The Fake Lonnie Finch

Tech banked on this experienced QB, Webb, once he got healthy instead of the kid who eventually transferred to OU, Mayfield, who played so well for them the first half of last season. Not sold on Kliff Kingsbury at this point. If they are struggling out of the gate versus Central Arkansas and UTEP, it doesn't really bode well for them when conference play begins.

This.

When these discussions arise, I laugh and fart at the spread people. Partially because I regularly include beans in my diet, but mainly because I know the better QBs and WRs are not going to come here or SMU. No, those fellas are going to Baylor, Oklahoma, Texas, Tech, Oklahoma State, A&M and other a Criminal 5 spread-based attacks. So, to me, it would make no sense to await recruits to fall through the cracks. McCarney is smart. Many great runners are now overlooked coming out of high school. He will always have a great stable of backs to drive the Mean Green offense. Look at June Jones. His offense was horse poop today. He hasn't gotten top QBs or WRs. He can't. There are too many spread teams in the state and region taking the best. One of McCarney's strengths is recognizing the food chain, and where to find his food in it. It's just that simple.

You guys... ...you have to stop bitching about SMU and Army. You people were on here practically demanding that we get a series up with SMU, and what a great historic trip you had to West Point and would love to make it a regular thing. Okay? And, so on SMU and Army, Rick gave the masses what the wanted. You can bitch and complain about the rest. I won't because I've already hewed to building it like Snyder at K-State - more OOC winnable home games, less going out on the road to get smoked by traditional powers.

Yeah, when BYU went Indy, they needed games. NMSU as well, and Idaho. We got Idaho.

We also found a great coach at bargain basement price in McCarney. UT beating BYU...possible on paper before...but, with starting QB and C injured and two starting OLs kicked off the team this week, it doesn't look good for them. It will be on UT's defense to win this one for them. If we lose to SMU, I'll lose a lot of hope. A lot of hope. They are very bad and have many new players in key positions. I look at last night's UTSA-Arizona tilt and everyone talks about Coker and his upperclassmen after four years. Well, McCarney has been here four years now as well. I never underestimated Coker like some here did. But, this far into it, there shouldn't be an excuse for us not to be as good or better than SMU and UTSA. None. I expect June Jones teams to ebb and flow because he's a spread sell-out who doesn't pay enough mind to defense. He's been on The Hill almost twice as long as McCarney has been here, and he's slipping backwards. We can't give them a win here. We just can't.

Yes. And, when my nephew visited the campus at UTSA last year, it was depressing to think that UTSA is really a four year college. It really, really looks like an overgrown community college. But, I think now more than ever, even the most hard-hearted UTSA-haters must accept the reality that it isn't enough to just sit back and make fun of them, hoping that they will lose. That isn't likely to occur much. Like the leaders of 3,000 undergrad Tulsa that somehow remains FBS, our leaders must...LEAD! Our leadership has got to drive the action, not wait on dullards like Banowsky to drive us further into the ditch. We have the facilities now. We have a great coaching staff in place. We CANNOT let all of the forward momentum be carried into becoming conference mates with Texas State, New Mexico State,and ACU. We just can't. Stop pooh-poohing UTSA's athletic department and try to join forces with it to escape to something better. The hard work and sacrifice that resulted in Apogee and the hiring of McCarney...our leadership can't flush that down the toilet by being reactive to the scenery. We must set the scenery, not be a part of it. In short, it's time for us to take off the white hat of the good guys, going along to get along, and put on the black hat of "doing what's best for us" even if it means leaving our old Sun Belt pals again...for the second time.

And, here is my thinking/wishing/hoping about the whole thing: (1) If we and UTSA both win 8 or 9 games, and make bowl games, we need need to seriously be lobbying for a jump to the American as well. (2) Don't give me the "SMU will block it crap" because they are already scheduled to play us for 10 years anyway. (3) Be in contact with UTSA now - NOW, like yesterday or last month - to form a bond to propose to the American that we both be taken. (4) This conference we are in, face facts, it isn't the C-USA we thought we'd be joining. We cannot be content with it. We cannot fool ourselves into thinking the bowl contracts will all be renewed when the power players of the C-USA abandoned and formed a new conference. This conference is not a leader, it's a follower. As with all of my posts - then, now, and forever - hear me now, and believe me later...or, resign yourself to the cold, hard fact that in two or three years, we could be stuck in a conference with Texas State, New Mexico State, and Abilene Christian. Anyone know whether the nightlife in Abilene has picked up lately? Any bars or restaurants within walking distance of old Shotwell Stadium?

And, who replaces UTSA if they leave: Texas State or...or. or. or...ever-rising Abilene Christian? Things are happening. We are not part of the Criminal 5 conferences. But, things are still happening that our administration, athletic department, and Banowsky need to be pro-active about.

Funny, the day after UTSA drops to 1-1 with a 26-23 loss to Arizona, at the Alamodome, we have posts predicting that the American and MW conferences are probably noticing the job Coker is doing there with UTSA, the allure of San Antonio as a market, the support of the city and students that so many here said would not occur. And, to go back and read about how many thought Larry Coker was an absolute dud as a hire, somehow stumbling his way to success, "ruining" the Miami program. It's as laughable now as it was then. Looking back at these posts and the time period - two consecutive horrible seasons under Dodge - you can't help but be thankful that we do now have Apogee to help with recruiting, and that Rick did hire an experienced head coach in McCarney, who has cobbled together a great, experienced staff. Interesting five year look back, no? We were a very lost program back then. Now, we are on the right path. And, unfortunately for the Coker haters, so is UTSA. The question now is, will UTSA, if they win the C-USun Belt and a bowl game, get invited into the Mountain West or American? And, if they do, what kind of epic meltdown will result on this board? It is not far-fetched. Remember, Coker also was up the SMU job when Bennett was run. And, he still has his old Tulsa ties. To say that, at minimum, SMU and Tulsa would be lobbying for UTSA, is a given. Further, I bet Houston would also lobby for them. It would give the American a nice grouping of Tulsa, SMU, Houston, Tulane, and UTSA to form the basis of a West Division with what would then be a 12-team AAC. I'm guessing they'd move Memphis into that group as well to complete a six-team West, leaving the East as Central Florida, South Florida, East Carolina, Temple, UConn, and Cincinnati. Not bad. Looks a lot like the old C-USA, huh? Everyone still pleased with Banowsky? Anyone else wonder what kind of leverage he will have when bowl contracts are being renewed based on the last and latest conference shifts? Is Banowsky awake?

"We ran the zone read 20 or 22 times that game." What? We ran the zone read that people here clamor for, yet didn't go undefeated? Hard to believe that we didn't win every game while running the only play in America that no defense can stop.

...that no one in Houston follows.

Chizik at Iowa State, Chizik at Auburn. It's harder to win at some schools. McCarney pulled off a Snyder/K-State-like turnaround at Iowa State. Both were very crappy jobs and programs in the Big 8, the worst at the time. McCarney did a great job at Iowa State, and he's doing a great job here. Our misfortune is history. Money has taken over to the nth degree in college athletics. We were rule-followers; good guys. The thieving entities are now in control of the whole thing. They don't want any football versions of Butler or Gonzaga stealing their thunder - and, dollars - during the postseason. I'm thankful for McCartney. Again, having lived through I-AA football during my time at UNT, I'm thankful for what we have now. Looking forward to McCarney adding another bowl win to his record at the end of this season. A journey of a thousand miles begins when the alarm clock goes off early, you get out of bed, pee, shower, shave, dress, eat a bowl of figgy oatmeal, and begin foot stepping in the direction of the journey's end.

...as a head coach at Iowa State and North Texas. Those three bowl wins are more than the following coaches: Ty Willingham Charlie Weis Pop Warner Dave Wannsedt Bob Toledo Mike Stoops Rick Stockstill John L. Smith Mike Shula Ed Orgeron Will Muschamp Rick Minter David McWilliams Steve Kragthorpe Butch Jones Jim Harbaugh Galen Hall Pat Fitzgerald Karl Dorrell Derek Dooley Mario Christobal Lee Corso Don Coryell Bill Callahan Gary Anderson Steve Sarkisian John Mackovic Rocky Long Steve Logan Chip Kelly Skip Holtz Dan Hawkins Walt Harris Ray Goff Gary Gibbs Chan Gailey Spike Dykes Art Briles Terry Bowden Larry Blakeney Bret Bielema Emory Bellard Jack Bicknell Gary Barnett Chris Ault Fred Akers Bob Davie Dave Clawson Ron Zook Jerry Kill Tom Amstutz Brady Hoke Bill Curry Ken Nuimatalolo Troy Calhoun Bob Neyland ..and, they are as many bowl wins as these coaches: Dana Bible Tommy Bowden Gene Chizik Jerry Claiborne Bill Dooley Chuck Fairbanks Larry Fedora Dennis Franchione Jim Grobe Al Groh Jimmy Johnson Paul Johnson Pat Jones Jim Leavitt Sonny Lubick Dick MacPherson Mark Mangino Ron McBride Dutch Meyer Dan Mullen Ara Paseghian Ray Perkins George Perles Warren Powers Mike Price R.C. Slocum Larry Smith Bruce Snyder Charlie Strong Kevin Sumlin Dabo Swinney Bill Walsh

So, as you can see, in spite of one photoshopped photo, there may still yet be a reason or two a prep footballer from Hayseed, Texas, Suburbia, Texas, or Inner City, Texas might choose to spend four years in Lubbock. The imported scenery is nice.

Hmmm...yet another purpose for the boobs. Does Tech have an engineering school as well? She can go from citizen to student.

Or...

Or...

Or...

Okay... ...

...generally, this: I'd say approximately 90% of the hottest girls from Berkner back when I graduated were going to Tech for college. I care -139% for Texas Tech's athletics and maybe 17% for Lubbock as a city. But...you have to give credit where credit is due...they have always had pretty smokin coeds. If, you know, you're into women and whatnot.

Yes. I would defer police matters to a police chief and presidential matters to a president. And, I don't expect to have to cook my own meal when I go to a restaurant. And, I've never in my life sent anything back. Been lucky in that regard, I suppose. So...?

Here is what I see about SMU: They are running that 3-4 that sometimes morphs into a 5-2. The linemen aren't big. They are not near as big as our OLs. These types of defenses, they thrive on linebacker play. Only one returning LB was a regular starter last season, senior Stephon Sanders. Part-time starter from 2013, Yenga goes only 209, according to their roster. The outside LBs are new starters for 2014. My opinion is that this bodes well for the University of North Texas squad. Baylor had their way with SMU's LBs. Granted, Baylor finally got its donors to pony up T. Boone Pickens money after sucking off the Big 12 teat for years to no avail, so it has better players now than we do. However, SMU's relative success with June Jones hasn't made them the go-to destination for defensive blue chips. I believe SMU can be had on the ground. I believe that as much in my heart as I believe that Louisiana is The Pelican State. It says so right as you cross the state line and are looking to stop at that first state stop area and pee. Therefore, outside of the visitors' locker room on Saturday, there should be a sign saying, "You can be had on the ground, SMU." If we can't beat up this group with our experienced offensive line, I will fold up my tent until 2015 and take my chip bag with me, along with a tasty variety of sauces and dips. Nil sine labore.