SouthernMustang

And if you win, we'll tear down your goal posts just like this ....

Haha -- I don't care how rich or poor you are, spending $350/night to stay in the New Orleans DoubleTree is a rip-off. You can stay at the Palms Resort in Las Vegas for less than that. Sounds good about the Marriott deal, isn't that hotel on Canal, too? Just closer to Bourbon?

Well, then I'll make sure I bring all 6 pairs of Sperry Topsiders I have ... haha. I think SMU is lookin' at a 5-6 record this year. Wins at home against Baylor, Tulane (Family Wknd), Rice (Homecoming), & ECU -- and a road win against Tulsa. If they can somehow manage to beat TCU, then we go 6-5. If anything, after 4 years of watching SMU play, you know that the ball never bounces the right way for this team. If SMU does manage to get to 6 wins and goes to the New Orleans Bowl, it better be UNT there. That will be the most uninteresting match-up if it is against ULL, ULM, MTSU, or Arkansas State ... talk about no viewership or interest, at least people in the DFW area and state of Texas will watch it if both SMU & UNT are on it. Are hotels priced-high during the New Orleans Bowl? Just curious. When we went to Mardi Gras, we spent like $350/night at the DoubleTree and we weren't even that close to Bourbon Street. I wouldn't think they were that bad during the bowl game, but tourism is the only money-maker for that city.

But Greek Life can be intertwined with the tradition and history and culture/atomsphere of the school. Could you go to UNT and have the same experience if you had gone or not gone Greek? I don't know the answer to that question, but y'all would. But I do know that had I not gone Greek at SMU, I would've missed out on nearly everything that goes along with the traditions of my school -- much the same had I gone to Vandy (Oh wait- didn't get in ),Ole Miss, or Bama, UGA, Auburn, etc. I just think it varies from school to school. Now, at A&M, the Greek system is pretty bad- and the history and traditions don't revolve around it- and I'd say you'd get the same or better experience by not going Greek there. Greeks make good leaders b/c -- while you're "rushed" b/c of your family, high school, where you're from geographically, basic interests -- people don't always have the same opinions or share the same values. You have to make decisions for people you are close to, and risk having them get upset at you, etc. It's a lot harder to make a decision where you p!ss off your friends. Being President or a leader in a position over your peers tests your ability to manage so many more things than just overseeing a budget for the Student Senate. Not discounting those types of org's at all, but you don't get the same type of leadership b/c you're dealing with a group that has one specific goal and purpose.

Living in the fraternity house was quieter than living in the freshman dorm. Yah, fraternity houses can get crowded on weekends sometimes -- but normally, people in the house go out to bars or have rented-out parties with another fraternity or sorority someplace in Dallas. Unless it is cleared through the school for an official event, rarely do chapters have 100's of people over to their house. Now living in the dorms on the other hand (excuse me, Residence Halls in SMU's case), it was worse... stuff happened every night of the week. Now I had a blast in both places, but several of the kids that created most of the problems in the dorms weren't in Greek houses at SMU (shocking, I know) -- in fact, they left after a semester or year. To even be eligible to go through rush, you have to have a 2.25 GPA and no judicial violations. Also, the average male GPA at SMU was around a 2.8 ... while the all-frat average was like a 3.1 or so. And the whole "hooking up" thing, who doesn't hook up in college ... I would think non-sorority girls (they don't exist in the attractive form at SMU) would be easier to hook up with b/c they don't have all the rules, judicial standards, etc. that their organization is holding them to. I don't know, maybe it's different at UNT (but many of the posters here cause me not to think so) but usually Greeks are the ones that are student body presidents, on student senate, involved in all of the orientation processes/welcome committees, homecoming, athletic events, etc. And the faces of the student body for university. But I might be naive coming from an Ole Miss family, and having gone to SMU.

I think it really depends on the Greek culture at your university. At SMU, the fraternities and sororities are some of the cornerstones of the traditions at our school- and a lot of the Greek system is built around family legacy, school history, etc. A lot of chapters at SMU get in trouble for being "too proud of being an SMU Greek" rather than being a "Proud member of XYZ Nationals." I know that was definitely the case for most chapters. Most have an open-communication line with the school and work well with the admin, but always had trouble dealing with their nationals ... esp. in regards to their nationals wanting the most fundraising dollars from our chapters b/c they were "from SMU and should donate more." I'm loyal to both, but they kind of connect. I have all of my chapter bros' backs, and would do the same for many other chapters' members at certain campuses, but then there are some where I wouldn't talk to them if they stepped foot on campus b/c they're such tools. I really think for me, I'm more loyal to the SMU Greek system than I am to the national organization -- b/c I had friends in many of the different fraternities, and we all shared the same collegiate experience. Coming back to SMU, and going to SMU alum stuff, it usually revolves around fraternity alumni stuff -- and the most active alumni that give back and still go to all of the tailgates and games are former Greeks, so it's kind of a good combination of both where you don't really have to survive. I know that I'd be willing to give to SMU athletics, and I'd give $ to my fraternity CHAPTER, but if Nationals came calling? No way ... so I guess I don't know to answer the poll. Just always remember while you're still in school, Be Fratty.

Holy hell, I forgot about that game. I am going to be one helluva Hogs fan on that day... A middle-of-the-pack SEC team whoopin' up on the mighty Pac-10 would be awesome. Now if y'all could just schedule some Big East teams and beat them, we could prove that the BCS is a joke and we need a 16-team playoff or to go back to how the Bowls used to be.

I think Ariz. State will be solid, but I think USC expects that. They were good (ASU) last year and got swamped by USC. Stanford, though, nearly beat USC ... then Auburn could've embarassed OU. And Tennessee is the real UT, just b/c it was established first... How about USC going 2-9 and OU going 0-11? And no Pac-10 teams qualifying for bowls except Washington and Stanford? Oh wait ... I need to wake up.

No No No, a UT will be in the Rose Bowl -- but it's not going to be Texas. It will be the REAL one, the UT that draws 100k+ and plays in a well-balanced conference with real traditions and rivalries. The on that beat aTm 38-7 with a 3rd choice QBUT is my darkhorse favorite to get to the Rose Bowl -- they are STACKED this year. If Texas beats Ohio State, they may be able to run the table -- a UT vs. UT match-up would be awesome ... and I'd love having no Pac-10 trash in the MNC game, esp. with it being in their backyard. I think someone sneaks up on USC this year -- look for someone unexpected, like ND or Stanford or Washington. Some team USC has gotten cocky about playing...