Side Show Joe

Oklahoma State is in a unique position. They don't need the cash. To Pickins the wins are more important. They play Tech every year anyway. Why would they want to move it out of their stadium that they just renovated? Fans like home games. I don't think this Tech/ Oklahoma State game at JerryWorld will happen.

We should not even be thinking about scheduling a FCS team. There are way too many people out their who still think we are a FCS team. If we start playing those kinks of games, what's to stop the NCAA from saying, "Hey maybe we need to move ya'll back there?" I think it's a bad, bad, bad idea.

Fouts keeps good teams away. Our conference schedule, and inability to celebrate or pass down our rich 95 year history of playing football, keeps less dedicated fans away. Changing our colors and logos like we change underwear doesn't help either.

I agree we need to build a rivalry game with another school near us, but when I look at the teams being suggested I think we may be thinking about this all wrong. SMU and TCU really don't want to play us. I would like to see us play Houston more often, but I don't think a series with them will bring us too much closer to joining C-USA. It is my opinion that a rivalry series with Oklahoma State would be are best option. We have played them many times(although not very recently). They are close enough for both teams to travel (we may have to offer them more tickets at Fouts, play two in Stillwater for every one at Fouts, and add folding chairs around the track to get them to agree, until we get a suitable stadium). Boone Pickins has given a fortune to the athletic department because he is tired of watching them lose. Ok State will see it as a Body-Bag-Almost-Home-Game (though we North Texas fans know it won't be that easy for them). And I believe Boone Pickins still lives in the Dallas area, so he'd most likely support it and it really would be a home game for him. Oklahoma State is on its way up. Boone Pickins and his money will make sure of that. In 5 or 10 Years they will be the best football program in Oklahoma and one of the best in the country. We need to hitch our wagon to that team. Create a trophy. Call it the Pickins/Whoever-Buys-the-Naming-Rights-to-Our-New-Stadium Trophy, or something, and get the game on T.V. Name the series something cool and make sure we sign to play at least 10 straight years with an option for longer. Before year 10 I believe it will be a hard fought, shootout game that Oklahoma State and the rest of the country will look forward to watching. We may even get offers to join others conferences by then.

Hey WtW, How did you get this great info? You got a source on the inside?

I went to most of the spring practices. DeLoach was really changing the attitude of the defense. He was always the loudest coach on the field, and really spent a lot of time teaching the players about being in the proper position, understanding their responsibility, and trusting in their team mates. The D had the attitude that the ball was theirs and they wanted it back. Of the LBs, Toby was the most intense. His motor was always on, and was the hardest hitter in the unit. Dodge spent much of the practices focused on scoring in the red zone. WRs worked on breaking off routes to find the soft areas in the coverage. QBs worked on accuracy and throwing the deep ball. The O-line was missing too many players to know where they will be in the fall, and RBs looked ok, but we need more speed. Cam will probably push Mosley for playing time. Points will not be a problem in the fall. The offense will not leave points on the field. The kicker Knot has a very strong leg. When we get the ball inside the 30 to 35, we should at least get 3 most of the time. This fall the "Mean" will be back in the Mean Green defense, but I don't think it is fair to expect too much from the defense in DeLoach's first year back. This defense is short on the depth, and speed needed to really give us a chance to upset the teams like LSU. That being said, a 4 or 5 win season is a safe bet, but few key injuries could turn it into another 2 and 10 year. But that's not what I think will happen, because I'm a fan. NT goes 7-5 beating Rice, FIU, ULL, ULM, W. Kentucky, Mid Tenn, and Ark. St. That's my best guess from what I've seen anyway.

If anyone who wasn't there wants to know, here was the record for 1958... 1958 7-2-1 MVC Champions W NT 26 Texas Western (UTEP) 8 L NT 14 Oklahoma State 21 W NT 43 New Mexico A&M (N.M.St?) 12 W NT 42 Drake 0 W NT 12 BYU 6 W NT 8 Tulsa 7 T NT 8 Cincinnati 8 L NT 13 Wichita 15 W NT 10 Houston 6 W NT 21 Louisville 10 With the exception of the loss to Wichita, playing this schedule with this record today would be fantastic in my book!

Yes. The QB's and recievers looked pretty sharp in the long passing. It was fairly windy out there and I thought they did a good job. Craig Robertson looked very good. Of all the linebackers, he was the most animated and was really putting some good hits on people. He did the best job of using his leverage, by keeping his pad level low and exploding up into the runners. He also did the best job at keeping his feet moving after contact, and not playing out of control or over-running plays. The other LB's have talent, but need to be more agressive. I was always taught, "if you're going to make a mistake, make it giving 100% of your effort".

Today I stopped by practice for about twenty minutes. I wish I could have stayed longer, but I'm married. It was really great being out there on such a nice afternoon. I wish I would have taken a lawnchair. There was about four or five other guys standing around watching when I left, and I was glad to see them out there supporting our team. I can't speak for any members of the team, but if I was on that field, it would make me feel good to see a crowd at the practices. And that got me to thinking... Thursday, I'm going back to watch practice after I get off work. I should be there around 4 to 4:30. This time I'm bringing a lawnchair, and a cooler with soft drinks. Thursday should be another great day according to the news. If any of you might have been thinking about going to the practices, but hasn't because you didn't want to be the only one out there, please come on out. The bigger the crowds, the better. You can bring a lawnchair if you don't want to sit on the ground. I'll have extra soft drinks.

I'm very excited to see so much interest in getting our fans to this Rice game. If we can come together and pull this off, we might be looking at a long term series with Rice. I went to three of the spring practices and feel very positive about our team this year. Dodge has the passing game looking shape and, I love the coaching style of DeLoach. He's the loudest coach on the field, and he really has the defense playing physical.

Looking at next year I see a tough non-conference schedule for our team. Everyone knows K-State, and LSU are big challenges. Playing Tulsa at home should draw a very large crowd, and I feel it is a game we stand a good chance of winning. But my focus is on the Rice game. Rice is a road game I really feel we can win. Being from the Houston area, My wife and I are going to make a weekend trip for the game, but we are also dragging my whole family to the game to cheer for the Green. It will be my nephew's first college football game. Some friends from Denton are also going with us, and some who have graduated and moved back to Houston are going to meet us at the game. In total we should have between 15 and 20 in our group. This brings me to my point. We have a chance to make a statement at this game. Not just by winning, but also by showing how well we can travel for an in-state game with another Bowl Subdivision team. Is anybody else planning to take a large group to this game? I would love to see the size of our crowd rival the size of their crowd. I'd love to see our team get that kind of support.

At the Mean Green Village signing day event they played highlights of the recruits, and Horton looked very good. I think his combination of speed, power, and size will really give the Sun Belt teams problems. And with Gilmore on the other side, our pass rush should be among the best in the conference. My only concern is our depth behind our starters at the DE position.

I think it will be great to look at these recruiting classes in about 3 or 4 years and re-grade them. I think ours could jump ahead of tcu and baylor. This North Texas recruiting class looks to be a bit under-rated at this time.

I still say Cash caught the ball out of bounds and we won.

Does anyone know if s.m.u. is looking at Perry? I can't see how they won't try to go after him too. Getting a player like him should help draw more intrest from bigger name talent in the area for 2009.