Coach Rumors

Ah, it's that time of year...every coach is leaving for every job whether there's any evidence of that or not. Of course, the biggest of those rumors for us is that Rich Rodriguez is leaving for Alabama. The blogs "Run Up The Score" and "Cock & Fire" are all over this story. But, as EDSBS point out, there are ZERO sources quoted in the article. Obviously if RUTS were correct and 'Bama offered Rich a deal in the 5-7 year range for well over $2,000,000 a year, it would be tough for any person to turn down. But there is no hard evidence this is true and Rich Rod's statement yesterday basically said he hadn't met or talked with anyone from Alabama and there's no reason I see to not believe him. Here's what Rod said:

“I don’t know how rumors get started, and that’s all it is — rumors. I haven’t talked to anybody at any other schools. The way it is nowadays, anyone can put something on the Internet and people think it’s gospel. ... It’s unfortunate. But that’s technology.”

That sounds kinda clear to me. But that denial wasn't enough for the Beckley Register-Herald. They have flight logs. Some mysterious person flew into Greenbrier County and left and went back to Alabama. They were picking up Rod maybe? Maybe Beamer? Maybe they were just flying around for the fun of it? Doesn't matter...that's good enough for a story in Beckley. It's becoming a bit ridiculous.

It's so easy to start rumors, I think I'll start a few myself with unnamed sources -- here goes:

• Florida State alumni are finally fed up with Bobby Bowden. I've heard it from good sources that the coach will be asked to resign or be fired after an embarassing year in which his son Jeff was released as offensive coordinator. Sources say the new coach has already been contacted and is willing to accept the job. Folks, welcome Lee Corso back to the sidelines.
• Many thought Alabama would be looking for a high-profile coach to take over the disappointing program. Not so says a source close to the coach search. The leading candidates are J.L. Abbott of Fairmont Senior High School and Billy Haddix of East Fairmont High School. The Tide Boosters are leaning toward Haddix because "he would probably cost less."
• Notre Dame fans will rejoice as Jabba the Weis has signed a 40-year, $800 billion dollar contract with the University. "We'll need to get to a lot of BCS games," joked the large coach. In addition, Weis told reporters Lou Holtz is coming back to Notre Dame to give speech classes.
• Miami has decided one coach is not enough. Sources tell me that they currently have received verbal commitments from Bobby Petrino, Dave Wannstedt, Greg Schiano, Rand Edsell, Greg Robinson and Jim Leavitt. Paul Dee was quoted as saying, "If one coach is good, six is going to be the awesomest."
• Ending much speculation, Rich Rodriguez will announce he is leaving WVU after the Rutgers game. The unorthodox coach will not be taking over a single program but every and all programs that still need a coach. A source says that Rodriguez believes he can still coach part-time at WVU too if they will let him. As of now, it appears Coach Rod will be coaching at Arizona State, Florida International, North Carolina Sate, North Texas and Tulane. He will also be assisting his Big East brethren at Miami. A friend of Coach Rod said, "He knows it will be tough but there's a lot of money and, if anyone can do it, Coach Rod can."

So, you can quote those to your friends...I have sources somewhere. As for Coach Rod, maybe he'll leave WVU at the end of the season...maybe not. But if you're going to say he's leaving, you better have more than just a rumor and a flight record with no names.

Pretty Uninspired...

I'm not really overly inspired to write about anything today. Lord Favre threw some interceptions last night. It snowed in Seattle. Iran is going to help Iraq (boy, that should be great). The Pope is going to Turkey. I'm out of things to write about...so, if you have any ideas, tell me. But that's about it...instead of writing today, here is a video of how I feel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYbNiRB1PL8

Just Vick Being Vick

Michael Vick, aka Ron Mexico, decided to show the fans of Atlanta what he thought of them as he left the field on Sunday. I'm sure many of them are thinking the same of him. It's not the first time a Vick has shown what he thinks of those in the stands. You may remember young Marcus Vick, aka Little Mexico, flipping off the crowd in 2005 in Morgantown. And, much like the elder Vick, the media didn't care. When Chris Henry behaved similarly at Rutgers, it was a big deal. A Vick does it, no one cares.

Anyway, Vick just isn't a great quarterback. He's a great athlete...always has been. Has a big, strong arm...but isn't a great quarterback. Granted, his receivers dropped the ball against New Orleans but Vick has only had one good throwing day this year. If you are a fan of NFL passer ratings, Vick is one of the worst. He is currently rated at 72.1 -- that's good for 26th among NFL quarterbacks. That's behind Kitna, Grossman, Losman and even Ben Roethlisberger.

Vick has completely a whopping 51.2% of his passes this year. That's good for 32nd among NFL quarterbacks. Once again, he has had to deal with drops...but not that many. He has thrown 13 touchdowns and 9 interceptions this year. Not horrible...but not great. His interception percentage is 3.1% - ranked 20th. Anyway, enough tearing on Vick...I've established in my mind that he isn't that good. And he has been very consistent in being mediocre as a quarterback. A great athlete...not a great quarterback.

In other news:

• The NY Giants have imploded. Tom Coughlin will be gone at the end of the season.
• The Steelers are done. Cowher will leave at the end of the season.
• I think the Bears need to give Griese a try at QB. Grossman is either brilliant or horrible. They need some consistency.
• The Ravens may just be the best team in the NFL. They look beastly.
• In a story that is under reported, Cincinnati has lost their coach. Mark Dantonio has left for Michigan State. This is a huge blow to the Bearcats who looked to be on the right track...it's a huge blow for the Big East too. Hopefully he is the only coach we will lose.
• Goodbye Coach Chest (Chuck Amato). I will miss your goofy walk and odd voice.
• Goodbye Mike Shula. Ummm...Alabama should be better than that.
• Notre Dame does not deserve a BCS bid. And it's nice that someone else said it too.

Lastly, I thought WVU played well against Arkansas. They could have let that game get away from them but they hung in there and made it exciting at the end. I think they could put up a decent year. I don't see Final Four or anything, but they should be in the running for a post-season tournament. Beilein won't let them underachieve.

What Can You Say?

There's nothing that can make the loss to South Florida feel any better. WVU just got beat...whether they beat themselves or USF beat them is irrelevant. The fact of the matter is that #7 WVU lost and is now 9-2 and is out of any hope for a BCS bowl and may find themselves in the Sun, International or Insight.com bowl instead of a major January bowl. Worse than that, WVU shot themselves and the Big East in the foot for next season because this will likely decrease WVU's value going into the 2007-08 season...we won't be #6 like last year despite the number of returners. It's very sad...

But, hey, you could see it coming. There was a weird feeling at Mountaineer Field even before the kickoff. The students were out of town and the crowd was absolutely flat. I just assumed everyone must have been knitting in the stands or something. Rich Rod showed early that he didn't respect the Bulls by faking a field goal on 4th and 4 instead of just kicking and putting points on the board. He probably figured, like most Mountaineer fans, we would score at-will and what makes the difference. The difference was huge.

South Florida beat us with what we usually beat teams with: speed. USF reacted well to every play and swarmed to the ball. The only way to stop that is to throw the ball down the field. Instead, WVU reverted to its usual ways with draws, inside options and screen passes. USF is way to fast to allow those to turn into the same big plays we had against Pitt. Slaton only had 43 yards on 18 carries and a devestating fumble at the goal line. It was worse for Pat who had 17 yards on 15 carries. Not Heisman numbers...not at all. When we did pass, which wasn't nearly enough, we had some success. White was 14 for 22 for 178 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. The last interception was the dagger.

Defensively, I thought we played well. USF had 84 yards on the ground and 279 in the air but had two interceptions. But, once again, we couldn't stop the Bulls on 3rd down when it mattered most...they were 7 of 14 on conversions. But, for the most part, I thought the defense played well enough to keep us in the game. On a typical day with the offense clicking, we would have blown them out of the water. The 4 turnovers proved to be the difference.

So, anyway, to recap quickly: The team didn't show up, the crowd didn't show up (until late in the 4th quarter) and ESPN, unfortunately, did. We were outcoached and outplayed on a beautiful November day in Morgantown with a lot riding on the line. Hopefully WVU can regroup and we can take care of Rutgers in a cold Saturday night game to salvage some respect. Maybe the Gator will still look at us. I'm not optimistic about that...but we have to win and then wait to see...

Don't Be Surprised...

LSU defeated Arkansas but Arkansas will still go to the SEC Championship Game where they will likely lose to Florida. First, let me say this before I continue: If Arkansas defeats Florida, Arkansas and Florida will go to BCS games and WVU will go to the Gator Bowl. Now, back to what I was saying...LSU finishes the year at 10-2 and is currently ranked behind West Virginia in the BCS ranking. But there is going to be a major, major media push and push by the SEC to take the 10-2 LSU who didn't win their division in the SEC over an 11-1 West Virginia (assuming WVU wins out). It is unacceptable to the football powers that the Big East have two BCS bids and the SEC only have one.

LSU lost two games this year...once to Auburn 7-3 and to Florida 23-10. I will admit those are good losses...but there's two of them. WVU has one loss to Louisville 44-34 thanks to a bum wrist and 5 blackout minutes at Papa Johns. So, I don't see the quality losses as a good argument. The real question to me is how you can take LSU, ranked below WVU in every poll, over West Virginia. West Virginia could be ranked as high as #5 in the BCS rank and that should be worth something. If you are going to completely ignore the BCS rank, then get rid of the whole system and get the playoff going now. But I'm warning you now that there is going to be a lot of crying on behalf of the SEC on behalf of LSU and expect Lee, Kirk and the crew at ESPN to also take up LSU's cause even though they are "un-biased."

Other quick points:

• Happy that Texas A&M beat Texas. That eliminates the possibility of the Big 12 taking up two BCS slots. The Aggies should be ashamed of the cheapshots they took at Colt McCoy though.
• WVU completely dominated Western Michigan in the first half. I mean, there's beating a team and then there's what West Virginia did. I was impressed...it's Western Michigan but a win remains a win. If we could win that Old Spice Tourney, that would set a really good tone for the year.
• Nobody wants the Miami job. Schiano would be a fool to take it. As would anyone else. Sure, it will return to a major winning program but who wants to inherit that mess. I honestly think Coker could have turned it around next year...but a new coach is going to have his hands full with that group of thugs.
• I hate to root for a Pete Carroll team but Jabba the Weis is even worse. I'm hoping USC lays them out...and put a good shot on Brady Quinn for me.
• Watching a couple games today, I've already heard people begin jockeying in the Heisman race for next year. Are you kidding me? It's getting ridiculous.

I think that's all for right now. Big game tomorrow for WVU. I don't see any reason West Virginia can't run all over the Bulls. I like WVU 42-17.

Meet the 2006-07 Men's Basketball Team

West Virginia took care of business against Montana and looked pretty good doing so. Montana is a better team than most would think. Joe Alexander had a good game and, overall, I was happy with the performance. I was struck by the fact I couldn't identify the players very well...of course, that's what happens when you lose 4 starters and only have 2 seniors on the team.

So, to help myself out, and maybe you too, here is a list of the 2006-07 Mountaineers basketball team. I think they will do better than 12th in the Big East, which is where they are predicted to finish.

#11	Joe Alexander	F	So.
#15	Devan Bawinkel	G	Fr.
#1	Da'Sean Butler	F	Fr.
#25	Dennis Gagai	G	Fr.
#34	Jacob Green	F	Fr.
#3	Joe Mazzulla	G	Fr.
#14	Darris Nichols	G	Jr.
#22	Alex Ruoff	F	So.
#43	Jamie Smalligan	C	Jr.
#35	Wellington Smith	F	Fr.
#24	Josh Sowards	F	So.
#33	Rob Summers	C	Sr.
#32	Ted Talkington	G	So.
#2	Cam Thoroughman	G	Fr.
#4	Jonnie West	G	Fr.
#21	Frank Young	F	Sr.

Darn UNC

I can't believe UNC lost to Gonzaga last night. Gonzaga doesn't even have the 'stached one any longer and the Tarheels fell.


Oh well...it's a long season. I think UNC can give Florida a run for their money this year if they get a chance to meet. The 'Heels are still very young...and, like last year, as the season rolls on they will get better. I also have confidence that this man will rule the college basketball world within by the time the season is over:


Anyway, WVU takes on Montana tonight in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando. Montana is from the Big Sky Conference and went to the NCAA tournament last year. The Grizzlies should be a good test for the young Mountaineers. I'm reserving judgment so far...just don't know how well this will go but I think WVU can pull it out.

Gonna Throw This Thing Out the Window

My desk was a complete mess of cables hooking up my laptop and 3 PCs that I have on my floor. I was using a Belkin 4-port KVM switch that was probably bought in 2000 to switch between all the garbage in my office. So, today, with it being the day before a 4-day break, I figured it would be a good day to try to clean up this conglomeration of crap. So, I identified the two PCs that I could live without and chucked them...

And, well, I didn't need that 4-port switch anymore -- besides, it was a manual switch before keyboard shortcuts so I broke out a Linksys 2-port switch that I could switch using the Scroll Lock. It also had all the extension cables built-in so that would eliminate all the extra VGA and PS/2 extension cables I had running from the old switch.

So, I hook up the Linksys and everything seems to be working pretty well...except I noticed that I had to click things 2 or 3 times on my laptop for it to actually take. So, I thought, well, maybe it's the USB mouse that is being converted to PS/2 to work with the switch...so, I found an old PS/2 mouse and hooked it up. I got nothing on either computer. So, I plugged the mouse directly into the PC and it worked. So, I thought maybe I needed to reboot.

Anyway, long story short, I rebooted both...neither had the mouse working. Went back to the USB mouse, didn't work either. So, now I have a mouse hooked directly to the laptop and another to the PC and I'm using the KVM switch just for keyboard and monitor. I'm not very pleased. And there's no way I'm going through the hassle of setting that 4-port back up. So, I ordered a new KVM switch but I have no idea why this one worked and stopped. I'm very frustrated and I may just throw the whole mess out the window.

Anyway, that's been my morning...1-hour of that stuff. If I don't update again, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

Kramer's Bitter

Well, Michael Richards completely lost it at a gig last Friday and went on Letterman last night to apologize. It's really a shame because Richards has always been one of the funniest actors I have seen. I'm not sure Richards should have been doing stand-up comedy anyway...he's a great comedian but he has to know that he's going to take some crap from people in the audience wanting him to do his Kramer schtick or just heckling him because he's a huge name.

As we all know, Richards has never been able to move beyond his Kramer role. Per his IMDb page, you can see he was all over the place before Seinfeld but he's been pretty scarce since. I'm sure he has enough money that he doesn't have to take tiny roles in other sitcoms but his comeback attempts makes it obvious that he still wants to be in the limelight and hasn't been able to do so. Kramer was typecast following rave reviews for his portrayal of gonorrhea -- Michael Richards has been typecast as Kramer.

Hopefully Richards can pull his life together and make a comeback but it's going to be a long, long road. Until then, there's always Seinfeld reruns in a much more innocent time.

BCS Standings - Who's In/Who's Out

Well, we're getting down to crunch time for the BCS and the bowl picture is beginning to take shape. My biggest concern is where WVU will end up. Rutgers loss to Cincinatti really hurt WVU because now, if Louisville can beat Pittsburgh and UConn, they will receive the automatic bid from the Big East. Had each team finished 11-1, the automatic berth would have gone to the team with the highest ranking (WVU).

There are 10 spots in the BCS. Six are taken by conference champions and four go to at-large teams. Non-BCS schools can earn bids if ranked in the top 12 of the final BCS Standings or ranked ahead of a BCS conference champ. Here who is most likely in:

• Ohio State - Big 10
• Texas - Big 12
• Georgia Tech - ACC
• USC - Pac 10
• Louisville - Big East
• Arkansas/Florida - SEC

Here who is most likely getting at-large bids:

• Michigan
• Boise State
• Notre Dame

That leaves one spot open. If Florida loses to Arkansas in the SEC title game, expect some hard lobbying from the SEC to get that open spot. Urban Meyer will suddenly sound a lot like Tommy Tuberville (wah, wah, wah). If Arkansas loses, they're out and we'll never hear any more about it. Notre Dame will receive a spot whether they are deserving or not. Boise State will be in...and that's the one that hurts our chances of landing an at-large selection.

However, our ranking should get us in. WVU is currently #7 and, if they win out, should jump over the loser of the USC/Notre Dame matchup and the loser of the Florida/Arkansas matchup. That would move WVU up to #5 in the final BCS Standings (obviously, they have to win out for this to occur). Really, there's no other team around us that has an argument for the final at-large bid...except maybe Wisconsin but there's already 2 Big 10 schools in the BCS. The next closest team that could argue would be Rutgers who is currently #12.

So, if WVU wins out, it looks pretty good they will receive that final at-large bid. There's a lot of talk about a possible Rose Bowl matchup against Michigan or USC. How awesome would the Rose Bowl be? Once in a lifetime really considering the rarity of them not having the Pac 10/Big 10 matchup. But, that's all speculation so far...WVU has to take care of business against USF and Rutgers. I'm very happy those games are at home.

Let the Debate Begin

UPDATE: Alright, I guess you can disregard everything below that I had wrote about Rutgers...they lost (or they are about to lose). While I feel a little bad for them, they should be proud of what they accomplished this year and they still have ALOT to play for over the last 2 games of the season.

Well, thanks to a late touchdown by Michigan, the national title debate will now turn into the "Does Michigan deserve another shot?" debate. First, let's examine why Michigan might deserve another shot at Ohio State in the BCS Championship Game:

• Lost to Ohio State by only 3, establishing themselves as worthy foes
• Lost to Ohio State on the road
• Only 1-loss on the season and that was to the #1 team in the country
• Played stronger schedule than any other 1-loss team but Florida

Those are some pretty good arguments. Let's look at why it shouldn't happen:

• Played Ohio State knowing they had to win to have a shot at the national title and lost
• Florida plays a stronger schedule and only has one loss
• Already played OSU and bowl rematches aren't usually very good
• Rutgers remains undefeated

Alright, so, some pretty strong arguments on each side there, I guess. I don't think Michigan should get the rematch by default. There's still a couple weeks left of football season for things to work out. Here's who I think deserves the shot by scenario:

• Rutgers - Rutgers beats Cincy and West Virginia, Rutgers deserves the shot as the only other major-BCS undefeated champion.
• Florida - Rutgers loses to WVU and Florida wins out, including the SEC Championship Game, the Gators get the shot due to strength of schedule.
• USC - Rutgers and Florida lose and USC beat Cal and Notre Dame, USC gets the shot.
• Arkansas or West Virginia - WVU beats Rutgers, USC loses to ND or Cal, Arkansas beats Florida in SEC Championship game -- I think both teams are pretty equal and would deserve consideration - very unlikely - well, not going to happen...Arkansas would get the nod.
• Michigan - Alright, we'll never get this far down but if WVU loses to USF and beat Rutgers and Arkansas/Florida struggle and USC loses to Notre Dame, I would give the nod to the Wolverines over the Irish.
• Notre Dame - Nope.

I don't think Michigan really deserves the rematch though...it was a good game...everyone knew what was on the line and Ohio State won the game. To me, that's the end of the story and someone else deserves a shot at OSU for a national title.

Jack Fleming

Jack Fleming passed away over 5 years ago but is still considered the "Voice of the Mountaineers." I happened to run across MSNSportnet's tribute page to him today...hadn't seen it before. If you haven't either, I encourage you to go over there and listen to some of Fleming's most famous calls -- Jack Fleming Tribute

Jack Fleming and Wood O'Hara - 1988 Penn St Scene Setter

Trip to Pittsburgh

Well, obviously the Pitt game was excellent for the Mountaineers. For one half, the Panthers were able to compete with WVU. For one half, the Panthers actually beat WVU. But then the second half started and Pittsburgh was done thanks to the running for Pat White and Steve Slaton. More on the game shortly...but for now, a quick reliving of the trip from departure to arrival:

Left Fairmont at approximately 3:00 p.m. so there would be time to check-in to the hotel before going to the game. It was all smooth sailing until we exited I-79 for 279 and then it was bumper to bumper traffic all the way to the tunnels. The hotel was in Green Tree and, according to the hotel's website, you take exit 4-B to get to the hotel. As I passed exit 4-A, I started to get a bad feeling. There is no exit 4-B on the north bound side of 279. So, we had to get off 279 onto Route 19 and turn around and get in bumper to bumper traffic on 279 South to get off exit 4-B. Bad directions, bad driving...not sure which was to blame. I think it was the directions. So, anyway, slight delay but we got checked into the hotel quickly, changed and headed through the tunnels into downtown Pittsburgh.

Obviously, we needed dinner. Found a parking spot right on Liberty Avenue and headed over to Primanti Brothers for a quick sandwich. Everyone ordered the Black Angus steak sandwich sans slaw. Nuzum asked for Primanti fries. The waitress asked if he wanted extra fries. Confusion ensued as we tried to figure if he wanted fries in addition to those that come on the sandwich. Finally, after 30 seconds of awkwardness, we decided he would receive no extra fries and those that came on the sandwich would suffice. We were the only Mountaineer fans in Primanti Brothers on this evening. However, we received no harassment from the other Pitt patrons.

After eating, we headed across Robert Clemente Bridge to the stadium to get the tickets from the Mountaineer tickets folks and get into the game. After some confusion as to where to go, we found our way into the stadium and to our seats. We were sitting right next to the Mountaineer band and in the middle of Mountaineer fans. Except for 2 Pitt fans sitting directly behind us. They were the source of much frustration and entertainment over the next 3+ hours. More on them shortly. The weather was pretty nice...it sprinkled on a couple occasions but not the downpours which I had feared.



The Pitt band took the field and put on a rather unimpressive show. The Pitt student section was filled up but there were a lot of empty seats until the end of the 1st quarter. People from West Virginia were stuck in traffic trying to get into Pittsburgh which contributed to some of the empty seats. I'm sure the threat of rain and the cold also kept people away from Heinz Field. But, the stadium was far from packed which I found a little disappointing.




The first half was a back and forth battle between two teams that couldn't really stop each other. The fine Pitt fan behind us (I will call him Jonas) continually yelled annoying things like "Trailer City, West Virginia" and "Carson Palmer." The Carson Palmer remark was expressing Jonas' wish for someone to roll up on White's leg and blow out his ACL like Kimo did to Palmer in the playoffs last year. He had some other repeated remarks I would not say now. At one point he said something about Pat White's mother which I reacted to...I believe I asked him "What are you talking about?" or something similar and his response was "I'm in his head...I'm in his head." That became fodder for me the rest of the game. After many big White plays, I would thank Jonas for being in White's head. His friend would not join him in his asinine chants and seemed genuinely embarrassed.



So, halftime rolls around. The Pride performed pieces from their pregame at halftime. During halftime, Jonas invited a couple of his friends over to sit with him. A Mountaineer fan behind Jonas took exception to that and told them all to leave and stop causing problem. A woman sitting beside Rod also said something to them and Jonas mouthed her off a bit and her HUGE husband took umbrage and wanted out to confront Jonas. The husband began barreling through me and Nuzum and I had to exit. I sent Bo to get security because I didn't want the husband to be tossed for getting into a fight. The two additional Pitt invaders that didn't have tickets needed to leave and that is what eventually occurred once security arrived. It was the closest thing we would see to a fight.



Jonas pouted for a while...pulled out the "Trailer City, West Virginia" chant and said a few vulgar things. Most everyone ignored him at this point. He called his friends to try to get them to come back but I think the HUGE husband had scared them off. I invited him to leave and go find them but I think he was having a good time...Pitt was still leading at that point. Obviously things went downhill for Pitt and Jonas at this point. When WVU pulled ahead of Pitt by a score of 45-27, this is what Jonas looked like:




Shortly thereafter, Jonas and his friend left, as did most Pitt fans. We were sure to give them a proper sendoff. He made some more trailer park comments but it was too late by that point. A member of the band came over and thanked us for riding Jonas and his friend for the whole game. She thought it was pretty funny. At that point, we turned into cheerleaders the rest of the game. I credit us for stopping Pitt on the huge 4th and 8 late in the game. Our section had been dead up to that point but I turned around and yelled "everybody up" and they finally got up and cheered for the defense. Of course, I guess some of the credit should go to the defense too.




WVU goes on to win...we could have put another touchdown on them but we didn't. I wanted 52 but 45 was still nice. Following the game, the crowd broke out into a spontaneous singing of "Country Roads" and the football team came over to celebrate. I think we had all pretty much lost our voices by that point. But all was right with the world. We left the game and headed over to Eat 'n Park for some post-game food. No one really gave us any crap which was surprising. Then headed back to the hotel.






But, that was about it. WVU dominated in the second half once the defense turned it up. Pitt had no answer for the speed of White and Slaton. Not to say I wasn't happy before but I was finally impressed by White's arm. I'm not saying he was making the most difficult passes in the world, but he put the ball where it needed to be and found open receivers and didn't make any mistakes really. So, now we await a couple home games...if we take care of business against USF, it sets up a huge matchup against Rutgers. Who would have thought we'd be looking forward to a huge matchup with Rutgers? Should be interesting...

WVU Destroys Pitt

Well, it was a game for one half...and a complete clinic in another. I'll post later about the entire trip and all the interesting things that happened...but, for now, I will let Pat White say it all (courtesy of Wes):


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cocDhwnzhg

Off to Pittsburgh

Well, just a quick note today...I'm getting ready to head up Pittsburgh way to see the infamous Backyard Brawl. I don't think the Mountaineers should have any problems with the Panthers but the deluge that has besieged the area could be problematic for the Mountaineer run attack. The secondary could be tested again tonight if the Mountaineer defense is unable to put any pressure on Palko.

Pittsburgh's loss last week in double overtime to UConn proves the Panthers are just a complete mess right now. They were up 14 with just under 4:00 minutes to play and allowed UConn to win the game. I don't think they can rebound from the defeat and do anything with the Mountaineers. Look for WVU to win the 99th meeting between West Virginia and Pittsburgh by a score of 38 to 20.

My Response to Mr. Davis

Here's a comment I got from Mr. Davis over at WVConfidential.com regarding whether we are any safer this week after electing Democrats...and my response follows:

Well, of course we aren't any safer this week. The Democrats aren't even technically in power yet.

Look, Ahmadinejad and Chavez are nuts. Bush is just the visual aid they enjoy using when they spout off lame rhetoric about how they hate America. It's not like they started hating America when Bush was elected, and will stop when he leaves.

The only victory in this election as that we are finally going to stop denying that everything is fine in Iraq and try to change course. We've spent all this time and loss of life in Iraq and there hasn't been any real progress. Yes, we got rid of Saddam. But the country has devolved into Civil War now and what should we do? That isn't a question for me to answer, because obviously I have no clue. But I never once saw the Bush Administration pass out handouts explaining what "Stay the Course" meant. Stay the Course, until..? Until what?

Switching to the Middle East as a whole, yes, these people want to kill us. But I'm not sure I can get behind your theory of no negotiation. American foreign policy in the Middle East is not for the slight of heart. I have no idea what the best solution is. But we can't just start knocking off every batshit crazy dictator and hope the country settles into a tidy little democracy. Obviously, that doesn't work, and now the Bush Administration is having to come to terms with that. I hope the Democrats and/or this study group (calling Mr. Baker please, anyone?) have an idea.

My Response:

I know the Dems aren’t in power yet…but it seems the rhetoric of our enemies got stronger on the assumption that America is unable to stomach handling world affairs…that is what they gathered from us (the American people) electing Democrats. I don’t know that they drew the correct assumptions…but that seems to me to be the conclusion they have drawn.

As for Iraq, I’m looking forward to a change in policy but I am not in favor of completely cutting off funding (as proposed by Dennis Kucinich - Democrat, Ohio) or withdrawing, leaving Iraq in complete ruin (as proposed by many Democrats, including John Murtha). Hey, I want out of Iraq too but there has to be a plan. Yes, I want a speedy exit but you can’t leave a complete vacuum in that country because Iran will fill that void.

As for the rest of the Middle East…I agree that you can’t just go around killing everyone but I don’t think you can negotiate with someone like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. When he hears that we are willing to negotiate, he sees weakness. This man is devoted to destroying Israel and, if need be, the world. I can’t confirm but many have written of his belief that the 12th Imam will reveal himself only after the world has been thrown into chaos and war and, after the 12th Imam comes out of hiding, Islam will rule the world. And this man has others who support him and believe this too. I don’t think we can negotiate with him. As for other Middle Eastern countries, I hold out hope.

I’m not anti-Democrat simply because they are Democrats…but I haven’t heard any ideas from Dems on what to really do in Iraq other than leave. That’s not a solution. I haven’t heard any ideas on Iran. I haven’t heard any ideas on North Korea. We tried to negotiate with NK during Clinton’s years and they developed a nuclear bomb. Are we waiting for the same from Iran? If the Democrats have ideas, great. If James Baker and a panel can get together and come up with solutions, awesome. But we can no longer coddle and enbolden Americans enemies by showing a lack of will.

So, Are We Better Off?

Well, folks, it's a week removed from the election and I'm curious to see whether you believe we're better off today than we were a week ago. The election of Democrats brought praise from Hugo Chavez and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other terrorists throughout the world. Was that our goal? To appease dictators and terrorists?

Hugo Chavez said this is great, "a repudiation of Bush's Iraq policy," said he was "filled with optimism" over the Democrats' win. In France, Dominique somebody or else at the Institute On International Relations said there is "less White House in America now and a little less America in the world." A political ally of Muqi al-Sadr said "The vote shows the Iraqi and American people are of one mind about withdrawing U.S. troops. ... We hope the Democrats don't forget their campaign promises." This is our enemy in Iraq.

I'm not exactly encouraged that dictators and terrorists around the world believe America will leave them alone now. Does that really make us safer? The belief that they can act and America will do nothing? Do you believe they will leave us alone if we leave them alone? The answer is no. They are looking at us waiting to see what we are going to do. If we show lack of will and lack of spine, they will be opportunistic in advancing their extreme agenda and continue overrunning Europe.

Folks, there's major things going on that we have no idea about. Islamic facism is on the rise and we sit here with our heads in the sand. By the time we wake up and realize there is no negotiation with people who want to kill you, it may be too late. Maybe the Dems will behave stronger than I think...but I'm not counting on it.

Where Did Christmas Go?

Away apparently...but Christmas is back. At least that's what Wal-Mart says. And Macy's. The stores are dumping their Happy Holidays schtick and getting back to Merry Christmas. Wal-Mart says it lost business when it dumped Christmas for Holidays. So, despite the calls by the minority not to utter the word "Christmas," major department chains are bringing by the Christmas in hopes of boosting sales.

Honestly, it doesn't matter a whole lot to me but I never saw a reason to dump Christmas. We celebrate every other holiday with zeal. It's not like Kwazaa has been ignored. I've heard more about Ramadan in the past few years than I really care for but I'm not asking people to forget it. I don't think Hanukkah has been overlooked. No one is afraid to go out there and promote those holidays. But Christmas is taboo? Why? When did it become completely unacceptable for anything the majority wants to be forbidden? Something is out of whack here...

Anyway, just some quick hits to finish the day:

• Steelers won...3rd win of the season. Excited? Not yet...they gave up 517 yards. But no turnovers.
• WVU moved back up to #8 in the BCS. And some people are predicting us in the Rose Bowl. How awesome would that be?
• China has been stalking our ships. How scary is that?

That's about it for right now I think.

Maybe a Two-Loss SEC Team Deserves a Shot?

Just three weeks after whining to the media, saying an SEC team couldn't go undefeated because of their difficult schedule, Tommy Tuberville and his Auburn Tigers laid an egg against the Georgia Bulldogs. The 7-4 Georgia Bulldogs. The 7-4 Georgia Bulldogs who lost to Kentucky and Vanderbilt.

When Tuberville made his comments, it was obvious they were directed towards the Big East. But Tommy now has lost...twice. Once against Georgia. At home. Auburn lost at home to Georgia. The same Georgia that lost to Kentucky last week. So, I'll be anxious to hear what Tuberville says now. Does a 2-loss SEC team deserve a shot at a BCS title? Maybe a 3-loss team? Maybe whoever wins the SEC should just be crowned? Tell me, Tommy. Please?

In other football news, WVU rolled over Cincinatti without much fanfare. Nice win. Hopefully Schmidtt isn't hurt badly. Defense stepped up and played a decent game. Secondary still showed weaknesses, especially late in the game. Our second string is obviously horrible. I can't believe how poorly we played after pulling Slaton and White. I was disappointed by that. But now it is time for the Backyard Brawl, which should be a good game on another Big East Thursday Night.

With Auburn losing, WVU can start its move back up on the BCS standings. I don't know if we'll leap Louisville or not. I'm hoping so. With Auburn out of the way, the door is open to make some big moves over the rest of the year. Cal and USC play, and USC and Notre Dame play...so we can leap at least one, probably two, of those teams. Texas still has a conference championship...same for Florida. So, we could move back into the Top 5 by the end of the season if we keep winning. There's still a decent outside shot at an At-Large BCS bid if we don't leap UL by the end of the season.

Lastly, East Fairmont lost last night in another very close loss, 15-8. It was all defense on both sides. East's only score was after it picked off an RCB pass. RCB moved the ball a couple times but that was it. I think the field really made a difference in the game...turf is a lot different than natural grass. But it was a good season...congratulations to the Bees on breaking a 30-year hex. Hopefully they can build on it.

I Have Scarlet Fever

Who would have guessed it? Who would have thought that one week after Louisville won the most important game in that school's history, Rutgers would turn around and beat Louisville for the most important win in Rutgers' history? Anyone? Anyone think Rutgers would be 9-0, have a Heisman candidate and be part of a national championship discussion? Anyone?

This is the same Rutgers that lost to WVU by a score of 80-7 just a few short years ago. In Rich Rodriguez's first season. When WVU went 3-8. And WVU was bad. And they beat Rutgers 80-7. Most people said that the loss to WVU that year set the program back at least a couple years. So, if that were true, where would Rutgers be now? Doesn't matter...Rutgers just beat the #3 team in the nation and is sitting in the driver's seat for a Big East Championship and a BCS Bowl. Only one little problem: WVU.

Ah, yes. Once again, despite the loss to UL, the Big East title will come down to a showdown in MoTown. Barring any upsets between now and then, December 2nd will determine who gets the BCS bowl and who ends up finishing third in the conference. If Rutgers finishes the season undefeated, they obviously will get the nod. If WVU beats Rutgers and finishes 11-1, they will end with a higher ranking than Louisville and get the BCS berth. A lot of work to do between now and then but the Mountaineers remain in the hunt and that's all we can ask for right now.

Back to Rutgers for a minute...where did that defense come from? Brohm obviously can't pass under any pressure. I thought Rutgers constant pursuit of the ball would be their downfall (over pursuing) but Louisville played right into their hands. I think WVU can present enough misdirection to keep the Rutgers defense off-balance. As for the Mountaineers poor defense, the Scarlet Knights rely heavily on the run which seems to be the one thing WVU can stop. Teel isn't a great passer so we should match up well.

Hopefully WVU and Rutgers can get to December 2nd without losing because the Big East can definitely use one more "Game of the Week." The publicity for the conference over the last two weeks has been nothing short of remarkable. And the games have lived up to the hype. And we still have a lot of football left...

It's All About K-Fed --- And Football Predictions

Overshadowed by all this election non-sense is the real story of the week: Brittany has filed for divorce from the awesome Kevin Federline. I can't believe this story has taken a backseat to the Democrats taking control of the House and the Senate. I think it's a story of selfishness and jealousy that needs to be told:

When Brittany Spears married Kevin Federline, Federline was a simple dancer. He was in the shadows...hidden by Brittany's shining light. And that's the way Spears liked it. She wanted the glory for herself, and Federline obliged. Brittany had a good run, got pregnant, popped out a couple kids and has taken a hiatus from her musical career. And Federline continued to push her into the limelight...constantly trying to deflect attention from himself to feed Brittany's huge ego.

But, a few months ago, that all changed. Federline's talents could no longer be hidden from the public. The thirst for K-Fed had to be quelched. So the reserved and shy Federline decided to make a rap album and allow the general public to lay eyes on his awesome talents. And, of course, the public ate it up. They wanted more. Brittany was completely forgotten. But her ego was too much...she can't handle the backseat.

So, Brittany has filed for divorce in a blatent attempt to steal Federline's thunder. She realizes that he will always be the focus of the public and the media while they are together. So, she is filing for divorce in a selfish attempt to put the limelight back on her.

Well, Ms. Spears, it won't work. K-Fed is a light which must shine. He made every attempt to keep you the focus but it just won't work anymore. The public has had a taste of K-Fed and they won't allow him to disappear despite his attempts to do so. K-Fed has talent...Ms. Spears, I can't say the same for you.

With that said, here are this weeks football predictions:

Fairmont Senior 28 - Wheeling Park 17
Morgantown 42 - Huntington 21
Grafton 17 - Mt. View 6
Louiville 45 - Rutgers 30
East Carolina 21 - Marshall 20
Oregon 13 - USC 6

And the Biggies:

I have picked East to win and they lose...I pick them to lose and they win. I'm torn...I will pick them to lose but I really, really hope they can win...
Robert C. Byrd 24 - East Fairmont 21

Mountaineers take out some frustration:
WVU 49 - Cincy 13

And Steelers FINALLY win:
Pittsburgh 27 - New Orleans 17

I'm Feeling A Little Sick

I can't say I'm shocked...because I'm not. I did think the GOP would hold the Senate and it's looking increasingly likely that they lost it. I'm not sure what to say. I know the thought of Speaker Pelosi sends me "running and screaming" just as Davis said. But, it's not going to be a thought anymore...it's going to be reality. And that's pretty darn scary.

Do I think anything will really change? Not really. Pelosi said she's not interested in investigations and impeaching the President. She might be telling the truth. But I don't think she can stop her constituents though. And I'm not saying that investigations are a bad thing...don't get me wrong. But I don't like the idea of tying the country's hands in a time of war and with world events the way they are.

Maybe Democrats will see that and really focus on securing our country first and getting even second. I don't think so...but I can hope. As for Republicans, well, they screwed their base. Somewhere between 1994 and 2004, Republicans became wishy-washy and more interested in appeasing moderates than trying to lead a movement. Conservatism is alive and well...and still making a major difference...unfortunately many Republicans abandoned conservatism to try to make friends with the media and gain favorable exposure. Newt Gingrich led a movement. Nancy Pelosi is leading a dissatisfaction regime. Denny Hastert didn't lead...and that's why they're now the minority.

Anyway, I'll be very anxious to see what the next two years hold. I'm not completely pessimistic on the whole thing...there's always good out there. Republicans generally perform best when their backs are against the wall so don't hand the Democrats the presidency in 2008 yet. For the next couple years there will be a lot of fighting but there's always a chance for progress. I hope both sides can work together and make America safer and better...and try not to raise my taxes (too much).

On a local level, it appears that Don Blankenship's giant push didn't make any difference. Additionally, Raese and Mollohan won easily. The only shock to me was that Cody Starcher was ousted from the Marion County Commission thanks to some real shots by the Times-WV. But, that's about it...

Election Day

I encourage everyone to get out there and vote on Election Day and try to make your voices heard. I'll be interested to see the results. I am not expecting the Democrat sweep that so many are...it will be much closer than some people would like to see. Always fun though...

Oh, and the Raiders are really bad...really, really bad. I can't believe the Steelers LOST to the Raiders.

That's all for today...seriously.

Election Time

Well, it's about that time -- time for mid-term elections. Pardon me if I don't sound overly excited about the election. I'll vote and then I'll move on and tomorrow night I'll sit around to see if Republicans are able to keep their majority in the House and Senate. My gut feeling is they will hold at least one and probably both. I have been wrong in the past...but not very often.

I will be the first to admit that I am not overly pleased with the Republican party today. I am a fiscal conservative and I don't believe the Republican party has done much to advance a conservative agenda. George Bush is not a true conservative. The House and Senate have been wishy-washy. Instead, as most point out, the Republican party has created more entitlement programs and expanded the government...a liberal agenda. And that doesn't make me too pleased.

However, at least I know what I'm getting with the Republican party. There is no agenda set for the Democrats. They have run their entire election cycle on two things: Iraq and George Bush. Well, guess what, electing Democrats will not get us out of Iraq and will not remove GWB from office. That's a fact. I haven't heard anything from Democrats on a social or fiscal agenda. What I'm hearing is they want to raise taxes, raise the minimum wage and raise the federal budget...3 things which I vigorously oppose. As far as social issues, they don't mean as much to me.

I'm just a little nervous as to what will happen over the next 2 years with a Democrat controlled House or Senate. I'm not looking forward to impeachment hearings or the constant barrage of investigations that will occur until a Democrat regime. I am not looking forward to higher taxes so I can pay for someone's welfare. I don't support that. I'm scared of the uncertainty of Democrats. I'm not a status quo kinda guy...but in this case, I'm have to be.

Final Posting Today

Well, this is my third and final posting on Sunday. The BCS rankings have surprised me too with WVU hanging at #10. Apparently some people don't feel WVU or the Big East deserve to have a #3 team or a #10 team. Here's what Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star said:

"After watching the West Virginia-Louisville game Thursday night I was shocked at how poorly the defenses played," Whitlock said in an e-mail to the AP on Sunday. "I don't think either one of those teams would survive against the best teams in the SEC. So there are four SEC teams that I think are better than Louisville. I also think Ohio State, Texas, USC and Michigan are better than Louisville."

That is crap. I want some justification for those comments. It makes no sense. What? You going to point to Strength of Schedule. Fine...let's look at some schedule strengths according to CBS Sports: Ohio State - #32; Louisville - #39; Auburn- #26; USC - #24; WVU - #35; Notre Dame - #30. Seems to me that WVU and Louisville's SOS is consistent with some other top teams. As far as WVU's schedule, the win over Maryland looks more impressive every week, Missippi State beat Alabama and Marshall and ECU are winning. Plus their toughest games lie ahead and will improve the SOS. Louisville's SOS should also improve at the end of the season.

I do not believe Jason Whitlock. I do not believe there are four teams in the SEC better than Louisville. I belive WVU and Louisville could be competitive against the SEC or any of the other four teams he mentions in his quote. Apparently someone hid Whitlock's donuts from him before he voted and he believes it was Mike Tranghese...that's the only thing I can come up with.

Lastly, I don't know if the Steelers will make a comeback and beat Denver or not. Either way, it's all about the turnovers...

WVU Still in BCS?

I'm shocked by the human polls today...WVU remained #10 in both polls which really, really shocked me. I had expected somewhere in the 13-15 range. Obviously, the computer polls will slam us today and we'll probably end up #12 in the BCS but there is still an outside shot at WVU landing an at-large bid in a BCS Bowl (most likely Orange).

For WVU to make a BCS bowl, they first (and most obviously) need to win the rest of their games. We also need Boise State to slip up down the stretch and blow their at-large bid or Notre Dame to fall out of the Top 8 in the BCS standings (unlikely they would be passed over even if they did). It appears the SEC and Big Ten are locks to get two teams in to the BCS unless Auburn or Florida really blow something big down the stretch. Really, our best bet is to hope Boise State loses...

If WVU misses the BCS (which is likely), the Gator Bowl would probably pick them up over a Big 12 school. We'd likely face Clemson. If Maryland continues on their tear in the ACC but loses the ACC title game, they would probably get the nod for the ACC into the Gator Bowl which means the Gator would pass on WVU because they wouldn't want another rematch which would move a Big 12 school into the Gator and move West Virginia all the way down to the Texas Bowl or International Bowl. Gag me now!

Yeah, I know...I said a lot without saying much of anything. WVU still could win the Big East too if Rutgers can defeat Louisville and we defeat Rutgers. Once again unlikely but its a possible scenario. All I know is that WVU needs to come out and whip up on the Bearcats next Saturday. They can't let Louisville beat them twice but coming out dejected and deflated against Cincinnati because the Bearcats are a decent team and will take advantage if we give them openings. I hope Mylan Puskar Stadium is packed on Saturday...come out and show the Mountaineer how proud we were of their run and that we still have faith in them.

Oh, for anyone interested, here is the site for Code Red who performed at the UL/WVU game instead of the Pride of West Virginia. He performed "For My Cards." We were also subject to Young Nitt singing "R U Ready" before every kickoff. That's a real joy. I hate to say it though but it's definitely not worse than 6'6" 240's "The Gold n the Blue." Code Red might be better...

Playoff Matchup Set / Saddam

It's official: East will travel to Clarksburg to face Robert C. Byrd in their first playoff appearance in 30 years. Thankfully, the Bees were given the choice as to when to play the game and chose 7:30 p.m. on Friday over a Saturday game...so no interference with the Mountaineer game on Saturday. I honestly don't know a whole lot about RCB except they whipped Fairmont Senior in the first game of the season and lost to Bridgeport toward the end of the season. If the Bees advance, they will face the winner of the Morgantown/Huntington matchup.

Fairmont Senior, thanks to their victory over East, will get to host Wheeling Park at East/West Stadium for the second time this year. The Polar Bears easily defeated Wheeling Park a few weeks ago at East/West. The Bears will likely face Nitro in the second round if they are able to advance, barring an upset by Princeton.

In case you haven't heard, Saddam Hussein has been convicted of crimes against humanity and will likely hang. Basically, the tribunal found him guilty of ordering the murder of the deaths of 148 Shai men and teenage boys in the town of Dujail in 1982. The former dictator could now be charged with genocide and war crimes.

For some reason, there's a growing sentiment that Iraq was better off with Saddam. That is obviously not the case. The man killed thousands upon thousands during his tenure as leader and I believe the deaths today pale in comparison to what had been occuring there over the years he was in charge. Granted, there is still much work to do but I do not believe the Iraqi people were better off with Saddam...it's just a very difficult process for democracy to take hold in a land where it is so rare.

Oh, and elections are only 2 days away. I encourage everyone to vote -- I'll give my rundown tomorrow.

So Close...

Well, the 86th Annual East/West Game was hyped because of the matchup between two playoff teams. But the game typically is a blowout one way or the other. But this year the matchup lived up to the hype as West Fairmont stopped East 2 yards short of the endzone to preserve a 35-28 victory over the Bees. It was probably the best contested East/West game I have seen. The only thing that could have made the game better was East being on the winning side.

The upside is that East secured its playoff spot a couple weeks ago and the only thing on the line was homefield in the first round. A potential rematch looms depending on the final standings. I'm thinking East will probably end up visiting Robert C. Byrd for the first round. I can't say I'm overly excited about that game but any game is better than none. The final rankings will be out on Sunday and we'll know for sure.

What matters most is that the Bees are finally returning to the State playoffs following a 30-year absence. And, quite honestly, I think they can advance regardless of the opponent. If they are playing well, they can definitely compete with RCB, West Fairmont, Morgantown or whoever else they might be thrown up against next week. I'm looking forward to it. I hope everyone else is too.

Oh well...

Well, I'm back from "The Ville" where Louisville ended WVU's thoughts of a national title. Disappointing? Yes. Unexpected? Not really. I could go over why WVU lost (ummm, when you're in a game where they can't stop you and you can't stop them, you can't tall the ball over OR where's the secondary), but I'll save that for a time when I really feel like getting into it. Instead, I'll just talk about my experience in Louisville and Papa John's Stadium.


First, the Stadium kinda sucks. I mean, it's nice once you are inside, in your seat. The problem is that it took 45-minutes to get into the gate. They were doing full patdowns. It was pretty bad. Then, once inside the gate, you had to wait in line to get to your seats. The problem is that 4 sections head in the same entry way...and they have restrooms on each side of that entry way. So, basically, you have lines trying to merge into the bathroom and lines trying to move to the left or right to get to their section. That equated to a lot of gridlock and pushing and stuff like that. It was really bad. Papa John's holds around 40,000 people...they are going to expand to hold 65,000 but they need to make some major renovations to their infrastructure to make it work.



But, once inside, I found my seats were 5 rows from the field and the seats were individual seats, not the bleacher-style seating. But the seats were a real hard plastic and really cold. I sat twice throughout the entire game...mostly at halftime. Steve Slaton's brother sat in the row in front of me and we had some other player family around us. The Stadium scoreboard is awesome but the Cards entrance leaves a little to be desired. They need to work on it some.

The Pride of West Virginia sat in the upper level behind me. They never took the field...apparently Louisville's halftime was already taken...by a rapper named CODE RED. He sucked. I booed...heartily. They did recognize a few people at halftime who probably deserved recognization. The man sitting next to me heckled them much to my embarassment. Code Red deserved heckling...not the autistic piano player.

Second half obviously sucked for the Mounties. The Louisville fans, who had been quiet all game, finally turned up the volume in the 3rd quarter. The C-A-R-D-S, Cards cheer was annoying. The rap they kept pumping over the loud system was also very annoying. Lots and lots of rap in Louisville. And as much as I really like Jay-Z's "Show Me What You Got," I only need to hear it 6 times in one game. Not 37 times.


Louisville rushed the field at the end of the game which was fine. I wanted them to. If WVU fans do it, it's disgraceful. If UL fans do it, it's cool. At least that's the way ESPN reports it. I thought it was deserved.


For the most part, the Cardinal fans were polite. I had a couple offer me alcoholic beverages which I promptly rejected (I just wanted food) but it was nice to offer. Only one heckler really. And that was pre-game. After the game they were all pretty cool. Nothing like Pitt fans.

So, all in all, Louisville is cool I guess. They need to work on their stadium but that's okay. They might be a little too Miami for me...they have a weird attitude down there. I think it's the same red-headed stepchild attitude that Marshall suffers from...most people there remain UK fans.

Lastly, driving back, there was a sign hanging on the overpass in Huntington that said "MU says GO CARDS." I hate Marshall.

Football Predictions

Well, since I’ll be leaving first thing tomorrow morning for Louisville, I guess I’ll have to do my football predictions a day early. There are two huge matchups for this area (as far as I’m concerned anyway). WVU visiting Louisville and the 86th Annual East/West Game here in Fairmont.

I’ll start off with #10 East Fairmont at #7 Fairmont Senior. This is probably the biggest matchup between the cross-town rivals in recent memory. Both schools are a lock for the State Playoffs and it will be East’s first appearance in the playoffs in 30-years. My first worry would be that East players feel they’ve already accomplished their goal (playoffs) and this could be a letdown. Then I said “Not so fast, my friend…” This is a rivalry game and there’s still a lot at stake. The winner of the East/West game will have homefield in the first round of the playoffs.
I’ve seen Fairmont Senior twice this year and both times they have been extremely impressive. The speed the West team possesses could make a huge difference in this matchup. Watch for West to try to go long early and put this game away in a hurry. If East can hang around until the second half, they have a good chance at frustrating the Polar Bears and pulling off the upset.

The Bees will obviously be looking for their playmakers to step up again with some big plays and the defense has to play at home to contain the Bears potent offense. Should be a great matchup. I hope they don’t meet in the first round of the playoffs again though…and that’s a real possibility and it would be a major disappointment. Anyway, the speed of Fairmont Senior really concerns me but I can’t go against the Bees in this magical year. East Fairmont 34 – Fairmont Senior 28

As for #3 WVU at #5 Louisville…well, a huge matchup for a potential shot at a national championship. I don’t believe WVU has to pass the ball to win…I think they need to line up White, Slaton and Schmidtt in the backfield and run, run, run. The occasional screen pass or slant to keep the defense honest and a try deep on 1st down a few times. I don’t think we can rely on White’s arm to win…it’s going to be his legs.

As for Louisville, they need Brohm to shake off the rust and make some plays. The WVU secondary remains suspect and he needs to abuse them. Go deep often. WVU has left the door open multiple times. The Cards just need to take advantage. Run occasionally but you’re not going to win the ballgame with running because that’s the one thing the WVU defense can stop.

Should be a great matchup…great publicity for both schools and for the Big East. “Blackout Thursday” on ESPN HD. I’m really anxious and excited. And nervous. But I think Rich Rod and the boys figure out a way to pull off another huge night win. And with a memorable score… WVU 38 – UL 35

In other football action:

LSU 17 – Tennessee 13
Boston College 27 – Wake Forest 21
Oklahoma 25 – Texas A&M 13V
irginia Tech 38 – Miami 17

Oh, and lastly let me say that the Miami Heat’s performance last night was downright embarrassing.