untjim1995

I don't blame their fans for this. Wake Forest had a coach, Dino Gaudio, that got them to the NCAA Tournament, but then fired him so that they could hire Jeff Bzdelik from Colorado. Never mind that Bzdelik had never done anything at Colorado. After he left CU, they hired Tad Boyle, who has gotten CU to the postseason in every season he has been there. Meanwhile, Wake Forest has become a has been in the ACC, never making the NCAA tournamnet after years of being there under Dave Odom, Skip Prosser, and Dino Gaudio. Their AD totally killed their basketball program from its lofty standards.

FIU and FAU are in the same positions as the non-AQ and non-AAC teams in Texas, from a talent perspective in the high schools. You have to have the right coach who can identify that talent and recruit it to your campus, then coach it to be better. What often happens in these cases is that the AD of those schools comes in and wants their guy or cannot get along with the football coach. Cristobal and Dickey both got fired because they had losing seasons, but also because their ADs couldn't stand them. What happens after that is that the AD thinks he can hire a better fit, but that is a very dangerous move, as evidenced here in Denton. Cristobal turned down the Pitt job, IIRC, but his loyalty to FIU lasted all of one year. I don't see FIU bouncing back all that quickly from making a poor decision like that. Usually, when schools do that, it blows up in their face.

Ohio State's AD basically stated similar views, as did Big Ten's Jim Delany recently. They aren't exactly southern...

OK--Cristobal didn't deserve to get fired. He single-handedly built that program up from the trash heap. He did what we HOPE McCarney will do here. Having one bad year isn't enough to warrant a firing after you've won a bowl game and became a team that people actually knew about outside of the SBC. In that way, its very similar to Dickey. He finally built up the program to the top of the SBC and then had a 2-9 year. He shouldn't have been fired after that 2005 season, but once the 2006 disaster followed, it became very apparent that our program was in full meltdown. He deserved to be fired after the 2006 season. Dodge deserved to be fired after Year 2, but I understood the reasoning behind a third year, since he was trying to rebuild here with a totally differnet offense. But, after Year 3, any other school would have fired him. NOt here, which is what Emmit is getting at. We don't have expectations here for on-field performance--we have expectations for cost. Nothing more, nothing less. Just like this year, if McCarney has a bad year (say we only win 3-4 games), I still believe he will get his 4th year because it would cost the university money to buy him and get someone else. I really think he has to worry about losing his job after this season if we lose 10 games or more, which really shouldn't happen. UTSA and Idaho should be absolute wins, no matter how we try to convince ourselves otherwise. If you cannot win at least one more game agains tthe rest of the schedule, you should get fired. And if you don't accomplish that amazingly small hurdle, and still keep your job for a 4th season, no one can argue the point anymore that we care about anything but the $$$ of running a program.

It isn't foolish to pencil this game in as a win. They beat the absolute dregs of FBS last year in Idaho and NMSU, as well as Texas State and South Alabama. I'm sorry, but the only win of that bunch that even interests me is Texas State, and that's only because they are in the same place as UTSA. I know we only beat Louisana-Lafayette for the one win that stood out last year, but we are better than UTSA. Losing to them is absolutely unacceptable. Barely beating them, even in San Antonio, is barely acceptable. Losing to a team like Idaho this fall wouldn't be as bad as losing to UTSA. If we cannot even expect to beat UTSA, we should really just quit FBS play. I'm not kidding. If you cannot beat a program in its third year of existence, after you've been playing football at some level for many decades, it should be very apparent to even the biggest UNT fan that this just isn't our cup of tea. I'm sorry, but this is an absolute w in my mind. I will write that in ink.

The issue with antitrust is that the schools that control most of the powers legislatively are from those AQ powers already. They control the statehouse, they represent their states in DC, and the networks pay for them. Schools like SMU, Tulane, Southern Miss, Central Florida, etc...don't have enough pull to get their interests protected against Texas, LSU, Ole Miss, and Florida State. Then, you look at schools like FIU, Arky State, ULL, and UNT and they have even less pull than the schools I mentioned above. I actually am fine with a Super Conference forming--the d-league of NFL and NBA. Thats what they want and the money is behind that. Let the rest of us play each other on a more fair scale.

UTSA is going to be lucky to win 2 games this year. I actually think if they do that, that Coker shoudl be in the running for Coach of the Year. No way that they have a team ready for that kind of jump in competition. For comparison sake, in 1995, after we played 1-aa ball for 12 years and had been a 1-a team for many decades before, our limited roster won 2 games as 1-a team again in 1995. That included a win over Oregon State and Idaho State. UTSA is going into the next year playing much better teams than they have ever played. It won't surprise me if they go 0-12 this fall. But I agree with the article--they might be something down the road, but for now, they are nobodies. Any FBS team that loses to them this year should really be embarrassed and fire their coach. That's what Oregon State di when we beat them in 1995--a loss that their alums believe is the worst loss in modern school history and was their low point to build inot being a very solid program today.

If UH gets in the Big XII, its only because UT lets them in. No one else gets to say yes--just UT. UT was forced to take TCU when Neinas was the Big XII commissioner because the non-Texas schools wanted another team in Texas to play and keep their recruiting base down here very open. They won't be so open about adding in UH, a school with decidedly more advantages than little ol' TCU. Unless... Let's say Texas knows that they are welded to the Big XII thru the GOR that is signed until 2025. But they know that the Big XII feels like SWC 2.0 right now and is getting more marginalized as time goes on. The state of Texas is a big state, but the other states tied to the conference are small and don't bring many TV sets. The exceptions seem to be OU Football and KU basketball. But both schools appear tied to their little brothers in their states, although KU appears to ahve less ties binding them with KSU than OU has with OSU and T. Boone Pickens' wealth. So Texas knows that it is the hottest girl in these parts and the suitors would normally just form a line to the left and take them if it were that easy. But, for so many reasons, its not. Texas cannot go anywhere with the kryptonite bomb known as the LHN, so the suitors will stay away until that gets removed, either by UT or ESPN. Lets assume they get rid of the LHN, though. That doesn't solve anything, though, for Texas to move anywhere--they still have the "Tech problem" and the Baylor lawsuit issue. Add in TCU's limited pull to help Tech and Baylor and you have quite a grip, so to speak, by that trio on Texas' private parts. However, if Texas looked at this objectively and in a long-term fashion, adding UH may actually help their cause to eventually leave. Follow me on this. If UH, and Cincy, got added to the Big XII, you can get a CCG again for the league. It would keep its AQ status and would have some big TV markets added in Houston (which they already control, but they did in DFW, too) and Cincinnati. Texas could then leave the Big XII for another landing spot, without being dependent on taking the cousins nobody wants. The B1G already said no way to Texas, via its infamous "Tech problem" email that disqualifies them because of their low academics. The Pac-12 wants Texas, so they would actually take Texas and the Okie schools to get them, but they won't take Baylor because of its religious views. So Baylor, knowing all of this, and seeing the LHN basically pulling UT down, goes ahead and starts building a new stadium, based on revenues from being in an AQ conference with the current Texas schools. As soon as that first bond gets sold, Baylor is even more welded to UT--unless Texas has another big state school in place that helps keep the conference AQ and agrees to play Baylor in OOC games, which is what it will take to get Baylor covered. Plus, you leave Tech with the same deal if you don't go west, but instead head north to the Big Ten, which I still believe is their only option left that carries enough weight to overcome the huge advantage A&M got over everyone by moving to the SEC by themselves with recruits and your fanbase. That would leave 11 schools in the Big XII at that point, which means replacing one school would not be difficult if it kept its AQ status. Texas might just be the fox watching the henhouse by adding UH to the conference. The hens in the state might think they are living in a great shack, but the fox might just get away with everything it really wants. With the way things are going, the Big XII is going to be on life support. Their home schedule is just awful to sell tickets to right now, as compared to A&Ms. If recruiting continues to go the way it did this year and beyond with A&Ms SEC advantage, Texas is gonna have to do something--but they are going to have to be stealthy about it. Otherwise, Tech and Baylor are going to dig in even more. They already got in the Big XII on the backs of Texas and A&M back in 1995. Neither of those schools wanted the Aggies to leave, but the Aggies used the LHN as their way out of the Big XII. Now, Baylor and Tech know that Texas is the big dog. And they aren't about to let the dog get off the leash.

I agree with the first part of your post a lot. But I wouldn't hold my breath on that last sentence...

If we lose to UTSA this year, I'm not just pissed--ther ebetter be major changes at either the head coaching level and/or the AD. Otherwise, I'm out. No way that should happen with where we are as a program and where they are at. We shouldn't lose to them for many years ahead, but if we lose this year, that is my line in the sand being crossed.

I agree here, except that we only bend over for those AQ giants at their place. We need the money... The only way the Cotton Bowl or JerryWorld should everhave to be used is to schedule a game here against a huge national power that Apogee wouldn't contain. Obviously, Texas, OU, A&M, and Arkansas already play here, but its teams like that who I am thinking about. Suppose for a moment that we scheduled Nebraska or LSU. Apogee, in all its greatness, won't fit that crowd, most likely. BUt this is all a mott point--we aren't scheduling any team like that anytime soon to play anywhere near Denton. Our home OOC games for the next decade will feature SMU, Army, and either a Texas FCS team or a team like Idaho. I still think the AD should look at getting a series going with the northern BIg XII schools (or ex- BIg XII North schools). Games at home against Nebraska, Mizzou, or COlorado will get those teams exposure in the state again. The Kansas schools and Iowa State aren't going to turn down another chance to play in the Metroplex, even if they have a game in Ft. Worth every other year.

I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but I agree with Andrew. Peters left KU because of ongoing concussion reasons. He comes back home to get his health back in check and be close to his family. He gets that cleared and Kansas, who is bringing in a while new group of starters says "Don't bother...". So it would seem UNT made a ton of sense. He will not play much at Arizona, I'll guarantee it right now. Arizona has some talented big men and recruits big time. He'll be a backup for the rest of his career. Here, he would've started and gotten to be close to home. This isn't so much a win for Arizona as it is a loss for UNT. He could have helped here bigtime; in Arizona, he'll just be a bit player.

I have to hand it to you. You are the most positive poster I have ever read on gmg.com.

We'll see. When we played Army before, we had a great crowd for Fouts-standards, but the game at Texas Stadium wasn't anything great. The game we played La Tech in Denton back in 2006 wasn't anything special, either, although we were at the beginning of the great fall and our losing had reached a pretty strong point by the time they played in Denton that year. To me, maybe they get 25k in attendance, but maybe they'll get way more than that? I just don't see it, though.

This is really starting to gain some steam. IN two days, we have the Ohio State AD coming out with his views on this and now Saban is talking about it. Maybe its been out there from these people before, but the college football media is starting to report it more. I think they are in complete support of their view.

You could play that game, very easily I might add, at the Cotton Bowl if you get the right opponent. Nebraska is the team that comes to mind, as does a school like OSU. OSU of today is way different than OSU of the 70s. It would take out-of-the-box thinking, but it could happen if you took advantage of the Cotton Bowl's larger venue. ANd for what its worth, I can't imagine that the La Tech-Army game at the Cotton Bowl will draw that well. I still can't understand why that game isn't being played in Shreveport. Maybe La Tech burned their bridges with the Independence Bowl completely and they won't let them use that facility anymore. I really don't know.

I think that UNT90 is right about the 2015 schedule, at least right now. Much can change, but CUSA isn't going to give one school 5 home games with just 3 away games. Since we are at SMU, Tennessee, and Iowa, that doesn't add up. Actually, though, it doesn't bother me to have 5 home games if the one OOC game at Apogee is someone big. A home game against a MAC school, an SBC school, or even worse, an FCS team is just sad to me. This past year was the worst home schedule I can ever imagine a school at this level scheduling. UNT90 just wants us to try to get someone here for a change. He's right about the Iowa series and he's right about the fact that we place too much accolades on getting home series with SMU and Army. They are great OOC opponents, but they need to have another great OOC opponent at home to go with them.Otherwise, you still aren't selling much to the fans, at least in my opinion. A 2015 home schedule of SFA, Rice, UTEP, MUTS, and FAU isn't going to move the needle one bit here for season tickets, as this past year just showed.

I would also look at getting Baylor back on the schedule for a nice OOC opponent.

Al Hurley likes this Carruthers fellow... Seriously, the SBC is fine for them, both competitively and financially.

Where do you live/family: Denton County--married with 3 small kids Degree/Year attended/graduated UNT: 1995 BBA in Finance Favorite NT Memory: Walking in the rain down past Willis Library all the way to the Fouts Parking Lot after I finished my last class, realizing I was done and was about to earn the first and only college diploma in my entire family Favorite NT Sports Memory: 2002 New Orleans Bowl win over Cincinnati for sure. I would also put the basketball victory over Texas Tech at the Super Pit a few years ago, just because it was in OT and over a team that brought out a big crowd to the SUper Pit. Least Favorite Sports Memory at NT: watching LaDarrin McLane streak toward the end zone for a game-winning TD at Tech, only to see him get caught from behind and fumble away the win. Also, there was a football game at home against Nicholls State in November of 1993 that literally drew about 200 people, not including the band. We won that game 31-3, IIRC, but it felt like I was at a six-man game.

McCarney will be back in 2014 unless we just have a disastrous year, like 2 wins or fewer. Even then, he might still be here just to avoid the buyout. If we did that with Todd Dodge after he won 2 games in his third year, then its very possible that we would keep Coach Mac in that scenario, too. The expectations argument is an interesting one. UNT90 thinks we should raise expectations as a fanbase. I'd agree with him if I felt that the university's leadership wanted that expectations raised, too. But I don't and there is a mountain of evidence to show that they don't want those raised, either. I think they like the fact that a new stadium got built for football on their watch (on the students backs, but that's not a bad thing) and that we got into the conference that so many here wanted to join and that is plenty enough "progress" to our BOR and administration. I don't think winning--from a cost standpoint--even matters here to them. The only expectation I have for Benford's teams is to build us back to .500 by the time his contract in his 4th year, just so we can be somewhat attractive to other coaches down the road. My lowered expectations from where they were at this time last year is directly correlated to the fact that the university hired an unproven career assistant who piloted the plane into a crash landing. I'm not even sure that the plane can even fly again. My expectation is that we hope that they can just repair the plane--not necessarily get it flying, just start fixing it so that someone can pilot it again, preferably someone who has experience in being a pilot, not a career assistant pilot. But it costs to buy a true pilot.

I like the SMU series alot, but I hope that the AD is still working on other higher named programs to bring to Denton, too.. Adding someone else of major note each year is what the folks attending games at Apogee deserve. I like Army as an OOC opponent, but the same thing applies. Getting SMU to agree to a 12-year deal is just huge, though. I never thought that I would see the day that they would agree to that kind of series with us. It appears that they have some worries about the continuations and stability of the TCU series, which really is too bad, even if we are greatly benefitting. SMU is smart to watch their backside with a deal like this, just to keep at least one more OOC game here in the area. I'll actually do something that I haven't done in a while--thanks RV. Thats' good scheduling.

I wouldn't hold your breath, DallasGreen. I don't see how youre gonna change 100 years of mindset anytime soon, especially if that FBS split occurs within the next 5-10 years and we are not included. The folks who got the new stadium fee passed are going to have to answer big time if we get knocked back down to a new i-aa level after spending 78+million on Apogee, much of which was built on the students fees. I can only imagine the outcry from the anti-athletics crowd if that scenario plays out. You wait and see how many letters to the editor and how many verbal complaints will come in from all over Denton on how much money could have been saved and put toward their pet issues (education, arts, and music). I'll tell you what, I wouldn't want to be on the other end of the microphone having to answer to that crowd.

It was ignored by the guy who loves following Ohio State/Big Ten/AQ Football for his job...in other words, almost every single college football media member. Remember a few years ago, when a survey was done about media coverage of AQs versus non-AQs? The non-AQs got decent coverage from 5% of the respondents. The follow-up questions are in line with almost saying, "How can we help you get this done ASAP?"

Let's not go there. JJ had just taken over for Trilli the first. Then he built the thing up from the ashes, with a couple of bumps in the road as he was learning on the job. The he builds this thing up incrementally to the point where we aren't just getting bids to the NCAAs or making it to tournament finals, his team became extremely talented. Then Trilli the second got hired. Forgive me if I don't buy into the hype. As other posters said, I'll believe it when I see it. I would be willing to give him more support if he can just get us back to close to .500 next year. BUt I am seriously expecting about 7-8 wins. Prove us wrong, Benford and RV...prove us all wrong.