Which game would you rather win?

Green Crazy · August 18, 2017

3 hours ago, Ryan Munthe said:

UTSA doesn't matter for perception but SMU does. Voted SMU obviously.

losing to utsa hurts perception more than losing to smu. plus, a conference win.

UNTcrazy727 · August 18, 2017

29 minutes ago, Green Crazy said:

losing to utsa hurts perception more than losing to smu. plus, a conference win.

But beating SMU would help our perception more than beating UTSA.

BillySee58 · August 18, 2017

3 minutes ago, UNTcrazy727 said:

But beating SMU would help our perception more than beating UTSA.

Didn't seem to in 2014

MeanGreenTexan · August 18, 2017

6 minutes ago, BillySee58 said:

Didn't seem to in 2014

The opposite didn't seem to be true in 2015 either though.
I don't think 'perception' is affected either way when we beat 1 but not the other... or Rice, or UTEP, or LATech.

'Perception' will change when we beat all of the above and show a little dominance around this area as the G5 team to beat in Texas. Luckily, we get a yearly shot to do this being in C-USA, and playing SMU every year. Although, to truly get this chance, we need to be ready for the Houston series.

Mean Green 93-98 · August 18, 2017

3 hours ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

This right'chere is some critical thinking.

If the weight is shifting to UTSA simply being a conference foe, then that would also mean a win VS FAU means more than a win VS SMU. I don't see it that way.

Can't be the "Team of North Texas" if we can't beat SMU.
And sorry to burst some of y'all's recruiting worry bubbles, but we're losing commits to SMU at a higher clip than we are to UTSA. 3:1 - http://northtexas.247sports.com/Season/2018-Football/Offers

Easy choice here folks, and it seems most agree.

Perfectly stated. SMU all the way.

That said, if this poll were rephrased, "Which game would you hate losing more?", it would be competitive. Losing to a community college is flat-out embarrassing.

Ryan Munthe · August 18, 2017

3 hours ago, Green Crazy said:

losing to utsa hurts perception more than losing to smu. plus, a conference win.

No, nobody cares about UTSA.

LongJim · August 18, 2017

15 hours ago, NT93 said:

UTSA

In a nutshell, I think the negative of losing to UTSA is greater than the positive of beating SMU.

It is. UNT should consistently win it's division and CUSA. And to do that, you have to beat teams you are supposed to beat, and win your damn division. SMU does nothing to help that. Nobody outside of the Dallas area gives a crap about SMU. I long for the day when it's more important to win championships at UNT than it is to beat TCU's historical rival.

Green Crazy · August 18, 2017

13 minutes ago, Ryan Munthe said:

No, nobody cares about UTSA.

no one cares about portland state either, but losing to them definitely hurt us.

we're already losing recruits to utsa and beating them gets us a step closer to a conference title shot.

golfingomez · August 18, 2017

SMU... that means we should be 2-0...

and we might get more of this

wat.0.gif

BillySee58 · August 18, 2017

5 hours ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

This right'chere is some critical thinking.

If the weight is shifting to UTSA simply being a conference foe, then that would also mean a win VS FAU means more than a win VS SMU. I don't see it that way.

Can't be the "Team of North Texas" if we can't beat SMU.
And sorry to burst some of y'all's recruiting worry bubbles, but we're losing commits to SMU at a higher clip than we are to UTSA. 3:1 - http://northtexas.247sports.com/Season/2018-Football/Offers

Easy choice here folks, and it seems most agree.

15 hours ago, GrandGreen said:

The UTSA game is picked by some because it is a conference game. By that logic every conference game would be more important than beating SMU or Iowa for that matter.

Both teams have no problem beating NT in head to head recruiting. SMU is a much bigger name nationally although they don't deserve it. If you assume the UTSA game is for a conference championship, it is obviously the bigger game. However, without that assumption: I prefer a win over SMU which would at least give NT the metroplex G5 bragging rights. I also think it would aid the image of the program and recruiting much more than a win over UTSA.

In general, I don't see a win over UTSA anymore important than any other conference game.

UTSA is not getting picked over SMU just because they are a conference foe. It's close enough where that helps, just helps, push UTSA over the edge among a few other factors. Iowa vs a conference opponent in this question is such a huge gap in favor of Iowa that getting a conference win doesn't push it over the edge in that case.

And the fact that we're losing more recruits to SMU than UTSA illustrates that it *should* be a much more winnable matchup for us in recruiting. We are on a more level playing field with UTSA, so a win against them could help swing the pendulum in our favor with recruits. I don't think right now a win against SMU is swinging the pendulum in our favor in recruiting.

And yeah, of course we need sustained winning and not just individual wins against specific opponents, but isolating these wins ceteris paribus I think UTSA does more for us where it matters. Within our conference and in recruiting, because basically no one cares about us outside of that realm unless we're beating a P5 or going undefeated/close to it.

Ben Gooding · August 18, 2017

8 minutes ago, BillySee58 said:

UTSA is not getting picked over SMU just because they are a conference foe. It's close enough where that helps, just helps, push UTSA over the edge among a few other factors. Iowa vs a conference opponent in this question is such a huge gap in favor of Iowa that getting a conference win doesn't push it over the edge in that case.

And the fact that we're losing more recruits to SMU than UTSA illustrates that it *should* be a much more winnable matchup for us in recruiting. We are on a more level playing field with UTSA, so a win against them could help swing the pendulum in our favor with recruits. I don't think right now a win against SMU is swinging the pendulum in our favor in recruiting.

And yeah, of course we need sustained winning and not just individual wins against specific opponents, but isolating these wins ceteris paribus I think UTSA does more for us where it matters. Within our conference and in recruiting, because basically no one cares about us outside of that realm unless we're beating a P5 or going undefeated/close to it.

How smu is building, if we beat them then we will beat utsa in most years. So since we play smu much sooner than utsa, my hate and aggression is aimed at them. We need to put ourselves on the recruiting level of both utsa and smu. But smu steals our lunch money way more than utsa does, and therefore we need some ammunition against that. Tyreke Davis to name a recent commit and now player chose us over smu. Kids will choose us over them, we have to give them more reasons to.

DoubleEagle · August 18, 2017

Beating SMU doesn't help us get to the CUSA championship game. Beating UTSA does.

untjim1995 · August 18, 2017

We have beaten SMU twice in the last 12 seasons, while losing to them 4 times. In both games we won, it cost SMU a bowl bid and then it cost them the coach that finally got them bowl bids after the Death Penalty. It did exactly nil for recruiting here.

In four games with UTSA, all as CUSA West games, they have beaten us in 3 of them, 1 of which cost us the Division Championship, while the other 2 were huge wins for helping them recruit against us (as if that was really that hard...) In the one game we won, it was because they had to use their 5th string QB in the second half against us and our late 4th quarter TD won the game for us.

So, to me, the biggest win we need right now isn't over SMU, its over UTSA. We don't really recruit head-to head with SMU as we would like to believe, but UTSA, UTEP, Rice, and Texas State are our main competition on the recruiting front. We need those wins a lot more. Because UTSA wins help them immensely on the recruiting fronts--yes, fronts, as in HS/JUCO recruiting and from conferences recruiting teams to join them in the future. The AAC/MWC would be a very likely landing place for them if they keep building up their program to be one of the best in CUSA. That TV market, bowl connection, and a successful team would be a great deal to either of those conferences. And if that happens, they will have permanently jumped the other SBCUSA schools in Texas and Louisiana.

We have got to beat these guys...or else we are gonna watch them literally zoom right by us to a point where we won't even see them in front of us. They are already ahead of us now.

MeanGreenTexan · August 18, 2017

34 minutes ago, DoubleEagle said:

Beating SMU doesn't help us get to the CUSA championship game. Beating UTSA does.

Black & White, yes.

However, considering SMU is an evenly-matched, emotionally-charging (I'll say that instead of "rival") opponent, and it's the 2nd game of the year, it will be pivotal in how the team's confidence is shaped for the remainder of the season. I would say beating SMU would probably do MORE for getting to the C-USA championship game than a win VS UTSA, or any other singular conference win. We're not going to win them all.
But if a win VS SMU causes the team to go into Iowa feeling confident... what could that do?
Would it help the team's confidence against LATech? What if we beat SMU and then LATech, on our way to the C-USA West crown, but lost to UTSA? I would say the SMU game's outcome affected the team much more than UTSA.

GrandGreen · August 18, 2017

1 hour ago, BillySee58 said:

UTSA is not getting picked over SMU just because they are a conference foe. It's close enough where that helps, just helps, push UTSA over the edge among a few other factors. Iowa vs a conference opponent in this question is such a huge gap in favor of Iowa that getting a conference win doesn't push it over the edge in that case.

And the fact that we're losing more recruits to SMU than UTSA illustrates that it *should* be a much more winnable matchup for us in recruiting. We are on a more level playing field with UTSA, so a win against them could help swing the pendulum in our favor with recruits. I don't think right now a win against SMU is swinging the pendulum in our favor in recruiting.

And yeah, of course we need sustained winning and not just individual wins against specific opponents, but isolating these wins ceteris paribus I think UTSA does more for us where it matters. Within our conference and in recruiting, because basically no one cares about us outside of that realm unless we're beating a P5 or going undefeated/close to it.

No, SMU is getting more votes because it is over 200 miles closer than UTSA, has been a foe much longer, not to mention SMU's not so veiled efforts to keep NT out of CUSA the first time NT was a candidate. Plus SMU is an ex-SWC school that has deemed themselves much better than NT basically forever. Plus it is the epitome of a large state school versus a self-described elite private school.

As far as recruiting, do you really think recruits are going to be more impressed with a victory over UTSA than SMU? I don't and particularly area recruits.

Edited August 18, 2017 by GrandGreen

UNTcrazy727 · August 18, 2017

I get WAY more personal satisfaction and pride when we beat SMU than UTSA. We could debate for hours which win would benefit the program more so for me it comes down to who would I be more pumped beating...the answer is without a doubt SMU. And I think our fanbase is lying to themselves if they say differently.

MeanGreenTexan · August 18, 2017

I just pray for the day... maybe 2018? ... when we have this same thread regarding SMU & LATech.

Side Show Joe · August 18, 2017

I like to think long term. I understand the that SMU is local, we hate them., and they have tried to hold us back for forever. But...

Here is my opinion, and why a win over UTSA is more important.

Long term, UTSA will pass SMU. If we can focus on the larger picture, we can pass SMU too.

UTSA has the entire San Antonio market. There is no other FBS football program in the 7th largest city in America. San Antonio is also one of the fasting growing cities in America. They don't have to share San Antonio with an NFL team either. UTSA has almost nothing right now. As they develop their infrastructure and build their programs, They will eclipse SMU. It is just a matter of how soon. We do not have the community advantages UTSA does. But, by focusing on developing a Mean Green program that can out recruit and out play UTSA, we can elevate our athletics. As both programs rise through the college football pecking order, our fan base will grow and become more engaged.

Lets face it. SMU has maxed out their potential. They are what they are. We need to focus on developing a program that consistently beats UTSA. If we do that we will be in a better place. And, we will be waving to SMU in our rear view mirror. I believe this is the best path for North Texas.

Matt from A700 · August 19, 2017

Is this one of those beat/whip/kill games?

Beat LA Tech
Whip SMU
Kill UTSA

97and03 · August 19, 2017

18 hours ago, MeanGreenTexan said:

Can't be the "Team of North Texas" if we can't beat SMU.
And sorry to burst some of y'all's recruiting worry bubbles, but we're losing commits to SMU at a higher clip than we are to UTSA. 3:1 - http://northtexas.247sports.com/Season/2018-Football/Offers

Easy choice here folks, and it seems most agree.

UNT 90 Grad · August 19, 2017

19 hours ago, Green Crazy said:

losing to utsa hurts perception more than losing to smu. plus, a conference win.

That wasn't the question (in Greggo voice). Regarding which game would I rather win, I'm more likely to do a happy dance, drink an extra celebratory cocktail, brag at work, etc. over a win over SMU. I'm not celebrating nearly as much over a win over UTSA (unless it was THE game that guaranteed a bowl). Just like if the question was if I'd rather get a win over UAB or Alabama, give me Alabama.

Now if the question was who would I rather lose to, I'd rather lose to SMU as well. Then we are losing to a school that most are likely expecting us to lose to and winning a game most are likely expecting us not to lose.

May sound a little strange, but hey, when in life are you really forced to split two games. Let's win them both!

Ryan Munthe · August 19, 2017

15 hours ago, untjim1995 said:

We have beaten SMU twice in the last 12 seasons, while losing to them 4 times. In both games we won, it cost SMU a bowl bid and then it cost them the coach that finally got them bowl bids after the Death Penalty. It did exactly nil for recruiting here.

In four games with UTSA, all as CUSA West games, they have beaten us in 3 of them, 1 of which cost us the Division Championship, while the other 2 were huge wins for helping them recruit against us (as if that was really that hard...) In the one game we won, it was because they had to use their 5th string QB in the second half against us and our late 4th quarter TD won the game for us.

So, to me, the biggest win we need right now isn't over SMU, its over UTSA. We don't really recruit head-to head with SMU as we would like to believe, but UTSA, UTEP, Rice, and Texas State are our main competition on the recruiting front. We need those wins a lot more. Because UTSA wins help them immensely on the recruiting fronts--yes, fronts, as in HS/JUCO recruiting and from conferences recruiting teams to join them in the future. The AAC/MWC would be a very likely landing place for them if they keep building up their program to be one of the best in CUSA. That TV market, bowl connection, and a successful team would be a great deal to either of those conferences. And if that happens, they will have permanently jumped the other SBCUSA schools in Texas and Louisiana.

We have got to beat these guys...or else we are gonna watch them literally zoom right by us to a point where we won't even see them in front of us. They are already ahead of us now.

UTSA "in front of us" ok dude lol