Certainly, at 8-0 we would have wanted to beat Memphis, and be the non-Power 5 school which plays in the Cotton Bowl. In Dallas, National TV on ESPN, against a rock solid #10 Penn State team.
But for a 10-2 SMU team which had a dissapointing loss to Navy and failed to finish in the top-25 in the AP, Coaches, and BCS Playoff Rankings, playing in the Boca Raton Bowl presents a GREAT Opportunity for this SMU Football, for a few reasons.
(1) Opponent: First and foremost, FAU is a worthy opponent and well-deserving at its 10-3 record. Lane Kiffin has had an overall SOLID 3 seasons here in South Florida for the Owls, going 26-13 overall, 1-0 in Bowl Games, and 2 C-USA Championships. For all the bowl projections I saw leading up to Selection Sunday, playing FAU was the best possible opponent in my opinion. FAU will be energized playing in its home stadium, and they are well coached on offense. Weather for Saturday's game will be 65-75 with overcast and potential pockets of rain, but overall, ideal football weather. I expect the game to be offensively open, competitively close, and in the high 30s to mid 40s.
(2) Recruiting: There is no shortage of recruits in Texas, but SMU's presence in Florida for this Bowl Game should not go understated. As a lifelong Miami Hurricane fan, the 6-6 mediocre Hurricanes have all but wrapped up their recruiting class (which is remarkably ranked #10), FSU just fired its head coach, USF just fired its head coach, and UCF had a down year (albeit finishing a respectable 9-3). Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County high school football players LOVE open offenses, a head coach with some name recognition, and a stage to showcase their skill sets to get to the NFL. SMU Football checks off all three boxes. Nobody is expecting SMU to steal a high 4-star/5-star out of South Florida, but putting in a great Bowl Performance in the State of Florida in South Florida on National TV certainly should make some quality South Florida skill position athletes think more about Highland Park, Sonny Dykes Offense, and The Big D.
(3) Location: It's one thing to play a Bowl Game in Florida; it's another to play in South Florida. No Florida Gator who I know and are friends with is excited about facing an uninspiring 8-4 UVA team in the Orange Bowl. The Boca Raton Bowl offers a great place in South Florida to visit- you can fly either into West Palm Beach and come down or Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and come north. Great hotels, great restaurants, great bars, great weather- great location.
(4) Get To 11-Wins: Finshing with 10 wins at 10-2 was both historic and symbolic, but getting to 11-2 and getting back into the top-25 (which I think we will with a win) would be icing on the proverbial cake. The 8-0 start deserves a damn good finish, and beating a 10-win FAU team to finish 11-2 and a top-25 ranking is more than deserving of this 2019 season.
I expect a great atmosphere in Boca on Saturday, and will be there in full force. Still can't believe my alma mater is coming to my hometown here in South Florida to play a bowl game. Just awesome. Enjoy every minute, hour, and day of this week.
Pony Up!
But for a 10-2 SMU team which had a dissapointing loss to Navy and failed to finish in the top-25 in the AP, Coaches, and BCS Playoff Rankings, playing in the Boca Raton Bowl presents a GREAT Opportunity for this SMU Football, for a few reasons.
(1) Opponent: First and foremost, FAU is a worthy opponent and well-deserving at its 10-3 record. Lane Kiffin has had an overall SOLID 3 seasons here in South Florida for the Owls, going 26-13 overall, 1-0 in Bowl Games, and 2 C-USA Championships. For all the bowl projections I saw leading up to Selection Sunday, playing FAU was the best possible opponent in my opinion. FAU will be energized playing in its home stadium, and they are well coached on offense. Weather for Saturday's game will be 65-75 with overcast and potential pockets of rain, but overall, ideal football weather. I expect the game to be offensively open, competitively close, and in the high 30s to mid 40s.
(2) Recruiting: There is no shortage of recruits in Texas, but SMU's presence in Florida for this Bowl Game should not go understated. As a lifelong Miami Hurricane fan, the 6-6 mediocre Hurricanes have all but wrapped up their recruiting class (which is remarkably ranked #10), FSU just fired its head coach, USF just fired its head coach, and UCF had a down year (albeit finishing a respectable 9-3). Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County high school football players LOVE open offenses, a head coach with some name recognition, and a stage to showcase their skill sets to get to the NFL. SMU Football checks off all three boxes. Nobody is expecting SMU to steal a high 4-star/5-star out of South Florida, but putting in a great Bowl Performance in the State of Florida in South Florida on National TV certainly should make some quality South Florida skill position athletes think more about Highland Park, Sonny Dykes Offense, and The Big D.
(3) Location: It's one thing to play a Bowl Game in Florida; it's another to play in South Florida. No Florida Gator who I know and are friends with is excited about facing an uninspiring 8-4 UVA team in the Orange Bowl. The Boca Raton Bowl offers a great place in South Florida to visit- you can fly either into West Palm Beach and come down or Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and come north. Great hotels, great restaurants, great bars, great weather- great location.
(4) Get To 11-Wins: Finshing with 10 wins at 10-2 was both historic and symbolic, but getting to 11-2 and getting back into the top-25 (which I think we will with a win) would be icing on the proverbial cake. The 8-0 start deserves a damn good finish, and beating a 10-win FAU team to finish 11-2 and a top-25 ranking is more than deserving of this 2019 season.
I expect a great atmosphere in Boca on Saturday, and will be there in full force. Still can't believe my alma mater is coming to my hometown here in South Florida to play a bowl game. Just awesome. Enjoy every minute, hour, and day of this week.
Pony Up!
