Goodbye 2007, Hello 2008

A quick 2007 in review: WVU over Georgia Tech in the Gator Bowl. Boise State upsets Oklahoma. Nick Saban goes to Alabama and Bill Cowher retires. Florida wins a national championship in football. And basketball. Snickers airs a "controversial" ad during the Super Bowl and Michael Irvin is removed from ESPN. Teachers threaten a walkout for more money and gas prices rise, rise, rise. "West Virgina" wins the NIT Championship and John Beilein leaves for Michigan. Bobby Huggins comes home. Hilary, Rudy, Obama, McCain and Romney provide entertainment for everyone while sports are not on. Barry Bonds is indicted and the Mitchell report is released (which I read every page). WVU begins preseason Top 5 and then loses to South Florida and Pitt. East Fairmont advances in the playoffs for the first time ever. The dollar drops, housing markets "collapse" and gas still rises. WVU gets invited to the Fiesta Bowl and Rich Rodriguez leaves for Michigan and WVU can't find a coach. Which is far more important in the eyes of Mountaineer fans than, say, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan.

Oh, what a year it was. Good things, bad things...a typical year. But that's all behind us now...the question is what is going to happen in 2008 -- and here are some burning questions:

• Who will be the next coach of West Virginia? Could the rumors about Nick Saban turn true? Will WVU hire Butch Jones and completely alienate the fans? And how much will ticket prices rise? PREDICTION: WVU settles for Jones and Ed Pastilong announces his retirement in 2009. And Rodriguez pays $3 million of the $4 million buyout.
• Where's the basketball team going? Can Huggins compete for a Big East title this year? PREDICTION: WVU finishes 7th in the Big East and ends up back in the NIT this year. But watch out next year...
• Can Beilein and Rodriguez win at Michigan? PREDICTION: Beilein continues to struggle until he is fired. Rodriguez has a good year but loses to Ohio State (9-3).
• Who is running for President? PREDICTION: Rudy Guiliani allows Romney and Huckabee take each other out and becomes the Republican candidate. The Hilary Attack Machine gears up and takes down Obama. Rudy is the new president...
• What's going to happen in Pakistan? PREDICTION: Uneasy peace for the entire year. Musharraf declares emergency states serveral times throughout the year to keep power.
• How will WVU football perform in 2008? PREDICTION: Eh, not a BCS Championship.

So, I'm sure there are far more pressing questions that I didn't answer but that's all I can think of at the moment. Watch out for tomorrow's Fiesta Bowl. WVU should be playing some inspired football and I don't believe it will be the blowout the Corso predicted. I hope there can be some reconciliation between the WVU Athletic Department and the MAC donors or it's going to be a long, cold couple years as WVU tries to stay competitive in football and basketball. Maybe it's just too much to ask...