ESPN College Football

Pitt (6-6) and SMU (7-5) will play for the first time in 29 years when they meet at 1 p.m. Saturday in the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham, Ala. The Panthers and Mustangs last met on Jan. 1, 1983, in the Cotton Bowl. The SMU "Pony Express" backfield of Eric Dickerson and Craig James beat the Dan Marino-led Panthers 7-3.

The Panthers will try to give the Big East a 4-1 bowl record for the season.

WHO TO WATCH: Pitt quarterback Tino Sunseri. It is hard to imagine any quarterback in the country taking as much criticism, and as many shots, as he has this season. He was sacked more than 50 times, and former coach Todd Graham essentially blamed him for not making his "high-octane" offense work. Through it all, Sunseri took the high road, kept his head up and kept playing. Say what you will about his football season -- he deserves credit for taking the hits while trying to remain a leader for this football team. Interim coach Keith Patterson said this week that the offense would slow down a bit to emphasize what Sunseri does best, which is running the football. Zach Brown (bruised sternum) is most likely out, so the load will fall once again to freshman Isaac Bennett.

WHAT TO WATCH: Pittsburgh defense against SMU offense. The Mustangs have the potential to put up points in a hurry, but the key is being able to limit the passing game. More emphasis will be placed on that with leading rusher Zach Line out for this game. This is really all you need to know about what SMU does when it scores: The Mustangs are 7-0 this season when scoring first and 7-0 when scoring at least 21 points. Slowing down receiver Darius Johnson will be the biggest key. Johnson has five 100-yard games this season, and three with 10 or more catches.

WHY TO WATCH: This could have been a future Big East game, but alas, Pitt is headed to the ACC when SMU joins with the Big East. Either way, June Jones has done a remarkable job in turning around the Mustangs, though they probably fell a little short of expectations this season. SMU is playing in its third straight bowl game -- tying a school record. When his offenses are on, they are fun to watch.

PREDICTION: Pitt 28, SMU 17. From my predictions post a few weeks ago: Pitt has to do what has worked best this season -- establish the run and let Sunseri manage the game. The defense has been much improved in the second half of the season, and SMU has struggled to put up points of late. The Mustangs also will be without leading rusher Line, who played a big role in the offense. If the Panthers can continue to get after the quarterback and play well in the secondary, they should be able to win this game.

A glimpse at the future ...

On the evening of Jan. 17, an Arizona State pep rally broke out in the most unlikely of places -- at a basketball game.

With the Sun Devils cruising to a win over Northern Arizona, the Sun Devils' newly minted head football coach, Todd Graham, took the microphone at halftime.

"One of the things I can guarantee you is we will be blue collar, hard-nosed and physical," Graham told the spirited crowd. "We are going to restore the Best of the West!
We will work to bring Pac-12 championships, BCS bowl championships and a national championship to Arizona State!"

The above is plagiarism. Apologies. It's a paraphrase of Graham's introduction from his official bio on the website of the Pittsburgh Panthers, where Graham bolted Wednesday for Arizona State after just one 6-6 season.

College football is a crazy business. Sometimes it makes you want to take a shower. But to employ a hackneyed term that has become so because it's so convenient: It is what it is.

Graham is going to get hammered in Pittsburgh and all points outside -- and some points inside -- Tempe. Graham, for a second time in his career, is one-and-done. He previously bolted Rice for Tulsa after a single season in 2006. Not only did Graham suddenly leave the Panthers in the lurch, but he announced his decision to his players via a secondhand text message.

That won't play well with many folks. Panthers players are blistering him on Twitter. And it will stick to Graham for a while. It looks cowardly and reminds folks of the horrible transition for Randy Edsall from Connecticut to Maryland, where his first year was an absolute disaster. When the media comes calling this spring and next fall, it will be a central part of their "Meet Todd Graham at ASU" stories.

It will mostly be malarkey. But it will be everywhere, which is often how malarkey becomes accepted truth.

Look, folks: Being a college football coach is a job. It is not a charitable calling. Loyalty? There are going to be more than 25 coaching changes next fall. There are 120 FBS teams. The nature of the business is to get fired or to climb. It's best to do the latter.

Todd Graham wants to coach at Arizona State more than Pittsburgh. Most folks would. So instead of doing something he doesn't want to do, he's doing what he wants to. His only loyalty should be to his family and friends, not his bosses.

Some will throw around insults like "liar." They will say things like Graham told his players he was staying. Well, he was staying. Until he got a better offer. The lesson the players should learn from this is to be ambitious and to learn how the big-boy world works. In other words, Graham just helped them grow up.

By the way, this is not an inconsistent opinion from me. Some Arizona State fans might recall this about former Sun Devils coach Dennis Erickson when he left Idaho.

Is this a ringing endorsement of ASU's hiring of Graham? No.

Understand: The only Pitt game I watched this season was the Panthers' home date with Utah. The Utes won 26-14, manhandling what looked to me like a feckless team with the worst offense in the history of the world.

That said, Graham has a solid track record. Sure, he bolted Rice after one season. But he did so after taking a 1-10 team to its first bowl game in 45 years and winning Conference USA Coach of the Year.

At Tulsa, he went 36-17 and 3-0 in bowl games. His final season, 2010, he won 28-27 at Notre Dame.

He's a defensive guy -- he got his start in big-time college coaching working for new Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia -- who is known as much for potent offenses. To use his term, he likes "high-octane football." He's a longtime believer in the no-huddle, spread-option.

He had some clumsy media moments this past season. He's a fast talker who doesn't shy away from taking shots at players. But the general feeling among Pitt fans was positive. Until he left. Now he's the second coming of Lane Kiffin.

How's the third coming of Lane Kiffin going?

Still, it's impossible to ignore the reality that being a perceived mercenary climber brings baggage that will make Graham's job more difficult.

It's likely some Sun Devils will greet any early talk of "family" and "the Sun Devil way!" with eye rolls. Graham's reputation will make it more difficult for him to mend a fractured locker room. Selling loyalty and commitment to recruits will not be easy. It also will make it harder for school administrators to get boosters to open their wallets.

The first question some will ask: "What's his buyout?"

Here's a statement from Arizona State:

"Criteria for our head coach was established, and the word that was at the forefront of discussions was `energy'...energy towards promoting our program in the community and with former players. Energy towards instilling discipline, leadership and in recruiting. Energy towards representing our brand in every facet of the program," notes Love. "In Todd, we have not only hired a young and sitting head coach, but one with a history of success on the field and in hiring top-notch assistant coaches. For the first time in his career, he will be taking over a program with a strong nucleus at the beginning. We are excited to watch Coach Graham take over a very well-positioned program and elevate it to the next level."

So: boilerplate.

Arizona State's coaching search was sloppy. Graham was well down the list of top candidates. And the June Jones debacle -- no matter how the school has tried to spin it afterward -- was embarrassing.

But the ultimate measure of this coaching search is no different than the ultimate measure of Todd Graham. And it is devoid of sentimentality: wins and losses. Stay out of trouble with the NCAA. Graduate players who stay off the police blotter. Yes, in that order.

1. NCAA president Mark Emmert is puzzled that the media hasn’t focused on the group’s reform movement, specifically the simplification of the NCAA manual. But even Emmert, speaking in New York on Wednesday at the IMG Intercollegiate Athletic Forum, compared the project to the rewriting the federal tax code. They have more in common than being too long. “We have a rule book,” Emmert said, “that is loaded with silly things.”

2. Arizona State took a lot of heat Wednesday for walking away from the altar with SMU head coach June Jones. Just as with a wedding, if neither side is absolutely sure, walk away before saying, “I do.” I keep thinking of Glen Mason going to Georgia for a week or so and then returning to Kansas, where his relationship was never the same. He left a year later for Minnesota. By the way, USC coach Lane Kiffin ranks second in seniority among Pac-12 South coaches. Rich Rodriguez of Arizona, at 17 days, ranks fourth.

3. Tulane is expected to announce Thursday that it will begin construction on an on-campus stadium, 37 years after it tore down its legendary home and moved to the Superdome. That news, which has been percolating for weeks, isn’t sitting well with the trustees of the University of Alabama, who are resisting entreaties from UAB to do the same. Not that Legion Field is dilapidated, but it has been mistaken by tourists for the Colosseum in Rome.

Arizona State's hiring of current SMU coach June Jones was so done Wednesday folks were already complaining about it. Then it wasn't.

It appears advanced discussions between the school and Jones hit a snag that might not be un-snaggable. Writes Grant Haller of the Arizona Republic: "A source confirmed that both parties were in the process of finalizing the contract's final details when ASU President Michael Crow ended the discussion."

Haller also reported there were "no plan to talk again anytime soon."

It's fair to say the initial reaction to the hiring of Jones was decidedly mixed. Such talk may have come from Sun Devils boosters with access to important ears at Arizona State.

So the coach search in Tempe continues.

SMU MUSTANGS

Record: 7-5, 5-3 C-USA

The season appeared as if it would be an improvement over 2010, when the Mustangs won the West Division and played in the Conference USA championship game. They got off to a 5-1 start, including a huge 40-33 overtime win over cross-town rival TCU, their first win over a ranked team since the 1980s. SMU also avenged a loss to UCF -- which beat the Mustangs in the C-USA title game a year ago.

But then things began to fall apart for an offense that is known for its high scoring. J.J. McDermott, who replaced Kyle Padron in the season opener, started to struggle and the Mustangs ended up losing four of their final six games. In three of those losses, SMU scored a touchdown or less, unheard of for a June Jones run 'n' shoot offense. SMU squeaked out a 27-24 win over Rice to get to seven wins in the regular season for the second straight year. But SMU was unable to beat Tulsa and Houston this year, its top competition in the West.

Still, getting to a third straight bowl game tied the school record for consecutive bowl appearances. For a program ravaged by the death penalty, that is a huge measure of how far this program has come.

Offensive MVP: Zach Line, RB. Line led Conference USA in rushing for the second straight season with 1,224 yards and scored a league-best 17 touchdowns in just 10 games before suffering a season-ending foot injury. Still, he made the C-USA first team and was dependable all season long for an offense that struggled at times.

Defensive MVP: Taylor Thompson, DE. The Mustangs got a lot of clutch performances on defense, but Thompson was a C-USA first-team selection after leading the team with seven sacks and six forced fumbles -- that tied him for No. 3 in the nation.

Turning point: A 27-3 loss to Southern Miss. SMU only had 330 yards and 14 first downs in the loss, which started the slide at the end of the season. The Mustangs had opportunities in the second half, driving into Southern Miss territory twice, but they came away with no points. They also had nine penalties and were 4-of-13 on third downs.

What’s next: SMU plays Pitt in the BBVA Compass Bowl, and then it is off to prepare for a new conference home, as the Mustangs are reportedly set to join the Big East for 2013. Coach June Jones has been mentioned as a candidate at several openings, but has reportedly assured his staff he is staying. For how long is always a question that has surrounded him everywhere he has gone.

While the bowl games were big news over the weekend, UCLA and Arizona State continue to look for new head coaches.

Here's some skinny.

At UCLA, ESPN LA's Peter Yoon reported that interim head coach Mike Johnson would like to be considered for the job. Here's his update on other candidates:

UCLA has been turned down by Boise State coach Chris Petersen, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions, and eliminated Houston coach Kevin Sumlin as a candidate after meeting with him on Saturday, according to a source. Al Golden of Miami is considered the next top target, though Golden recently signed a four-year contract extension at Miami.

There's some chatter out there about former Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks coach Jim Mora, Jr. My take: That would be a good hire. While things went badly for Mora in Seattle, let's recall that he was the first choice to replace Tyrone Willingham at Washington. He's a charismatic guy with an NFL sensibility that would translate well at UCLA. Recall that the last time a team in LA hired a charismatic guy with an NFL sensibility who had folks scratching their heads turned out OK.

Here's Jon Gold's take in the LA Daily News.

Sources have said that UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero, who met with Sumlin in Houston on Saturday, is essentially rebooting the search and at this point, there are no clear-cut favorites. Miami head coach Al Golden, whom Guerrero interviewed for the job during the post-Karl Dorrell vacancy, is among the candidates, along with SMU head coach June Jones. Sources indicated on Saturday that there was minimal interest in former Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti.

UCLA has been the sort of job that more than a few folks thought might lure Bellotti back into coaching. But it doesn't seem, at least at this point, that he's high on the Bruins' list.

Meanwhile, at Arizona State, it appears that Sumlin might not be completely out of the picture, but that SMU coach June Jones' name is front-and-center at present. Still, there are plenty of other names in the rumor swirl. Writes Doug Haller:

Arizona State officials on Saturday met with SMU coach June Jones for more than three hours in Texas.

A report surfaced Sunday that ASU was in position to announce Jones' hire shortly after the university learned of its bowl destination. That wasn't true. According to a source, the Jones push slowed Sunday night. That doesn't mean it's over, but it could be an indication that ASU is having second thoughts.

Sources confirmed Sunday that Southern Miss coach Larry Fedora is still in the mix. Baylor coach Art Briles has emerged as a candidate.

I continue to hear ASU likes Oregon offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich.

Also, despite reports that ASU has backed off Sumlin, he still could be in play, especially if Texas A&M goes another direction in its quest to replace fired coach Mike Sherman.

In other words, neither coach search has moved -- at least according to reports -- decisively in one direction.

So stay tuned.

Former Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert has told officials at SMU that he intends to enroll there, a source told ESPN's Joe Schad on Tuesday.

Gilbert visited campus earlier this season, and the Dallas university is about three hours north of Gilbert's hometown of Austin.

Gilbert lost his starting job after two games with Texas this season and then had season-ending shoulder surgery.

Gilbert was given an unconditional release from his scholarship to find another school.

His struggles last year were pretty public, but SMU seems like a nice place to start over. It just never worked out at Texas for Gilbert.

It's hard not to feel bad for the guy who left the field to boos for the last time he played at Texas against BYU, but look for him to make the most of any new opportunities.

He's a smart guy with a lot of physical ability. He just has to find a way to turn it into on-field production.

SMU coach June Jones would be near the top of the list of guys who could bring it out.

SMU MUSTANGS

Record: 4-1, 2-0 CUSA

The Mustangs made it to the Conference USA championship game last season, but now coach June Jones expects to win it. His team has its hands full in the West Division, but certainly the Mustangs have shown the potential to get back into the title game again this season. They have done it with a new quarterback. J.J. McDermott replaced an ineffective Kyle Padron in the season opener and has not let go of the starting job. McDermott has played well, throwing for 1,482 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions to rank No. 2 in CUSA in passing. Darius Johnson has proven to be a go-to receiver with 39 catches for 550 yards and four touchdowns, and leads the league in receptions per game and receiving yards a game. His teammate Cole Beasley is right behind him at No. 3 in both categories. Running back Zach Line once again is dominating on the ground, with 583 yards and 11 touchdowns already this season to lead CUSA. SMU has done a nice job on defense as well, ranking No. 2 in the league in total defense, giving up an average of 296.6 yards a game. Steps are being made, and none bigger than its 40-33 overtime win over cross-town rival TCU. It was the Mustangs' first win over a ranked team since defeating No. 22 TCU 21-10 in Dallas on Sept. 10, 2005. SMU is off to a 4-1 start for the first time since going 5-1 to begin the 1986 season. But the schedule has its challenges. The Mustangs get UCF this weekend in a rematch of last year's CUSA title game. They also have to play at Southern Miss, Tulsa and Houston. But the Mustangs have proved they can play with anybody. Will that translate into an even bigger milestone for the program this season?

Offensive MVP: RB Zach Line. You are making me choose just one? It was a tough call between Line and Johnson, but I am going with the guy who leads the league in scoring with 66 points. He has been incredibly valuable and durable once again.

Defensive MVP: LB Ja'Gared Davis. Plenty of candidates for this one as well. Taylor Thompson is third in the league with five sacks, and Taylor Reed leads the team with 39 tackles. But Davis has done a little bit of everything -- he has 28 tackles, including four for loss and 1.5 sacks. He also has an interception, forced and recovered a fumble and has six passes defended.

1. I am a fan of how The Associated Press poll reflects the sentiment of the week. Alabama and Wisconsin rout highly-ranked teams? Move on up. Oklahoma routs rent-a-victim Ball State? You drop anyway. Stanford pounds UCLA and falls for the second consecutive week. That may mean the voters made up their minds (or went to bed) before the Cardinal's late-night 45-19 win. Or it may be a sign of how far the Bruins have slid in the eyes of the voters. Stanford has won three straight against UCLA for the first time in 80 years.

2. Talk about a day that looked as if it may never arrive. Nearly a quarter-century after the NCAA meted out the death penalty to SMU, not only are the Mustangs 4-1 and coming off an Iron Skillet upset of No. 20 TCU, but the Big East reportedly discussed SMU as a potential new member. SMU doesn’t have the assets of a TCU -- motivated fan base, a decade of success -- but SMU has the quirky genius of coach June Jones, a recently refurbished stadium and a big TV market. In today’s college sports, that’s enough.

3. Texas Tech is one of 15 undefeated teams and the Red Raiders (4-0) better enjoy it while it lasts. Six of their remaining eight opponents are ranked, which is either a measure of the newfound strength of the Big 12 or a measure of the members' adroit scheduling. Give No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 6 Oklahoma State and No. 20 Kansas State credit. They have won tough road games. How Texas has risen to No. 11 based on its schedule (Rice, BYU, at UCLA, at Iowa State) defies gravity.

If there is one area of the TCU defense that has struggled more than the rest, it has been against the pass.

There were glaring problems in the season opener against Baylor, in which the Bears had five touchdown passes of 25 yards or more. A lot of those came against one-on-one coverage, as the Horned Frogs seemed helpless to stop balls that were simply being thrown over their heads.

Since then, TCU has not faced as big a test through the air. But that changes Saturday against SMU in the Battle for the Iron Skillet. The Mustangs are No. 15 in the nation in passing under June Jones, the run 'n' shoot master.

They have not really lost a beat with J.J. McDermott at quarterback, either. McDermott relieved an ineffective Kyle Padron in the season opener against Texas A&M and has thrown for 1,133 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions.

Coach Gary Patterson knows what to expect out of this offense. So does his defense. He says his players are doing better against the pass.

"We gave up one long pass against Monroe; last week didn't give one up," he said. "We just have to keep getting better."

Indeed, of the nine passing touchdowns TCU has given up this season, eight have been of 20-plus yards. Consider TCU allowed just five passing touchdowns of 20-plus yards in all of 2011. There are new faces starting in the secondary, so they have needed time to get adjusted.

Also, Patterson said last week veteran cornerback Greg McCoy was not playing to the level he played at in the Rose Bowl, having given up three touchdown passes already this season. He wanted his team to get into sync, and play with confidence.

How does does a win over FCS Portland State do that? That remains to be seen. SMU gave TCU a challenge in the first half last season, taking a 14-10 lead into halftime. Zach Line had a monster game with 139 yards and one touchdown and an average of 8.2 yards a run.

Line is back, and already has 11 touchdown runs this season -- second in the nation behind Bernard Pierce of Temple. Though the Mustangs love to throw, Line has been a huge presence in the run game the last two seasons. He ranks No. 14 in the nation in rushing.

But what could hurt SMU is the potential loss of top receiver Cole Beasley, who has an injured right knee. Jones hasn't said whether Beasley will play. If he can't go, that would be a big blow for an SMU offense that is doing a better job of getting big plays in the pass game.

Beasley leads the team with 31 receptions for 376 yards. He and Darius Johnson have been the top two targets, combining for 58 of the team's 95 receptions.

On throwing the ball deep, Jones said, "I think we’re better than we were last year at this point. We’re making more throws up top and down the field. We still missed a few in the first three games, but last week we made a couple good throws so we’ll just hope that we keep getting better each week."

Given what Baylor did to TCU, you can bet SMU will try to follow the same game plan.

With Utah and TCU leaving the ranks of the non-AQs, only Boise State and Hawaii will remain as teams outside the AQ conferences that made it into a BCS game.

So of all the non-AQ teams remaining, which is poised to step up and become a real challenger to get into a BCS game? Here is a look at a few potential candidates:

BYU. Now that the Cougars are independent, they control their schedule and have more of an opportunity to be in the national spotlight. If they were to go undefeated, there would be a high probability they would bust into the BCS. But there is no guaranteed spot; they would have to be taken as an at-large selection. Still, this program has the resources, talent and coaching to forge ahead and make a push in the next three seasons.

Fresno State. The Bulldogs were nearly one of the original BCS busters when David Carr was the quarterback in 2001. They moved up to No. 8 before Boise State upset them and knocked them out of the running. Well, look who is under center now. Carr's younger brother, Derek. Coach Pat Hill believes Derek Carr could be even better than his brother. Two things could hurt Fresno State: (1) a difficult nonconference schedule, and (2) an inability to beat Boise State. Fresno State beat Boise State just once in the 10 years they were members of the WAC.

San Diego State. The thought among many coaches is that this program should always be good because of its location. San Diego is one of the nicest cities in the country, and California is one of the most talent-rich states in the nation when it comes to pumping out talent. So perhaps last season is what the Aztecs needed to jump start them on the path to the BCS. They made a bowl game for the first time since 1998 and won it. Now they have to keep that momentum going under new coach Rocky Long.

"We had a really good year last year and I think we have potential as a program," Long said. "We’re going in the right direction. There’s going to be times where things don’t go right and we take a step back and we have to prove we belong. The potential is there and it is our belief in the next couple, three years we are going to be one of those teams."

Nevada. The Wolf Pack certainly made a statement last season with their impressive win over Boise State and 13-1 finish. But can they keep up the momentum? The senior class was special last season, with Colin Kaepernick, Dontay Moch and Vai Taua leading the way. It is crucial for the Wolf Pack to maintain what they started, or they will fall back into the pack.

SMU. The Mustangs have engineered quite the turnaround under coach June Jones, who turned around the Hawaii program and took the Warriors to a BCS game in the 2007 season. SMU has made it to two straight bowl games after a 25-year absence, and played for the Conference USA championship last season. The Mustangs still need depth and beef up front, but Jones absolutely believes his program is on track to follow what TCU has done. This is what he said back in February:

"With adding these kids, and when we add another class next year, I’ll be disappointed if we don’t make a run like we did in Hawaii or like TCU has done. We’ve built a really good foundation, and we’re in pretty good shape to do some neat things."

Next up in our look at potential BCS busters out of Conference USA is SMU, a team coach June Jones believes is on the doorstep of breaking into the system the way he did with Hawaii back in 2007. Jones has the experience of taking a team to a BCS game that nobody else does in C-USA, which should give his Mustangs an advantage. Plus, he gets to recruit in Texas, a place that is overflowing with talent. If TCU can do it in the Mountain West, why not SMU in C-USA?

Why they have a shot: The Mustangs are getting closer and closer to where Jones wants them to be now that they are in Year 4 of his program. SMU made it to the C-USA title game last season, which was earlier than even Jones anticipated. Kyle Padron has shown improvement, and Jones expects him to take the next step this season. That means connecting on more big plays in the passing game. Cole Beasley emerged as a 1,000-yard receiver last season and he is going to be even more vital in 2011. Zach Line proved to be an excellent back with 1,494 yards in 2010, and the defense returns solid players in Ja'Gared Davis, Taylor Reed, Margus Hunt and Chris Banjo. Jones said Davis and Reed have put in "unbelievable work" in the offseason. "They were good last year, and they're better now," Jones said.

Why they won't make it: The Mustangs still lack depth on the offensive and defensive lines and need a big-play receiver to replace Aldrick Robinson. The lack of depth is most concerning to Jones, but he knows it takes time to rebuild there, especially when you have inherited a losing program. The nonconference schedule is tough, with games at Texas A&M and at TCU and a home game against Navy. The TCU game actually begins a difficult four-game stretch. After playing the Horned Frogs, SMU gets a week off before hosting UCF, then it travels to Southern Miss and Tulsa. SMU also has to play Houston on the road on Nov. 19. The Mustangs start on the road at Texas A&M on Sunday night, Sept. 4. A loss there and a BCS season most likely ends.

Previously profiled

Houston

SMU has had one of the youngest teams in the country the past several years as coach June Jones has relied on talented freshmen and sophomores to rejuvenate the program.

While Jones plans on doing the same at some positions in 2011, he can rely more on returning starters who have been in the program for several years and finally understand what it takes to win. The Mustangs are coming off an appearance in the Conference USA championship game and the next step is to win a title.

Could it happen in Year 4 under Jones?

“In the next two years, hopefully we'll put together a run like we had in Hawaii or a run like TCU had,” Jones said in a phone interview. “That's what the goal is. We don't have the depth at some of the positions that you have to have to really do that, but we're real close to making a statement.”

Jones anticipates playing 15 freshmen once again, especially on the offensive line, which is still an area of concern because of a lack of depth. The Mustangs gave up 34 sacks last season, ranking No. 86 in the nation, and that had an impact on quarterback Kyle Padron, who was hit and knocked down more times than any coach wants.

Padron had another good season, throwing for 3,828 yards with 31 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. But his completion percentage and quarterback rating were down, and he made questionable decisions at times. As SMU goes into its final spring practice with a scrimmage Saturday, Padron won’t see a lot of reps.

But he has worked on plenty. One of the areas of emphasis has been taking advantage of big plays when they are there.

“Every year a quarterback plays, they get better,” Jones said. “The biggest thing is accuracy on the vertical throws down the field. We had many opportunities to make big plays. It's hard to get big plays in this day and age so when you have them, you have to hit them. From now until the fall, he will be throwing the deep ball. You have to do it over and over and repeat it until you don't have to think about it.”

SMU will have to get those big plays without leading receiver Aldrick Robinson. But Cole Beasley and Darius Johnson return. Der’rikk Thompson has taken many reps at Robinson’s position and will probably replace him. Jones said Thompson can run a 4.3 40-yard dash, so he could be exactly what the Mustangs need.

Leading rusher Zach Line hasn’t practiced this spring, but he does return to help give the offense an added dimension. His emergence led to Darryl Fields and Kevin Pope playing both running back and linebacker this spring, and Jones anticipates both contributing on defense this season.

As for the growth of his team, Jones has been pleased. Expectations have been raised with back-to-back bowl appearances, and this season SMU is expected to contend for the West Division with Houston and Tulsa.

“Now we have guys who are acting like they belong instead of hoping they belong,” Jones said. “When you come out of the tunnel, one team is hoping they're going to win and the other believes they're going to win. We’re getting to the point where were' starting to believe. You can see that swagger, that walk.”

There is no denying coach June Jones has already done wonders at SMU. In three short seasons, he has turned around a program left for dead, taking it to two straight bowl appearances and a first-ever Conference USA championship game appearance.

But Jones, known as a master rebuilder, realizes there is plenty of room left to grow. This comment from national signing day really stuck out:

With adding these kids, and when we add another class next year, I’ll be disappointed if we don’t make a run like we did in Hawaii or like TCU has done. We’ve built a really good foundation, and we’re in pretty good shape to do some neat things.

The big question is whether SMU can become the next TCU. If so, then how long could that take?

Jones has the experience of leading a BCS program. In his first season at Hawaii in 1999, he took a winless team to a 9-4 record and a bowl appearance. In the five years before his arrival, Hawaii combined for 12 wins, no players drafted and no bowl game appearances. That 1999 season started an upward trend that culminated with an appearance in the Sugar Bowl in 2007, his final season with the Warriors before leaving for SMU.

It took nine seasons for Hawaii to get to a BCS game. I am betting Jones has a much shorter time frame with the Mustangs. For starters, he is in one of the most fertile recruiting areas in the nation. It is much easier to recruit to Dallas than to Honolulu. Indeed, he has pulled in back-to-back recruiting class with talent in spades, featuring players from Texas, California and Louisiana.

Both featured 11 three-star recruits as rated by ESPN. This class has been touted as his best yet, because Jones was able to get some players away from automatic qualifying conference schools. Defensive end Davon Moreland chose SMU over what seems to be the entire Pac-12: USC, Oregon, California, Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon State, Washington and Texas.

This class only helps add depth, something Jones has been eager to build and the one area he consistently has said is still missing from making this team a BCS contender. It was heavy on the offensive and defensive lines, at skill positions and in the defensive backfield, all areas of need. The skill players and defensive backs have the best chances at playing early, but there already is a solid group returning.

Conference USA has never had a team make a BCS game. If any school has the potential to become that BCS buster, it is SMU, especially since Boise State will be the only year-in, year-out non-AQ contender left standing following 2011. Jones can coach. He can recruit. Conference USA is winnable. The nonconference schedule should do enough to get SMU notice, with games in the future against AQ teams TCU, Texas Tech, Texas A&M and Baylor.

With the expectations Jones has laid out, it is clear anything less than a BCS appearance would be a disappointment. Going 7-6 last season may have felt like a letdown, but remember Jones is very early in the rebuilding process. Making it to the C-USA title game was definite progress.

Jones has his timetable. Now we have to wait and see if he gets to where he wants to go.

SMU MUSTANGS

The class

Recruits: 28

Top prospects: The Mustangs got several of them out of the state of California: defensive ends Davon Moreland and Christian Holloway and guard Dontae Levingston. They also got several top athletes, from Daren Kitchen to Darius Joseph to Ronnell Sims.

Needs met: SMU needed to focus on building its offensive and defensive lines, and it certainly met those needs in a big way with players like Moreland and Levingston. Last season, SMU gave up 34 sacks, ranking in the bottom third of the country. The Mustangs also found their running back of the future in K.C. Nlemchi to line up behind Zach Line. They also loaded up at receiver, another big area of need for the Run N Shoot offense.

Analysis: There is a reason June Jones is known as a master of turning programs around, and it all starts on the recruiting trail. Not only did he do well in Texas, he also found recruits in California and Louisiana. There is plenty to recruit at SMU, and given the way the Mustangs have begun to string together winning seasons, you can bet winning a Conference USA championship is only a matter of time.