Eagle1855

I don't believe that to be the case. And I can prove it by pointing to attendance -- or rather, the lack thereof. I think the reality is, most UNT fans just haven't known any different and because of that, don't expect much more, and can't be bothered to get worked up about something they believe they've little control over.

I'm not saying he should or shouldn't, but why would he get fired? Five wins would still be better than our average over the past decade, which is less than four wins per season including McCarney's triumphant, world-beating nine-win season.

are you referring to this? I had it bookmarked because I planned to buy one. never did. would still like one, but alas, not available online anymore.

That's why Ok State vs OU is actually not a rivalry (because 78-18-7 in favor of OU) ,but Texas vs West Virginia is (because 2-2 against one another).

The "a couple guys graduated, a couple guys return" method is a fairly lazy way to assess a team's strengths. But he's right, to a degree: QB position is the name of the game for UN. If our QB play improves dramatically, who knows where the ceiling of this team will be. If it doesn't, 99th isn't out of the realm of possibility -- or probability.

I actually preferred the 10-team conference setup where everyone plays everyone, but that's a thing of the past. The Big XII needs 12 members + a championship game. BYU and Cincy are the best remaining options. BYU isn't going to find a better situation than the Big XII and Cincy should make WVU happy. I can't see a situation where the Big XII adds an upstart Florida program. If they can't get a Florida State or Miami, I'd guess they stay out of there altogether -- else you risk diluting the brand. UConn is intriguing. Not something I'd ever thought of.

How about a mesquite entwined with a cedar, sponsored by Kleenex?

THIS.

*79 Minor point of contention. I saw it in person. It was the worst thing I'd ever seen. Or so I thought. Then we went and played at Rice the next season.. Regardless (and to your point) 24-point losses aren't cause for celebration. Ever. The only "win" on the schedule is Portland State. Improved QB play should be good for another handful of games. Markedly improved QB play could put us back in a bowl game. We're going to live and die with the play of the QB, period. As for the schedule being difficult, last season we had an "easy" schedule that produced 4 wins, so I think it's hard to predict anything with much certainty based on the previous year's results.

UH and SMU already have rivals. We don't. UTSA makes sense.

Have you always been this way or is this some new facet of your persona you're trying out?

I did look it up, but the data site I checked didn't indicate it had been cancelled, so that's my mistake. I don't think it invalidates the point of the rest of my post, but I sincerely apologize for the oversight.

My bad. I always forget about the state's California campus.

Every SEC and Big XII program fields a baseball team. UNT and SMU are the only FBS schools in Texas who don't play baseball. I think it does matter. It's not going to be the sole reason someone gets in (Rice, CS-F), but it's a part of an overall resume that paints a bigger picture. In other words, if we were winning C-USA football year in and year out, sending a basketball team to the tourney on occasion and made a run our two into the Super Regionals in baseball, the program as a whole begins to raise eyebrows. So while it isn't the silver bullet, it can help show an athletic program is committed to success, top to bottom. If you are sitting there trying to decide between adding UNT or UH, wouldn't the fact that UH has a top-ten baseball program factor into your decision, all other things being equal? EDIT: UTEP and Iowa State no longer field baseball teams. This was an oversight on my part.

Or how about a three-way trophy between UNT, UTSA, and Rice called The Birds of a Feather Get Left out of Conference Realignment Together Trophy.

Can it be ripping apart a pony?

yeah, if we're gonna swing, might as well go for the fences.

But at least you have sufficient time to post antagonistic idiocy under two different accounts on a fan board. Sounds like you're living the dream.

I have no idea what you're talking about.

I take issue with any academic ranking that puts Texas State above UNT or UH.

Hey, welcome to the board! You're doing awesome at internet! Everyone loves you!

I think most of your argument(s) make more sense if you're talking specifically about A&M, looking only at the numbers over the past 15 years. Which is not to say that I think your arguments make a lot of sense. Just that they seem to make more sense with respects to A&M than others, as the Aggies have done less with more money than almost any program I can think of. But again I am still not sure what you're so mad about.

Why so aggressive/angry?

If you're angry about the level of competition and lack of quality of wins in the former Big XII, one can only imagine how much you must hate the current version, which is decidedly inferior in every measurable category. The reality is, there aren't any stand-out programs that "run the state" right now. Sure, TCU and Baylor have won some games in what is a decidedly diluted Big XII. But it hasn't translated to national championships and it hasn't changed perceptions on the whole. Texas and A&M are still *the* destination for the state's highest-rated recruits that decide to stay and play in-state. This isn't subjective; you can look it up. Texas went 6-7 and pulled a Top-Ten recruiting class. A&M went 8-5 and did about the same. Baylor and TCU had banner seasons and weren't even in the Top 35. I'm not saying it matters (though almost every program that's won a national title in the past decade has had top-ten recruiting classes the previous few years), I'm just saying, it's mostly wishful thinking to say that those programs aren't still viewed as the state's premiere programs -- as much as we'd all like to think otherwise. Also, the fact that Texas is the second-winningest program of all time (in number, 8th as a percentage) might have something to do with their perception. If you're keeping score at home, A&M is 23rd.

Exactly. That's why Merica's the best. Who needs STEM when you've got advertising and marketing?