[So if the SunBelt has no 6 game winners...]

The Sun Belt champ is guaranteed the spot unless they have a losing record AND there is a TIE for the Championship - in which the runner-up would go - only and ONLY if they have a winning record.  In the case of a three way tie (regardless of record) - the Bowl Committee would choose the team (probably based on a number of things - how many people they could bring, their record, etc...)

In other words - if ULM and ULL both win the conf championship but ULL owns the head to head (and they are the ONLY two teams winning the championship) - then the committee will look at the other school to see if their record is any better.  If it isn't, they will let the head to head champ go - even with a losing record.  If it was a case like 2001, they would take a team with the better record. 

In the case of a three way tie - which is very possible - the committee has complete control to pick whomever they want on whatever they think is better for the bowl.  Lets say that ULL, ULM, and FIU tie for 1st place somehow - the comittee wil most likely look at OVERALL record - in which none would have the six wins.  So they would factor in probable attendance - in which FIU would be knocked out of consideration most likely.  Finally, they would see that the game is IN Lafayette this year (not New Orleans) and that there would be more Ragin Cajun fans that would likely show up then Indian fans and choose the home team.  But if ULM came to the committee and guaranteed 20K tickets up front (something financially impossible for their program - but who knows, maybe it would be worth it for them... and the Cajuns will only guarantee the minimum of 7500, then the committee might choose to give ULM the slot - for monetary reasons alone.

I don't think it is anything to worry about, worst case scenario, one of our teams goes to the bowl with a losing record.  Didn't end the world of football in 2001, and hey - they might win the damn game - so you never know till they play it.  Best case scenario, ULL and ULM both hold their own destiny at this point, so that will be one hell of a game.  It shows parity in the league and that is a good thing.. and a bad thing...

Finally - in summary - a team from the Belt WILL go to the New Orleans/Lafayette game - which team??? That has yet to be decided.  It won't be North Texas, we are mathematically eliminated for a 2 way tie - there is an OUTSIDE CHANCE that we could find ourselves in a 3 way tie at the end - and we would be ELIGIBLE to be picked - but since we have been 4 years straight, most likely we wouldn't get picked.  NOW - if the three way tie way between NT, FIU, and FAU - then we might have a chance, but that is mathematically impossible at this time.... so we would be fighting it out with ASU, ULM, ULL, MTSU, Troy, etc... all teams that could bring just as many people as us.... some of them (in state schools - ULL and ULM) could bring more, so they would get picked given the history.  At a three way tie it is all subjective, and our odds are about 1% that we would get picked - unless the other schools somehow DECIDED that they didn't want to play in the bowl game with a losing record, but i don't think any SBC team would be that high and mighty - they will take a bowl game for a little money, a little exposure, extra practice time, and a chance for one last game of REDEMPTION against a CUSA opponent. 

Sorry for so long winded - but it is a complex issue that has complex answers and I wanted to make sure that I covered everything 

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I don't have the complete schedule in front of me, but I do have the conference standings and next weeks games from the DMN handy. So are you saying that it's not possible for every team other than NT to have 3+ losses? From what I am seeing it still seems to be a theoretical possibility. Not that I'm that much of a dreamer, but I am curious if this is still possible. Again, I don't have the entire conference schedule in front of me, but on the surface it still looks like it could POSSIBLY happen.

[Halftime incident w/the coaching staff]

I'm glad that more people are starting to realize that the man calling our plays is not doing ANYTHING to advance our program. It's time for some changes! BTW, nice comeback MeanGreen. I'm just sorry the game had to end the way it did. Heard the first half on the radio and saw about the last third of the game. Thought it was over by the way it sounded, but we made a nice effort when you consider what we have to work with. I'll still be there supporting us the last two games. Hard to accept, but I guess we'll just have to hope next year turns out to be a different story. Over and out.

[FF Rick explanation]

Good job FFR! Keep the spirit going! Sorry I didn't get there until mid-third quarter or I would of been glad to participate in the mild chaos!

[Box score from CNNSI]

Huh!

[The key to winning out, give J-Mo at]

A lot of bowl talk is probably a bit premature until at least after the FL Atlantic game, but the SBC might be lucky enough to get a bit weaker CUSA team this year than we have in the past. We would obviously need some MAJOR improvements over the next month and a half, but a date in Lafayette with a pretty good UH team just doesn't sound all that formidable. Maybe I can start dreaming in a couple of weeks.

[Committments]

One of our major problems has always been a lack of big bodies around here. Regardless of last year's stats, excellent pickups!

[I AM MAKING THIS STATEMENT. PERIOD!]

Not yet. He has done enough over the last four years to deserve our loyalty through next year. If we don't get it together next year then it's time to start talking about a change. As far as the rest of the coaching staff is concerned, I'm all for wholesale changes. It just has do be done in an intelligent manner. JMHO.

[UTEP’s big recruiting weekend]

Actually, I don't think that Texas Tech played a SWC football game until the 1960 season. Prior to that, I believe that they won a few titles in the old Border Conference. They were in that conference for a long time with the likes of NM, NMSU, Hardin Simmons, UTEP, and I think both Arizona schools.

[NT official site..box score..all kinds of stats]

Just curious. Has Shy Pruitt ever made a solo tackle? He's supposed to be the big man in the middle and I never hear his name called. One assist in this game. ?

[UNT-FIU- UNT 1-14 ON 3RD DOWNS]

Maybe we should consider looking for a new OC. You Think? GO ASTROS!!!

[tech qb/UNT offense]

TT scheme sounds OK to me! Mediocre programs can suddenly appear on the national map if they can make it work. I say let's start moving in that direction and give it a try. The "Flying Mean Green Eagles" sounds good to me. A high powered pass oriented offense could not only be more beneficial to our program than a nice new stadium, but it could actually RESULT in a nice new stadium. Of course none of this is possible with our current coaching philosophy.

[Where's J-MO]

Pure speculation of course, but in his limited playing time, JT just hasn't looked like JT. Could it be that the extra 15-20 lbs. have slowed him down a bit? Has the hammy not healed as well as advertised? Is there some other problem? I don't know, but I sure would like to see the freshman JT make a return appearance.

[DD post game]

With DD and Ramon both being QB's they should have known how weak we were at the position. They should have had a 2nd or even 3rd JC in the picture.

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I agree with that big time. I know that Drew was not supposed to happen, but something should have been done in the offseason.

[We're at .500]

I guess I have been following a different Mean Green team. At last count mine was 2-3.

[DD post game]

Why do you think I mentioned a 3-5 year transition period? That would hopefully involve different coaching and different linemen. Any idiot knows that's not going to happen overnight! Just a nice direction to consider taking in the future.

[DD post game]

Speaking of TT and their spread offense, I would LOVE for us to start working in that direction. I wouldn't care if it took a 3-5 year transition period. TT and Boise are the programs that we should emulate. What the hell was Boise when we were conference mates? Nothing special. Now they consistently score points and win games with less than spectacular athletes and a less than beautiful stadium. With the OL that we tend to recruit, this "smash mouth" power game has just got to go. BTW, a beautiful new stadium would be FANTASTIC! But that's not a guarantee that we will win football games. SMU has a very nice little stadium, but what has it gotten them! Not much.

[Worst win ever]

Anyone want to defend our strength and conditioning staff? Other than our complete and total offensive ineptness, I just don't understand how our guys in the trenches can look so damn weak! We look outmanned every game! I am very happy with the win, but the next level for us is a LONG way away. Congrats to the LB's and DB's for a pretty solid game! Without their solid play it would of been a runaway loss. I think I'll spend the last weekend of October down in Big Bend. The media coverage out there is very limited.

[Blurb from football scoup, Neuheisel great coach]

Mediocre or not, give DD another year to redeem himself. Among other things, find a couple of coordinators that can coordinate!

[Is basketball our saving grace?]

I agree completely. Along with relatively weak football schools like Kentucky, Duke, and N. Carolina, who would of ever heard of schools like DePaul, Marquette, Gonzaga, Villanova, Georgetown, St. Johns, etc. if it weren't for B-Ball? Not many. Of course I would like it to happen with both major programs, but you have to take what you can get. I like what I have seen recently with recruiting. Let's hope that we can get a serious follow through.

[What do the MEAN GREEN Fans Want?]

I want to keep DD for AT LEAST the time being, and I want a change in our offensive scheme. As much as I dislike TT, I would like to emulate them offensively. Let's find someone that can do it! They know how to put points on the scoreboard with a limited amount of talent. They are not exactly filling up the NFL rosters with their former players. With all the speed and talent in the NT area, I think the right OC could get it done. Will DD go for that? I very much doubt it. Just MHO.

[Bennett pulls rabbit (er ponies) out of hat!]

Dump RF before we play the punies. Enough said.

[Sun Belt alumni in the NFL]

Personally, I would like for us to try and become another TT of the Divison 1A offensive world. Regardless of the MeanGreen defensive moniker which most of us love, I would like to see us fly like the EAGLES. Let's recruit, hire, and run an offense that can score a hell of a lot of points. Look what it did for TT and a recently removed form 1AA team like Boise State. It is time to find a way to put us on the national radar screen. The way to do that is to open up the offense and score some points. I know that it won't happen overnight, but I would really like that to be our philosophy of the future. It would AT LEAST give us a fighting chance to win some OOC games. Just MHO, but I truly believe it to be true.

[Outside Observations.]

Hey Euless, are you implying that our illustrious OC is just now beginning to recognize that we need to have a little more variation in our offense? About time! Maybe he will even do it right next time! We shall see.

[What would be a "succesfull" season now?]

If we can somehow average 20+ points a game we should win a few. If we don't, the rest of the season could be very ugly.

[Coach Dickey would not motivate a pile]

I for one am nowhere near calling for DD's head. He's helped us accomplish way too much in this century for us to get rid of him at this point. If we have two seriously below .500 seasons in a row, then I'll be more than ready to join the dump DD crowd. This season could very well prove to be an anomaly. As far as the rest of the coaching staff is concerned, I'm ready for some changes after this season. IMHO there are a couple of guys on the sideline that are just not pulling their weight. Even if we make it back to the bowl game, I'm ready for some new blood on the sidelines.