Michael Scott

Freshman can't make an impact - I think we've established that. This story must be a lie. UCF is just another BCS school trying to keep us down - no midmajor can suddenly find success without new stadiums and funding. Imagine if they had our situation and had to recruit in a football-dead state like Texas? Seriously, it says they run a basic offense for the young kids to learn - which we supposedly do. Let's see what a basic offense gets you in CUSA: A junior QB on pace to throw for around 2500 yds (he threw for 1700 his first year as a starter in his second year with the program in 2004) A freshman running back with 560 yds and averaging 4.6 a carry led by a sophomore fullback A line with 2 freshman tackles, 2 sophomore guards and a senior center can still move the ball. Their defensive line and linebacking corp starts one freshman, but they have an entirely freshman secondary (this is off the starting line up for the Tulane game.) So young, yet they can put up close to 400 yds a game on offense. How you ask - lets ask Skip Holtz: "They keep things very simple and run the ball. They will make you stop it, and as soon as you do, they will get some matchup [advantages] with their big receivers." I thought he was going to say that as soon they make you stop the run, they keep running it anyway. If using the run to set up the pass is basic, what do you call what RF and DD do? At least Dickey does not lie on his resume - so we got that going for us, which is nice.

Good point Sig - why do people fail to see the Sunbelt corrolation? Does the fact that Temple could probably walk in and win our league not bother anyone? Does the fact that he likely champ lost to a I-AA school not bother anyone? does the fact that our league champion may have a losing or .500 record for the 2nd time in 5 years not bother anyone? Its not progress on the field - its just finding other crap schools to play with us. Not a perfect example: If the Tampa Devil Rays joined AAA and started winning with the same manager and team, does that mean they are better than when they were in MLB?

Or perhaps we are now so nationally irrelevant we do not even deserve ridicule...

What if we just join District 6-5A? We would have regional interest and get to show off against Highland Park and Southlake Carroll. We could own the metroplex!!!

Yeah, uhm, you are wrong- this year is worse than the past ones. Yes, we always suck in OOC, but if you lined up each of the last 4 North Texas teams side by side, which team (at the end of the 5th game each season) is worse? I think we are either tied or behind the 2001 team for last and those guys turned out okay. I am in no way trying to support Dickey and the gang, but to claim we have not slipped is semi-absurd. Any more good questions or are you waiting for someone to say wow or start a fight after everything you post? I do not want to pick a fight at all but you seem to take yourself so seriously and seem to want to be bigger than the board - I doubt you'll ever get the recognition you seek on a sunbelt message board, but hey, you never know...

Almost every college uses graduate students in their promotions department. Should UNT throw some more money into promotions - probably, but they've shown it not gonna happen anytime soon. The students are exposed to what is going on - but these students are in a culture of apathy and won't be changing their minds soon. The best course is hit them up at orientation and eagle camp, which seems to be happening. This is a process that will take years and has already come a long way since my time there in the 90s. If the Cowboys were playing and you didn't care, but then found out you could get a t-shirt if you went, would it change your mind? Not the best example since it is not free - but be realistic. It seems like everyone thinks a few posters and shirts turn things around. And Dickey is responsible for the fans - it is all interconnected. All of the coaches in this state, even the socially awkward Mike Leach, make an effort to do this. Regardless of your opinion on either side, Dickey could have 10-20,000 people on his side for a year like this instead of a faction of the fan base that has openly resented him for 4 years gaining fuel.

We're 15 big plays (or 40 "small" plays) away from being 5-0, does that count?

To paraphrase a crappy movie: "If we can't rig an obscure regional poll - then what the hell are we trying to save!?" GO MEAN GREEN!

I was not directing anything at you- your comment cracked me up - I think I misquoted who I was referencing. You just touched on what a crappy job it must be to have the "sell" the onfield product this year to people not already invested in it. It'd almost be a fun exercise to see what different people on the board could come up with week after week for fake press releases, but odds are we'd all just end up fighting more over it when someone crosses the line.

If it was so for sure that we would suck - why did so many publications devote so much attention to covering us and our running backs? No one plans coverage on last year's success of a small school they've never covered if they expect the team to win 3 or 4 games and the players to put up average to good numbers. ESPN and USA Today would not write on us to be made to look as stupid as they have on us. They, like many here, expected JT and PC to be used in a way that really made this a special season. I was as happy as anyone to see that USA Today cover and remember thinking "wow, we have really moved forward," but this season has undone so much of that. I do not think we are in a gloom and doom situation as many seem to think, but this is going to make major media hesitate much more on us in the future. Our national profile has been the 4 bowl streak, a few close games, a nationally televised espn2 snooze fest (to the common fan - although with great pub for facilities), articles proclaiming JT and PC as the best thing going into a bust season, 2 non competitive bowl games (USM and CSU - with a losing record, as many in the media were quick to pick up on), 2 close bowl games that really did help (Cincinatti and close with Memphis), and all the times you see north texas on the bad end of a ticker scroll when the play an OOC. We are not sinking (yet) and do not need to plan on a new coach yet, but it will be interesting to see who covers us in the future and how. One more note/ anticipation: someone could say, well why didn't the media not cover OU? First of all, national profile of the two schools is different and many publications did acknowledge that OU could struggle if the talent does not come together quickly and lose 3 or 4 games. I do not have a source - and no one imagined it'd be TCU - but not many saw that coming. Just thoughts from a media image standpoint...

Wow, this was hard to read and even harder to decipher. I guess the point here is that Ok. St. is struggling terribly - yet their games are still closer than ours? Against 3 teams that would destroy us and a I-AA school? Why did you omit their other 2 wins against FAU (23-3) and Arkansas St. (20-10)? I'm just trying to see the point of this? Louisville did lose a game to USF, and even WVU - and how is this a bad showing for the Big East? It proved their league had more depth than everyone gave them credit for (but they still suck.) Memphis and Central Florida - I cannot even understand what you mean here. UCF beat them and sucked last year, but UCF is tied for first this year. They've beaten Memphis, Marshall, ULLAF & Tulane - that's like a decade's worth of New Orleans Bowl cred. As for playing football, I played in both blowouts and close games - and there is a difference. I am not claiming any expertise from this experience, but I played small Texas high school football and played both sides of the line. I was taken out for a breather during a long series and to fix a helmet problem and watched them run off tackle right where I had been for a touchdown in what turned out to be a one point game. I still randomly flashback to that game - I cannot speak for all, but I have other interviews where former players lament a close play or something that could have been changed. Not football, but do you think Brad Lidge will remember game 2 as just another loss 10 years from now? If I have misconstrued any of your points please let me know. I am not trying to be a jerk since I am a new guy here but just do not understand your points.

Has the board taken to piling on PR staff as well - what would you write for a press release - this game blew and fire the coach? I know this is a novel concept for many on this board, but imagine if you had the (unenviable) job to find the positive in something as crummy as Saturday's game instead of inflamming the situation? Could you write more than a page. Good thing you don't handle media or any crisis situations. I agree with many opinions on this board, but that is not what this about. Looks like 57 and 75 got mistyped - and I think the title of this thread shows how easily that can happen - just my .02 and I do not mean for this to sound like one of those I love XXXX in the athletic dept posts that occasionally pop up for no real reason.