Is SMU P5 Worthy?

After nearly 30 years wandering in the college football wilderness, there is now serious conversations about SMU joining the PAC 12. They recently lost two of their top brands (UCLA & USC) to the Big 10+. And in the midst of TV negotiations, found it would behoove their position to attempt to replace the two Los Angeles teams with a school that would at least give the conference some presence in Southern California. And in a bid to expand their reach, they are considering SMU, which sits in the middle of the #4 Dallas media market (DFW) and also in the Central Time Zone. The negotiations have stretched out much longer than most would expect, leading many pundits and reporters, who have little else to do at this time, to produce hundreds of reasons why the conference will fail, and propose multiple alternative plans.

Also during this time, many ignorant voices have made their hatred for SMU known. Many are from former Southwest Conference (SWC) fans. They are determined to do whatever it takes to keep SMU down. Others are just plain misinformed about what SMU has accomplished, past, present, and its potential for success. These are generally from schools that have been rejected by the PAC 12, or have few options to move up in college football.

Three decades ago there was a split in college football. Generally, the larger schools in the major conferences formed a coalition to make sure they would get the majority of revenue, media coverage, and TV time. At one time, it was called BCS, now we call it P5. Sometimes, the split makes perfect sense. Schools with an average attendance of 15k probably should not be competing against a Texas, Michigan, or Alabama. But who makes that decision, and on what basis? Some teams made the mix like Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Duke, and Kansas, that are notoriously bad and spend little on football. While others like SMU, who for 75 years successfully competed in a Big Boy conference, simply got left behind.

As time passed, and conferences expanded, it was never really clear what determines P5 status. Was it consistent wins, making it to the postseason playoff, attendance, revenue, budget, academics, media market, school investment, or even geography? All of these have been used to either include, or exclude potential members. And to those on the outside, its quite frustrating. Either we are all FBS or not. And if we are, then there should be more equity.

What do I mean by equity? I'm not arguing necessarily for equal revenue. If you earn a billion - good for you. But there is an automatic bias in place for schools with the P5 label. People deny it all the time, but its so obvious to anyone who wants to see it.

Take polls for instance. P5 teams, especially the true blue bloods, always get preferential treatment. A G5 team will not be ranked until mid-season, even with multiple wins - and having played a difficult schedule. One loss may take them out of the top 25, while a loss by a P5 school may only drop the school a few places. It is quite rare for any G5 school to start the season ranked. Which makes it harder to move up to the required ranking to earn a playoff spot. Even G5 wins versus P5 are often dismissed as flukes, or there will be excuses like injuries or weather. But if a P5 wins, they are just naturally superior. The sportswriters who vote will deny this all day, but their votes prove their bias.

But wait, there's more. Recruiting is the key to building a winning football team. Every year, the staff must make sure they are recruiting players even better than what they already have on campus. Its hard work, made even more difficult when you are a G5 school recruiting against a P5 staff. That P5 label is used like a sledgehammer to pummel the opposing staff. "If you go G5, you will never be seen on TV, no rankings, playing teams nobody cares about, with little chance to make the NFL, and even less chance to be National Champions," - P5 Recruiter. "But come to our P5 university and see the facilities built by all our revenue. Bathe in the excess dollars we dump each year into football!"

I only exaggerate a little. Now most of that is untrue. If you are good, the NFL will find you. But a chance at a National Championship is an incredibly difficult proposition, if not impossible. With few exceptions, P5 facilities are generally better than schools at the G5 level. They are usually larger universities with more options overall. Its easy to see why many recruiting battles are won by P5 teams.

But let's suppose Stud Athlete commits to a G5. He was originally rated as a high 4 star, with offers from many P5 schools. Once that commitment is well known, his rating will inexplicably drop. Instead of that G5 having a top 20 class, they fall back down among the other G5 schools. Stud Athlete is still talented, maintains the same offers, but his choice has influenced the people that profit from tracking this to make changes to make sure P5 schools are at the top. It keeps the revenue flowing to the recruiting services, and keeps the P5 fans happy. 

You are in the G5, having a good season, earn a trip to a bowl...in your own town against another G5 school. Every school should appreciate any bowl invitation. But generally G5 schools are placed in bowls against each other. Its rare to get a chance to play up a level. And when a G5 team prevails, its always because the P5 school didn't want to be there. The 12 team playoff is another step in the right direction, but until EVERY FBS school has a legitimate chance to play for a National Championship, it is not enough. If the NCAA finally decides to split FBS into the haves and have nots - fine. But there better be a compelling argument for each school left behind.

SMUs Case - Historical Argument

Southern Methodist University opened its doors just North of downtown Dallas in 1911. Originally affiliated with the Methodist Church, it has been largely secular in its approach to education. I can attest to this truth, as there were more Catholics on campus than Methodists when I was there in the 80s. There is a seminary on campus, and as a liberal arts college they do require a religious elective. But there are plenty of options that satisfy this requirement that have nothing to do with Christianity - not that there is ANYTHING wrong with knowing Christ.

SMU started playing football in 1915, joining the SWC in 1918. The SWC featured a mix of public and private universities, and some of the best football in the nation. The SWC included: Arkansas, Baylor, Rice, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M,  Texas Tech, and TCU. Houston would be added later. 

In 1922, Ray Morrison "the father of the forward pass" became coach and his team became known as the "aerial circus" for their prolific passing attack - unusual at that time. In 1923, SMU went 9-0, followed by a National Championship, the first of 3, in 1935.

The Game Of The Century - 1935 SMU versus TCU

Grantland Rice called it the "Game of the Century" matching TCUs Sammy Baugh against the equally potent SMU passing attack. Both teams were 10-0, and an overflowing crowd packed Amon Carter to watch this clash of titans. SMU would prevail, earning a trip to the Rose Bowl and was declared national champions by the Dickinson System.

Cotton Bowl - The House That Doak Built

Few players ever receive the amount of coverage, awards, and accolades as Doak Walker. My Mother, who attended SMU with Walker, had a collection of magazine covers and articles about him, too numerous to number - such was his fame. The crowds at Ownby Stadium grew to the point that games had to be moved to the Cotton Bowl, such was the enthusiasm in Dallas to see Walker play. He could do it all - run, pass, kick, punt, and tackle. He won the Maxwell Award and the Heisman Trophy, among many other recognitions in the late 40s.

The Pony Express

There was a time in the 80s that it could be argued that SMU was the best team in the country. And the numbers seem to confirm this. From 1980-84 SMU went 49-9-1. The team was full of future NFL stars - Eric Dickerson, Craig James, Michael Carter, Wes Hopkins - just to name a few. They were the team to beat and the source of much frustration from big money boosters at other schools. It seemed impossible that this little private school in Dallas could out recruit Texas, A&M, and Arkansas for top talent. But they did. 

Their best year was 1982, where they went 11-0-1 - the only blemish, a tie with a ranked Arkansas team. They would go on to beat Pittsburgh in the Cotton Bowl and then waited to see how the sportswriters would vote. They decided to give it to the old man at Penn State, and their one loss team. That paragon of virtue, Joe Paterno, one of the greatest hypocrites to EVER walk on this planet, was given a National Championship.

There is no denying that SMU paid players in the 80s. But so did EVERY university that was nationally relevant, even many of those that weren't relevant, were trying their best to keep up. All the players knew it, because they were getting the offers. The amount distributed by SMU was peanuts compared to the jobs, cars, houses, prostitutes, debt relief being offered major talent around the country. And SMUs misdeeds seem quite mild now, compared to murdered players and covering for rapists on your team at Baylor. And of course years of fake classes for athletes at North Carolina. Those cases got just a slap on the wrist compared to SMU. 

Then there is Joe Pa. Who always wanted folks to believe that he ran a squeaky clean program - and people believed his shtick. That man protected a rapist, and enabled a pedophile to use Penn State for decades! Imagine, young children being raped in Penn State facilities, and at their events. How many folks participated in this, or were aware of Sandusky's activities? We will probably never know how deep the pit really was. But it was PURE EVIL, not corruption, and the diabolical actions started at the very top, and Joe Paterno was right smack in the middle. He was just as guilty as Sandusky for what those kids endured. He provided Sandusky unlimited access and turned the other way. And yet everything is now hunky dory in Happy Valley - a place that should have been razed, and the ground salted for all their heinous activities. But SMU paid a few players, let's shut their program down.

A slight digression to show the ridiculous nature of the NCAA. They will destroy one program, and overlook massive academic fraud, gang rapes, or university sponsored pedophilia at others. I honestly don't know if the NCAA will ever be respected as an organization again.

In spite of the NCAA, SMU was the team to beat in the 80s. But in the Spring of 1987, the NCAA officially shut down the SMU football program for one year. They would allow 6 road games in 1988, but SMUs leadership chose to sit out that year, returning to play in 1989. The very week the NCAA slammed the hammer down, recruiters from virtually every university - many just as guilty for paying players, arrived on campus to pick at the carcass. I was there and witnessed the disgusting event. In every possible way, it was a DEATH penalty. SMU would start from scratch with just a handful of players who would remain. The rest would be new players, recruited under new, and draconian rules. 

The Pye Penalty

SMU was still in the SWC in the 1989 season and would field what amounted to an all freshman team. The results were to be as expected. The Mustangs were dominated by everyone with a pulse. Just looking at the size of the lines revealed much about what a mismatch each game was. That first year, SMU chose to leave Texas Stadium - Home of the NFL's Cowboys, and play in the old, slightly refurbished, Ownby Stadium on campus. All the sportswriters predicted SMU would not win a game for years. The Mustangs won 2 their first year. Beating UCONN with a last second "Miracle on Mockingbird" pass for a TD. And the obligatory beat down of North Texas 35-9. Those flickers of hope were drowned out by embarrassing road losses to Houston 95-21, and a nationally televised game against then #1 Notre Dame, where their coach had his players run out of bounds, rather than score again. The final score was 59-6, but the humiliation was so much worse.

In the final days of the SWC, it was revealed that then President of SMU, Kenneth Pye, had changed the way SMU recruited athletes. The new policy required athletes to be admitted to the school first before their official visit. And if that wasn't a big enough burden. He also raised the standards for entry above the NCAA minimum, meaning the very best athletes were almost certainly excluded from our talent pool. This was all done even though there was NEVER any academic scandal. Athletes went to class, did their homework, and had plenty of tutors if they needed help. But such was the overreaction of our leadership. This policy would haunt SMU for a decade.

The Pye Penalty made it impossible to compete in the SWC. Recruiting suffered as SMU scrambled to get the leftovers after almost every school had their picks. Few high quality players were willing to wait to see if they were admitted, or qualified, when they already had offers on the table. Instead of fighting Texas, Arkansas, and Baylor for recruits, we were fighting it out with FCS teams and North Texas for talent.

From 89-95, SMU did not have a winning season and only won 3 conference games. so when it came time to form a new conference, merging the old Big 8 with the best 4 from the SWC, it was pretty clear SMU would be left behind. Texas politics made sure Tech and Baylor were included, leaving Rice, SMU, TCU and Houston to find new homes.

The Wander Years

The three privates landed in the newly formed WAC16. A conference made up of teams seeking a better life. It was made up of the old WAC conference plus a few others, and truly had potential to be a pretty decent collection of schools. Houston, to their credit, joined the new CUSA, in hindsight, a far better move.

Almost immediately there was friction in the WAC. Nobody liked the quad system, and attempts to split into divisions meant loss of traditional rivals. So instead of figuring it out like adults, a handful of schools met in a dank airport bar and decided to split into a new conference. Not only that, the split took the very best teams, leaving 8 teams, that had little in common, to pick up the pieces. TCU eventually made the right move and jumped to CUSA. SMU, Rice and Tulsa attempted to make it work. Teams would come and go, and with each move, the conference seemed to get a little weaker. SMU had taken action to fix their internal recruiting issues, but now they faced a problem that made recruiting even more difficult. SMU had no conference stability. Playing teams that were not brand names, and were not traditional, or even natural rivals, impacted recruiting. The bowl options were uninspiring, TV very rare, little revenue, and conference mates were virtual unknowns to Texas recruits. Something had to change.

Here Is Where The Story Begins 

There were too many iterations of the WAC to even attempt to define. SMU spent 9 long years trying to get its house in order, while the ground kept shaking underneath. No offense to all the fine universities that tried to make it work, the conference(s) were dumpster fires. And everyone knew it. SMU aggressively sought a way out before finally landing in CUSA in 2005, where they would remain until 2012. To keep their distance from SMU and the privates, TCU joined the MWC, a conference they could dominate, and remained there until invited to join the Big 12, finally receiving their golden ticket to the Big Boy League.

Many teams in CUSA would later be in the American, so the next few years provided some stability, even though expansion was always being discussed. It was during this time that SMU had its first taste of post-death penalty success under June Jones. From 2009-2012, SMU won 30 games and 3 out 4 bowl games. While not the national breakthrough we needed, it was proof that a coach could win on the Hilltop. Jones used his success at SMU in an attempt to change jobs, and before contracts were signed was very publicly rejected from consideration. His interest in SMU quickly faded, along with the results. In short order, he was gone.

Chad Morris, a former Texas high school coach, and OC at National Champion Clemson, seemed like a homerun hire. The Texas high school coach had barely unpacked before he was floating his name for new jobs. Recruiting did improve under the Texas high school coach, and he had a winning season his last year before leaving for an embarrassingly short time at Arkansas. The Texas high school coach's departure was actually a Blessing, as Sonny Dykes was available and interested to see what he could do on the Hilltop. By this time, all recruiting hindrances were gone - so no excuses there. SMU was investing and building everything the staff requested. Recruiting improved, and the transfer portal became a valuable tool, and before long, SMU was winning, a total of 37 wins in the last 5 years! Of course Dykes would leave in 2021. And his former OC Rhett Lashlee would return as HC from Miami. He built upon what Dykes had accomplished and even improved the recruiting results - especially when it came to transfer recruiting.

Which brings us up to date. The expansion delay has given opportunity for folks to come out of the woodwork with reasons why SMU should not be selected. The most fascinating of which have come from former SWC teams now in the Big 12, and specifically Texas Tech. They joined the Big 12 from the very beginning, and yet have never won a conference championship. Even Baylor, a Big 12 doormat for years, found a way to eventually win. And even with SMUs post-DP slump, our AP appearances still top the poor folk in Lubbock!

It makes you wonder, what could possibly make Tech fans so disturbed about SMU landing in the PAC12? Its a mystery, but they are not alone. TCU, BYU, and even a handful of Baylor fans have offered their brilliant commentary, which normally starts with something like, "My brother once lived in Dallas and he said SMU can't draw flies!" - How can you compete with such thoughtful analysis?

Or even better, someone will post some random photograph of Ford stadium at the end or beginning of a game, and claim this is proof that SMU has terrible attendance. You could literally do that in any stadium, wait until halftime, or when fans start leaving, and suddenly that full stadium is a ghost town. It doesn't prove a thing. But the really amazing thing about this kind of "thinking" is the total absence of imagination. SMU has 12k students and a stadium that sits around 32k. We do not have the advantage of 30,000 students as a starting point. We must have our local alums, Dallas sports fans, and even visitor's fans to fill the stadium. NoNameU motivates few folks outside the players' family, and rarely brings much of their own fanbase. But make the game meaningful - a clash between unbeatens, a traditional rival familiar to alums, or a major brand name, suddenly alums and students WANT to attend. Local sports fans buy tickets, and yes, even the visitors will bring some fans. In short order, there are 30k folks in the stadium. In the past we have had some awful attendance, but nobody can argue that it has continued to improve - averaging 24,972 in 2022. That is 78% capacity. The stadium will be slightly larger when construction is done. And we are hopeful a new group of conference mates will be exciting for students/alums/fans.

The attendance smack is simply outdated.

SMU In The Record Books

In listening to the whiners on social media, you would think SMU has never accomplished anything noteworthy in its history. Well, let's do a quick review, comparing the Mustangs to some of our friends - both old and new.

Heisman Trophy Winners

TCU - 1 - Davey O'Brien 1938

SMU - 1 - Doak Walker 1948*

Oregon State - 1 - Terry Baker 1962

Stanford - 1 - Jim Plunkett 1970

Houston - 1 - Andre Ware 1989

BYU - 1 - Ty Detmer 1990

Colorado - 1 - Rashaan Salaam 1994

Baylor - 1 - Robert Griffin III 2011

Oregon - 1 - Marcus Mariota 2014

*In my humble, and of course totally unbiased opinion, Eric Dickerson earned the Heisman Trophy in 1982. I could identify several reasons for the snub, but you could probably guess them just as easily. Walker was not even statistically the best back that year. Dickerson shared time/carries with Craig James. So let's compare stats: ED: 232/1617/7.0/17. HW: 335/1752/5.2/16. Walker had 100 more carries, one less TD, and almost 2 yards less a carry! And compare their NFL careers and there is no doubt who was the best RB in 1982, and likely the best player on the best team that year. I like them both, as players and individuals, but ED was robbed!

NFL Hall Of Fame Members By School

Oregon         (6) Dan Fouts, Alphonse Leemans*, Mel Renfro, Norm Van Brocklin, Dave Wilcox*, Gary Zimmerman

Arizona St         (5) Curley Culp, Mike Haynes, John Henry Johnson*, Randall McDaniel, Charley Taylor

SMU         (5) Raymond Berry, Eric Dickerson, Forrest Gregg, Lamar Hunt, Doak Walker

Stanford                 (4) John Elway, James Lofton, John Lynch, Ernie Nevers

TCU                 (3) Sammy Baugh, Bob Lilly, LaDainian Tomlinson

Washington         (3) Hugh McElhenny*, Warren Moon*, Arnie Weinmeister

California         (2) Tony Gonzalez, Les Richter

San Diego St         (2) Marshall Faulk, Joe Gibbs*

Utah         (2) Mac Speedie, Larry Wilson

Washington St  (2) Albert Glen Edwards, Mel Hein

Baylor          (1) Mike Singletary

BYU                 (1) Steve Young

No HOF         (0) Texas Tech, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon State

* Player went to multiple schools

One might ask, what does the NFL have to with college? It simply shows the impact that a college has had at the highest level. Along with the above, SMU has placed 10 in the College Football Hall of Fame, 31 All Americans, 11 conference championships, and 3 recognized National Championships - 1935, 1981, and 1982. 174 SMU players have played 8442 games in the NFL, and scored 720 TDs - ranking #35 of all schools, and 73 Pro Bowl selections, ranking #31,

What Have You Done For Us Lately?

You will notice in any discussion concerning P5 status, there is an ever changing level of criteria that makes a team "worthy" of acceptance. Those freshly admitted, and those that have been there for decades, and yet accomplished NOTHING, seem to be the loudest. Some schools just know they belong, and don't throw stones - God Bless them.

One of the best measures, IMHO, is current record - meaning the last 5 years, both in wins, and head-to-head against future conference partners, and maybe even the malcontents if it is relevant. When it comes to the PAC 12, SMU has not played any teams in some time. But their all time record is solid. Including SDSU in the mix, SMU is 7-6. In the last 5 years, SMU has more wins (37) than Arizona (15), ASU (28), Colorado (19), UW (36), WS (32), OS (26), Stanford (23), and California (25). Only Oregon (45), Utah (43), SDSU (40) had more. Will their success translate to immediate success in the PAC, history suggests no. But maybe the adjustment period is a lot shorter than TCU, Baylor, or even Tech in the Big#(tbd) league.

And before people start shouting strength of schedule, you play the hand you are dealt, and generally recruit at that same level. SMU did face 9 bowl teams last year, and has played TCU 4 out of the last 5 years, going 2-2. Even with their mega run last year, TCU only has 36 wins. And SMU counts all 4 new Big members among the teams they played in the last 5 years. So if we played weak competition, then who did they add?

Then we have our friends out in dusty Lubbock, who based on their fans on social media, are apoplectic at even the possibility that SMU would be considered for a P5 conference. They, along with others, have worked diligently at keeping SMU down. Having a financially blessed P5 school right in the middle of Dallas will certainly not make it any easier to recruit the area.

Tech is an interesting case. The Texas legislature made sure they were included, along with Baylor, in the first iteration of the Big 12. So Tech had a 27 year head start, and STILL hasn't earned a Big 12 championship. Even historically dreadful Baylor, the doormat of the Big 12 for a decade, finally put things together. During Tech's glorious reign as whipping boy for the Big 12, they averaged 3.96 conference wins a year! And only 28 wins overall in the last 5 years. Can P5 schools be kicked out for underperforming? I don't understand their hubris. Maybe its the sand and tortillas. But now that the conference will be diluted, they might get lucky and win the Big#(tbd).

I have no harsh words for TCU. I see them as a trailblazer, a model that SMU can learn from. And while our paths are a little different, there are some similarities. 

Let's take a quick trip back in time, when a young man, who at the time was a UT fan because of his Father, was introduced to SMU by his Mother, and a trip with the Methodist youth to see TCU @ SMU. The year was 1973 and SMU won 21-19. That was the first of many SMU v TCU games that I went to as a young man. Even though we only attended SMU home games, it seemed like we always saw SMU beat TCU. It was so bad, I asked if we could see another opponent. From 1972, I never saw SMU lose to TCU. This continued into the 80s while I was at SMU. In fact, only the death penalty brought the streak to an end. 15 straight wins through 1986. And even after the DP, TCU was often the only SWC team we could beat, going 2-5 in the final years of the SWC.

Just a few years later, TCU decided to be a player in college football. They switched conferences and distanced themselves from the private schools. They landed in CUSA, and started investing in the program and recruiting better. They hired Dennis Franchione, who proved they could win. He passed the baton to Gary Patterson who continued the progress. And something amazing happened. Patterson was successful and stayed at TCU for 20 years - unheard of for a school like TCU. But the stability of staff and conference allowed them to move to the MWC, which was brilliant, because they dominated what was then likely the best G5 conference. They were able to build their resume and make a solid case for them to be included in the next round of expansion. And it just so happened that the Big12 needed a replacement, and TCU was ready for the call.

SMU made a few bad moves, some poor coaching hires, so progress was disjointed at times. But now they are poised to move up. Whether that's this year, or 5 years down the road, we will be ready. NIL and the portal has changed the game. And SMUs most recent success is directly related to both. The class signed this year would have been inconceivable five years ago, but there is SMU in the top 10 of recruiting for combined HS & portal transfers.

That's enough for today. Most of this was written from memory, as I lived through the majority of the facts mentioned. Where needed, I provided links to sources. If I missed something, or was off a date, I apologize. It was not done intentionally or maliciously. And all my barbs at SWC teams are meant in good fun. I usually root for Texas teams when not playing SMU. I do miss the SWC and unfortunately  know it will never exist again. And that makes me sad.

Some of this may be very familiar to SMU fans. But younger Mustangs may have not heard everything. And its obvious many from other schools know little about our journey.

There is more I could add, but let's see how this first blog is received.

Go Mustangs and God Bless You!

I think we all miss the Longhorns. 
Especially the brunette in the background.