SMU Football Needs Serious Help After Being Demolished by Texas A&M

Not that it was ever going to be close, but the game between Texas A&M and SMU was over before either team stepped off the bus. When a game ends 58-6, there is very little to say in defense of the losing side. In fact, the Mustangs are lucky that Kevin Sumlin and company took their foot off the gas, because the Aggies could have easily put up 100.

It looked like Kenny Hill was playing a video game on “Freshman Mode.” In his lone half of work, he threw for 265 yards and two scores, and although he threw his first interception of the year, there was little that the Aggies did that would generate any criticism. In fact, even a member of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets got in on the action and delivered a block to protect Reveille.

SMU, on the other hand, proved just how hapless they have become. A few years ago, the Mustangs had an impressive offense under June Jones, and went to four-straight bowl games, winning three. Now, they are the laughing stock of college football. After the abrupt departure of Jones 12 days ago, any semblance of a chance for a respectable season was lost. Tom Mason has tried valiantly to rally the troops and keep hope alive, but his efforts appear to have been in vain. Not that there was much hope to hold on to after an 0-2 start featuring a negative yardage team rushing total.

SMU legend Eric Dickerson has been outspoken in voicing his displeasure with the current state of affairs, going so far as to say that there are high school teams that could beat SMU, and that the university should disband the football program if the commitment to winning isn’t there. If the program epitomized by the “Pony Express” era was hobbled, Dickerson just shot the horse.

In all fairness, SMU’s Administration and Athletic Department have both come out to assuage any fears that everybody had simply given up on the football team, but the fundamental problem that has caused this epic slide remains. College football’s “New World Order” has destroyed any home that the mildly relevant mid-majors may have had, and relegated them to conferences that serve as little more than de facto refugee camps. SMU saw this coming, which is why the program tried desperately to join the Big-12. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, the conference did not feel that SMU belonged with the other “big boys” in Texas. Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, Texas Tech and now TCU all have power conference ties, firmly stacking the odds against SMU in the battle for Texas high school recruits.

Aside from being firmly entrenched in the Metroplex, what draw does SMU really have? Getting thumped by three straight in-state opponents doesn’t help when you’re trying to sell your program to a recruit, but if SMU can make a splash hire and bring in a coach with strong Texas ties, here’s looking at you Mack Brown, there could be a silver lining to the miserable start to this season.