Greendylan

The only way for this program to regain any respectability at this point would be to make an immediate coaching change. It might not salvage the season, but it would salvage our pride. We have to send a message that this type of performance is completely unacceptable. I know I'm not the first person to say this, but now I think it's obvious to all: each additional day that Benford is coaching this team sinks our program further into a hole from which the next coach will have to dig us out. I'm sure he's a decent guy and giving it his all, but for whatever reason, he isn't the right fit for this school at this time. I truly believe that we have some talented players who are ruining their careers by working with a coach whose system seems disorganized at best.

Did anyone else notice that on the HOD website they now state that teams will be announced on Monday, the 9th? It's hard to imagine them not releasing their selections today.

Now that Notre Dame seems to be going to the Pinstripe Bowl, it would appear that the Hawaii Bowl swap with the MWC is dead, which I would think would mean then that the Armed Forces Bowl is out of the picture for us. Thus, HOD seems highly likely based on all the not so veiled hinting.

It will go on for at least two more years after this one.

Hmm...my thinking all along has been that if North Texas were the HOD's preference over Rice, then they would make their decision before waiting on the result of the CUSA championship game. If there is any truth to this claim above, then this could be very telling.

Exactly. DT is far from perfect, but I think that he is, generally speaking, the type of quarterback that McCarney wants (Canales is another story...). The entire team just kind of sucked against UTSA. The total yardage stats tell the whole cruel story. I specifically remember some of our receivers dropping passes that hit them in the hands.

Oh, I would think that you're right. I was just pointing out that there could be some negotiations going on that we don't necessarily know about. Maybe not...just a thought.

I think you missed my point of Boston College as an example. It has absolutely nothing to do with the HOD. Yes, you are correct that it is not a "free for all," and I never said that it was. I've simply been saying that there is usually some negotiation going on behind the scenes during bowl selection season, and there is often at least a little wiggle room with the supposedly iron-clad conference tie-in contracts.

We also need to figure out what three-point shooting phenom is out for the season with an injury, thus preventing Benford's unstoppable system from manifesting for another year.

If Rice wants to play in the HOD and so do we then I can guarantee you there is some serious negotiating and lobbying going on. Also, take Boston College into consideration: They have a conference tie-in to play in Shreveport but may be able to exert some power to get out of that bowl and into one unaffiliated with the ACC. Furthermore, look at the Liberty Bowl. The SEC has the discretionary power to decide if they want to play a CUSA opponent. For the most part I think you're right about conference tie-ins, but much of this is not as set in stone as some erroneously believe.

While this all makes a lot of sense, I do think that some people on here are underestimating all the behind the scenes negotiating of athletic directors, bowl executives, city officials, and conference administrators that leads to the invites. Unless you are considered a "big name" program and/or have a massive travelling fan base, there are no guarantees.

What if Benford had had the luxury of taking over a team with some real legitimate talent? Let's say (and I'm just dreaming here) an NBA prospect? Or, for instance, let's get crazy and imagine hypothetically that he took over a team that had had several consecutive winning seasons (many of them 20 win) and even a couple NCAA tournament appearances? Then we would really see what the man could do with some talent and a program on the upswing! But, alas, all that is a wistful daydream, for mighty Benford was handed a team devoid of any Division I talent at a program that hadn't had a winning season in over a decade. We'll have to give him at least 4-5 years to turn around this disaster of a program he was given.

If the HOD were going to invite us over Rice, they would have done it already. Yes, Rice clearly needs to win, or it will be Hawaii...which is a decent bowl too, just far.

Division 2 teams play us closer than we played BYU. We are A LOT closer to the bottom than the top, which is simply unacceptable.

I would be ok with a poor shooting night where we missed a lot of open jumpers, but we look like a rec team with absolutely no offensive system.

Looks like this one is over. It's just another one of those games where we had our moments but couldn't quite get it done.

Last season I thought we were often the victims of bad luck when it came to other teams' surreal three point percentages against us, but at some point you have to blame your defensive style, right?

That's really too bad because from what I've seen he is an explosive back and played quite well in his last three games.

Where in NY? I'll be flying in from NYC to attend my first game at Apogee.

That's good to hear. I'll keep my fingers crossed that it will get picked up in the NYC market at the last minute!

Exactly. I totally understand blacking out local games. What I don't understand is offering a game on a cable channel with almost no coverage, effectively meaning that about 90% or more of us displaced alumni now no longer have access to the game online through Meangreensports. You should be increasing the total amount of people across the nation who can watch your games instead of drastically reducing the number, right? Oh well, I'll keep All-Access for now and watch our basketball opener tonight!

So basically, for most of us out of the area AND for those in the area, the TWC Sports Channel is useless, yet it prevents North Texas from showing the game on All-Access. I hate to bitch about TV coverage, considering how visible we have been this year, but it is kind of frustrating to pay for an online service and then not be able to watch home games via Meangreensports--something that has always been possible over the course of the recent past.

Right now the only teams that are favored by more in their games are Florida State, Oklahoma State, and Louisville. I'm not counting Georgia since they're playing an FCS opponent.

Cut him some slack. He's essentially advertising an after party to (hopefully) celebrate. I don't see anything wrong with that. Yes, he also mentioned watching the game at Pourhouse, but I seriously doubt anyone reading GMG will cancel his or her game attendance plans based upon reading that a local sports bar will have the game on TV. From what I understand, Pourhouse has tried very much to be actively involved with Mean Green athletics over the years.

Derrida approves of this thread.