get 6 or 7 home games to do it. If we were filling a 50k seat stadium -- or even 40k seats -- 6 times a year, we'd see $3-$5M more in ticket sales alone (I used an arbitrary figure of $30 per ticket -- which may not be accurate but who cares it's the internet). Not to mention merch sales, etc. So I don't know where to start, but I know the problem started 3 decades ago when NT decided athletics weren't a priority at the same time every other major program decided to invest in it. And we're still playing catch up. And we won't catch up by shorting the athletics budget while upstart peer institutions are investing more into theirs. But again, as always: just win. And win consistently. And you may see a lot of things take care of themselves.

Book em Horns has been done for years and it's been done by their actual rivals. Further, two of the five booted players were for graphic sexual assault of a young woman. Just doesn't feel as lighthearted and good-natured this go around as it did in the past. Beat Texsa, however, is genuinely hilarious and original and I'd absolutely wear a kelly green T with that across the chest.

I don't understand this article's existence. An unremarkable QB who played for SMU for a year, some 5 years before June Jones arrived, thinks Jones should be paid more and someone at the DMN felt it warranted an article? Do I have it right?

Likely won't matter once there's an 8- or 16-team playoff. Which is i$n$e$v$i$t$a$b$l$e.