WVU - Sugar Bowl Champions?

Where to begin? I really have no idea...I'm glad OSU destroyed Notre Dame. I guess that's a start. But, of course, the game of the night was WVU/Georgia. Now, let's be honest...we all wanted West Virginia to win. And we all picked West Virginia to win...not because we believed they would win but because our hearts told us to pick them. We desparately needed a bowl win...a Sugar Bowl was all the better. 83% of ESPN readers believed Georgia would win...and, my brain believed Georgia would win. Only my heart...as sappy as that sounds...believed otherwise.

I never believed completely we won the game...28-0, Georgia could come back (and did). Up by 3 with 5:00 left, Georgia could come back and win. Even with 1:45 left, I had no doubt that Georgia would score and we'd be shocked again. But then, something magic happened...Rich Rodriguez made the best (and most gutsy) call he's made in 5 seasons...the fake punt. When Phil Brady picked up the first down, I believed. To me, that was the type of plays Rod promised when he came to WVU...he finally executed one at a key moment. It was one of those plays that, had it failed, WVU fans would have tried to sell his house for. But, it was successful and WVU is the Sugar Bowl Champions.

What does this mean? The Big East won its BCS bowl over the SEC Champion. Unfortunately, none of the other Big East teams were able to win their bowl games. So, the Big East finished 1-3 and, despite this big win, will still be looked down upon. WVU will finish this season ranked around 7th and be a preseason Top 15 team next year. Lots of expectations...and we know how that goes.

But, I've said this before...and I'll say it again...don't expect a lot of national exposure or kudos from the national media. The story will be that Georgia made a huge comeback but came up just short. And the story will be the Big East was 1-3 in bowls this year. And the story will be the lack of a WVU pass game. And then they'll move on to games they consider more important. West Virginia is going to have to put together a string of high profile wins to move into the national spotlight for good. In the meantime, enjoy this win because it is definitely something special for Mountaineer fans.

I'll talk more on the specifics of the game later...and what the future will hold...like higher season ticket prices. Until then, GO MOUNTAINEERS!