West BY GOD Virginia

New Address

2007-11-25T21:30:00.000-05:00

http://www.westbygodvirginia.net

If you link to WBGV, please change your links accordingly.

The Curse of #2?

2007-11-25T12:30:00.000-05:00

Want to know why WVU won't fall victim to the #2 curse of this season?

Yeah, we should be just fine.

Note: Game recap/other shenanigans coming later today.

On Location: Touchdown City

2007-11-24T01:30:00.000-05:00

You wanted Morgantown to rock? You wanted the crowd to finally be in a game? You're about to see it tomorrow. You're about to see 60,000+ of your closest friends cheer like they KNOW we're going to the National Championship. This fan base is about to come alive, finally.

I have not been this excited about Mountaineer football since my friend poured a full beer on himself at the Sugar Bowl. This is it, ladies and gentlemen. Win out and we get called to the show. Lose and it's over. Want to see some Mountaineer fans cheer like their hopes and dreams hang in the balance? Witness it at Mountaineer Field tomorrow.

And, hoping all goes well, watch everything you see tomorrow TIMES TWO against Pitt next week.

I'm drunk now. I'm drunk tomorrow. See you in Morgantown.

Razorback Rampage!

2007-11-23T17:29:00.000-05:00

5:30 I wanted to start this earlier but my internet has been terrible all day. 21-21 This could be big. Charley is on a flight back to WV right now, and is pumped about the score. I'm keeping him updated by text message, I hope his phone doesn't mess up the planes computer junk.

5:35 Did anyone else notice that during the halftime show Spencer Tillman said the name on our jersey could get us in BCS championship game over Missouri? I thought everyone hated us and disrespected WVU. That may just be ESPN but we may not need to rely on our tradition if ar-Kansas can push through.

A friend that has a wedding on WVU football Saturday is no friend of mine.

5:40 I don't think he caught that ball but no big deal. Don't fake this you idiot. HOW THE HELL DO YOU LET THAT GET IN THE ENDZONE...IDIOT!

5:45 Just want to say a quick thank you to all the readers that voted in the poll and regularly visit the blog. All us writers are thankful for you.

Huge three and out. WOW, that almost bit Arkansas in the ass.

5:50 Arkansas may break the chain but this Saturday WVU will hold the rope. The crowd is finally coming alive but is still not as rowdy as usual.

Casey Dick is not a good quarterback.

6:00 FUCK damn it son of a bitch YESSSSS HELL YEAH. WVU needs to run the wheel route more.

6:01 I would love to see Arkansas pound the ball for a 7:00 minute drive. GIVE McFadden THE DAMN BALL.

6:02 Smart move to get down in bounds. McFadden may have a slow release but he has one hell of an arm. Pick it up, YESSS FUKCING SHIT YES.

Gadget play? what the fuck are you talking about a ton of teams run that shit. Shut up and accept the fact the SEC may not have a team in the BCS championship game.

6:04 COME ON DEFENSE HOLDS THESE LSU FUCKERS!

6:05 Big Arkansas touchdown and then a Sonic commercial. I love college football. My dog, Major, is even barking at the Arkansas touchdown. She loves the Razorbacks

6:07 Are-Kansas needs to rush more than 2. Prevent defense only prevents bitches from winning. I love baby jesus and are-kansas defender that causes a turnover.

6:10 I think I just lost a contact yelling at that defender to get to Flynn. HOLD THEM MOTHER FUCKERS

6:11 OH MY TACKLE HIM. Geez, was not a good play call. Les Myles wants to get fired instead of just leaving for MEEEEEchigan.

6:12 How the hell does that happen and then he just falls down. Goal line stand!! Stop booing you fucking idiots he didn't know where the ball was, SHUT UP.

6:14 I haven't been this nervous during any WVU game this year. I'm sweating I have been jumping around and then getting back to the keyboard. Watch for one Hester run and then a fade. Could this end with Flynn getting sacked?

6:15 I'm not confident about this in OT either so stop them here.

6:20 TIMEOUT ARE YOU KIDDING ME HOLY SHIT JUST LIKE A FIELD GOAL THAT IS AWESOME

6:21 COME ONN DDDDDDDDDDDD FUCK YOU IDIOT

6:22 Do not give up hope. There is still one last drive and overtime. Just don't throw the ball. Try to break a long run with McFadden or Jones

6:23 Get that Dick out of the game. He is going to turn the ball over if he throws like he was earlier in the 4th quarter. OH MY

6:26 HMMM Throw a Hail Mary. Come on

6:28 HE IS FUCKING TERRIBLE WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT GEEZ GOSH DAMN

6:30 I don't know what to think right now. Flynn is going to the locker room? Hope the kid is alright but gets lost on his way back out because Periloux is not a great passer. Like most OT's this will likely come down to a 3rd OT 2 point conversion.

6:33 OMG that is not a good sign and I'm now starting to lose hope. GEEZ tackle him

6:38 Charley has landed and I'm the play-by-play man. Oh my I'm nervous but I have faith in the Arkansas O except on that play.

6:40 Come on you fucking pigs. Please for all that is holy score on this play. FIRST DOWN

6:42 Now you have to score.

6:43 FALSE START ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME AGAIN. I thought I heard a whistle. That is better than a holding call at this point. I'm watching the game with one eye because I did lose a contact earlier.

6:45 Second and ten and McFadden will take the snap, YESS. Geez they had that play sniffed out from the beginning. COME ON

6:45 YESSSSSS I'm going to be hoarse before the game tomorrow. Don't forget about WVU v. Tennessee tonight. Huge test for the Mountaineers but I would put the money on Tennessee with an 8 point spread.

6:49 D Mac is a stud YESSSS HELL YEAH TOUCHDOWN MOTHER FUCKER

6:50 DEFENSE DEFENSE DEFENSE I'm actually chanting that like someone can hear me. My dog is now under the bed because I'm yelling so much.

6:52 Nobody can play defense. It will take a lucky play to win this game

6:55 Why are they showing jewelry commercials? No guy shops for jewelry until a few days before Christmas.

6:58 McFadden made the wrong read. Pick-up this first down. I do not want Nutt making a decision about going for it on fourth down.

7:00 D Mac just keep that ball my friend. FIRST AND GOAL what speed to hit the corner.

7:02 YESSSSSSS HELL YEAH Get the ball in McFadden's hands for the two point conversion

7:03 Wow now get the ball in Jones HANDS HELL YEAH. Glad Nutt showed that I'm an idiot when it comes to play calling.

7:05 You knew they would score. National title shot on the line! YTESSSSSSASLDFAJSDL:FAJSDf lkasjdf l;kasjd fas;ldkfjasl;dkfj alsdf asdl;fkaj sd;flkajs

Mountaineer Field will be rocking tomorrow night HELL YEAH!

7:08 That was one hell of a game. Let's not get ahead of ourselves and take care of business against UConn and Pitt. This team will not overlook either of these teams.

CRR will have the team read to play. WVU 42 UConn 10

Time for a shower and then over to Kegler's for the B-Ball game and drunkenness.

Goodnight and good luck!

Wooo, Pig Sooey!

2007-11-23T13:00:00.000-05:00

Today, we are all Arkansas fans. Or as Les Miles calls it, ar-Kansas. He's a bright one.

Either way, an Arkansas win basically allows us to control our own destiny. While it wouldn't be the sexiest national championship game (WVU vs. Missouri/Kansas/Ohio State), I think we'd all take it in a heartbeat. So, again, if you're fluent in voodoo or other black magic, and I know you are, focus your attention against LSU.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T03:00:00.000-05:00

2007-2008 Basketball Preview

2007-11-21T02:00:00.000-05:00

Around here, Stiles is our resident basketball expert. On the other hand, we're still trying to figure out how to run the weave. This is his preview, but because he's SO focused on college basketball season, we are forced to post it ourselves...

With two games under the belt, it seems like a good time to take a closer look at the basketball team. I was able to attend the first game, but missed the second because of work. (Note: it only appears I missed an ass kicking. Those are fun, though).

For the preview, I’m going to break the team down into three categories: the sure things, the unknowns, and the X-factor.

The Sure Things:

Darris Nichols: Although the senior point guard hasn’t done a whole lot thus far, I’m not concerned -- he’s been through it all. Once conference play starts, I expect Nichols to begin asserting himself as the "man." Also, while he didn’t get mentioned at all in the preseason pub, look for Nichols to be there in the end. He’s that good.

Alex Ruoff: OK, let me first say, I’ve never been a Ruoff fan. For a supposed "shooter," he’s very inconsistent. And for a glue guy, he would make quite a few mistakes that bothered me. With that said, I was pretty impressed in the first game. It looks like he bulked up some this off season and so far, he's looked like a different player. Time will tell, but he should be a solid player going forward.

Coach Bob Huggins: Here’s what he know for sure: the guy wins a boat load of games. He gets his players to play hard and when they don’t, he let’s them know it. To top it all off, he’s a wildly entertaining guy. I can’t wait for the games to pick up at the Coliseum -- it will be fun.

Da’Sean Butler: Butler looks like the same player to me as last year. If he were a half step quicker, he could be a great player. Instead, he’s a really, really good one and their ain’t nothing wrong with that. I see he and Nichols leading the team in scoring this year.

The Unknowns:

Jamie Smalligan: As the lone big body on the team, a lot rests on his shoulders. He HAS to avoid foul trouble this year...all the while maintaining a presence underneath. Not an easy task. However, he’s looked pretty good in the first game. BUT, what happens when he goes up against Hibbert and Caracter? Oh good lord...let’s just move on.

Wellington Smith: I like Wellington’s game. A lot, actually. Very smooth. With getting limited playing time last year, it will be interesting to see how Smith does in his new sixth man role. Just a hunch, but I think he will be fine.

Joe Mazzulla: Like Ruoff, I was not a fan of his game. He can’t really shoot and only plays well when he’s playing at top speed. Just one catch, he seemed to make a lot of foolish decisions even then. I dunno, maybe he can be a spark off the bench, especially if Huggins gets them out in transition more.

Jacob Green: I had to include him on this list, because he will be getting minutes. However, it’s a pretty blank slate here. Which kinda resembles Jacob’s game, which is never a good thing.

John Flowers and Will Thomas: The two freshmen. Each look like they have some talent and could play some this year, especially Flowers.

The X-Factor:

Joe Alexander (Jumpman): I think by this point we’ve all pretty much made up our mind about Alexander. He’s an unreal athlete, but not much of a basketball player. And in the first game, that pretty much still held true. However, since the team lacks height and size, the team will need Alexander to do a whole lot. Here’s the problem: when things aren't going well for Alexander, he seemed to lose focus and would become frustrated. Last year, I blamed Beilein and how he handled Alexander. Now the ball is in Huggins court -- can he make it happen? I’m not sure, but I hope so. One thing working in Huggins favor is he has coached a lot of talented players (whereas Beilein really had not. Those are the facts). If this team is going to be good and by that I mean go to the NCAA’s, they will need Alexander. Let’s hope he’s ready to answer the bell.

Prediction:

Alright, I just babbled a whole bunch, so let’s get to the heart of the matter. What do I see this team doing? Well, like the first game, it will be filled with some up and down moments. The highs will give us a glimpse of what Huggins can, while the lows will have people pinning for Beilien back -- except me. When it’s all said and done, I think this team will get into the Big Dance, but lose in the first round.

From there, it will be only the beginning. Because after that, the sky is the limit.

Geaux Tigers!

2007-11-20T09:15:00.000-05:00

The SEC is the greatest conference in the world. It's better than the Big EAST, better than the Pac-10, better than the NFC South, better than the United Nations Conference On Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons In All It's Aspects. Yeah, I know, how sweet is that? When the SEC plays in conference, the games are so fucking great they produce pure African diamonds. Not that Blood Diamond shit. The kind of diamonds you don't feel guilty about buying for your wife or mistress or sister or mistress/sister. Does your conference's games produce precious stones? Didn't think so.

This year, LSU is proving just how great the SEC can be. Winning close games -- week in and week out -- just goes to show the superiority of this conference. Beating Alabama -- on the road -- is an amazing feat. What a great 4th quarter comeback. You think a team like UL-Monroe could come in to Tuscaloosa and come out with a victory? I didn't think so. Only a team as great as LSU can get through this conference schedule.

Just look at our one loss if you want more proof: Kentucky. What a fantastic team. Kentucky makes football look effortless, like they haven't even been trying for the past 100 years. That's not easy. Kentucky did it with style. They did it so well, it's like they've already gone back to not trying again. Just flawless.

Whatever you haters say, we know that the SEC is the greatest. No other team could approach how great this conference is. Not West Virginia, not South Florida, not anybody. It will be years until another teams beats an SEC team. I can't wait to see whoever we play in the National Championship game. They probably spell their cheers without an "X". As far as I'm concerned, if you ain't cajun, you ain't shit. Same for the SEC.

Fear The Hat!

Help Some Brothers Out

2007-11-19T23:00:00.000-05:00

When we started this blog, we had the idea that we might get some readership. We told our friends; we posted on a few message boards. At the best, we hoped our families might read it. Of course, considering we curse like drunken sailors and post pictures of scantily clad women, we decided not tell our families. But something even better happened. People actually came. Not a lot -- we're certainly not Deadspin or anything -- but enough. Enough that we're upgrading.

We have a brand new design and a brand new domain name. Well, almost. The new design is done, but we need some help picking the domain name. Unfortunately, our two best choices, wbgv.com and westbygodvirginia.com are already taken (apparently, we're popular before our time). So, we turn to you, the loyal reader. At the top right, you'll find a poll. In that poll, we have our few alternatives listed. If these don't appeal to you, please -- PLEASE -- suggest some better ones in the comments.

Blue Horseshoe Loves WVU

2007-11-19T15:00:00.000-05:00

I like to bet on football. I do it every season and have yet to lose my shirt, house, affection from loved ones, etc. Because of this, my mind is always thinking with a point spread perspective. Usually, when it comes to WVU games, I can speculate within a point or two of each spread, before it comes out. Every once in awhile, though, Vegas will completely shock me, just usually not with WVU. Today is a first.

Last night, the UConn @ WVU spread was released. Want to know what it is? You sure? Are you sitting down? Just making sure...

WVU is a 17 point favorite. Yes, that's right, 17

The Big EAST Championship will come down to two teams, both of which are playing for a BCS berth. One of those teams, however, might be a high school team. Good lord, I would expect a 17 point spread against Pitt (note: it will be higher), but I just didn't see it coming against UConn. My guess was somewhere between 10-12. Needless to say, I was wrong.

Game Recap: Cincinnati

2007-11-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

At times, we made Cincinnati look silly. At times, Cincinnati made us look silly. Sure, our good plays outnumbered there's, but anytime a team racks up that many yards against you, you know you haven't played your best. But even without our best, we went on the road and beat the #22 team in the country. I don't care what my expectations are these days, that's a good win.

Thoughts from the game:

Luckily, we saved our fumbling problems until we were "comfortably" ahead. Seriously, at this point, I have no idea what to think about this. Has a team ranked so high in turnover margin had this many problems just giving the ball away in key situations? If you think this isn't a huge problem you're kidding yourself.

It doesn't seem to be confined to any one player, either. Sure, this week, it was Pat White, but he also carried the ball on seemingly every play down the stretch. Against Louisville, Steve Slaton joined the act. Against South Florida, the entire team wanted to give the ball to the Bulls. Whatever the problem, it needs fixed. Pull a James Caan in "The Program" and hand every skill player a football to carry around campus for the next month. I don't care how it gets done, but the epidemic needs to be stopped.

Play Noel Devine more.

Bad things happen when quarterbacks scramble against WVU. Bad things really happen when they scramble laterally and look the throw. Cincinnati's Ben Mauk exposed our secondary the same way USF's Matt Grothe did over a month ago. Our defenders need to find that happy medium between stopping a potentially scrambling QB and that wide-open WR running free in the secondary.

Play Noel Devine more.

Of course, the run defense was absolutely stifling. Cincinnati had no chance to throw the ball late in the game, and with an 18 point lead (on the road), the pass defense is going to give up some yards. I understand that. But kudos to the defense on forcing them to pass. When you can shut down an entire half of a team's offense, it makes things a little easier.

Play Noel Devine more.

The BCS dominoes keep falling our way, don't they? Now, all WVU has to hope for is either an LSU loss or an Oklahoma victory in the Big 12 Championship game. With a healthy Sam Bradford, OU should be favored against either Missouri or Kansas. Whatever you do for the next few weeks, do not allow yourself to be talked into being scared of either a) Ohio State or b) Arizona State. Neither will pass us. I promise.

Well, that's about it for Cincinnati. I'm sure a few highlight videos will hit YouTube later this week, and when that happens, you'll find them here.

Mountaineers Dominate Prairie View 106 - 41

2007-11-18T18:30:00.000-05:00

Alex Ruoff, pictured above, had another great game scoring 22 points and playing well on defense. He also went 5-5 from 3 point land, showing the off-season workout program has not affected his stroke.

To me, this was an impressive early victory for the Mountaineers. Prairie View gave the seventh ranked Tennessee Vols a run for their money Friday night. Now, I'm not saying this team should be ranked in the top 10, but we are better than people think.

The first real test of the season comes Friday against the same Tennessee Vols. A victory over a ranked team this early would be huge for a team that is adjusting to a new system. Texas or New Mexico State await the Mountaineers for its final game in the Legends Classic.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

Joe Alexander jumped over two rows of seats in an attempt to save a loose ball. My friends, this kid has super boings.
Next time you see this team play, watch Huggins' eyes light up every time Joe touches the ball.
Joe Mazzula has not shown the flashes of greatness that I expected to see after his excellent summer league performances. I don't know if he needs more playing time to get a feel for the game but he needs to step up if we are going to compete in the Big East.
I know it is football season and Thanksgiving break but today's attendance was just sad. Step it up people.

The women's soccer team advanced to the Sweet 16 with a 2 - 0 victory over JMU. They may play State Penn but its game was snowed out today. Good luck ladies.

BCS Rhymes With Mess

2007-11-18T16:00:00.000-05:00

Stewart Mandel has a reasonably good look at the current BCS picture, also known as the Great Clusterfuck of 2007.

So long, Oklahoma. Welcome back, West Virginia.

In the latest wrinkle to this year's ever-changing national title race, the 9-1 Mountaineers not only got a much-needed road win at Cincinnati on Saturday night but benefited greatly from the Sooners' 34-27 loss at Texas Tech. Now, West Virginia, which figures to move up to No. 4 in the new BCS Standings following its 28-23 win at Cincinnati, needs those same Sooners to turn around and win the Big 12 championship.

Obviously, the Oklahoma loss was just about the best we could have hoped for on Saturday. Assuming Sooner QB Sam Bradford is OK and they go on to beat Oklahoma State next weekend, Oklahoma should be favored against either Missouri or Kansas. That game will be played in San Antonio, meaning Oklahoma will have a decided home-field advantage (say, as opposed to the 2006 edition which was held in Kansas City).

That just gets us started. Though there shouldn't be any surprises, we'll back back later this evening with a full recap of both the game and the newly released BCS standings.

Dare I Say It?

2007-11-18T04:35:00.000-05:00

You'll get the full rundown later this morning, but for now, I have just one thing on my mind...

Open Thread: Cincinnati

2007-11-17T17:00:00.000-05:00

Boll Weevils Crushed 81-53

2007-11-16T23:00:00.000-05:00

Stiles and I attended the game this evening and I can say that I was pleasantly surprised with the team's performance. This is a result to expect from a decent team playing a cupcake early in the season. Not much can be gleamed from playing a team like the Boll Weevils but at least we didn't get "Gardner Webbed."

Ruoff, Butler, and Alexander were the most impressive players in the game. Ruoff lit it up from outside and moved well without the ball. Butler looked stellar on defense and showed some decent inside moves. Alexander dunked 3 times in transition but lacked touch from beyond the three point line.

We looked sloppy on offense at times but would often recover with a good defensive stop. Again, this was Arkansas-Monticello so don't get your hopes up too much, but expect some sparks from this team.

RANDOM THOUGHTS

Was CBH wearing a blue three piece velour suit?
I love CBH's intensity on the sideline. Even though we were playing the Boll Weevils he got up in the players face when they did something wrong. It is a welcome change from that other guy's lackadaisical attitude, what's his name?
We may not win 27 games but this team will be exciting to watch.

Finally, the WVU women's soccer team beat Navy 4-0 (nil) to advance into the second round of the NCAA tournament. They will now face James Madison at 1 on Sunday.

Road To The BCS: Cincinnati

2007-11-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

I really hate games like this. Why? Because this is a true test. We enter Cincinnati favored by the smallest margin of the year, 6 points. We're playing on the road, against a team that creates about 37 turnovers per game (actually, 3.5/game), in the national spotlight. Beat Cincinnati and it should be a marquee win. But it won't be. National pundits will write it off simply as beating Cincinnati, once a basketball powerhouse. But however the nation wants to look at it, we still need to get it done Saturday night under the lights. Here's how it's going to happen...

When WVU has the ball:

West Virginia's offense has been very hot/cold this year. In games like Western Michigan, East Carolina, and Rutgers, we have been unstoppable. Against USF, however, we absolutely flat-lined. Unfortunately for us, Cincinnati's defense is as close to the USF squad as we've seen. Plus, they're also playing in the "biggest game in program history," just as the USF game was billed. Need another reason why Cincinnati's defense is going to be geeked up?

If this game doesn't go to plan, it will almost assuredly be blamed on turnovers. Cincinnati leads the nation in takeaways (35), though the majority of those have come on interceptions (22). West Virginia, while having the fewest giveaways in the Big EAST, has started a recent trend of putting the ball on the turf in key situations. Interceptions don't scare me. Pat White has done a great job throughout his career of managing games and keeping his throws out of high-risk situations. It's the fumbling that could be troubling. If WVU can hang onto the ball for 60 minutes, I really like our chances. If not? I don't want to even think.

When Cincinnati has the ball:

The WVU defense should be prepared for Louisville lite this week. The Bearcat offense revolves around the arm of Ben Mauk. If he is able to throw the ball down the field, as Brohm did last week, the holes may open in the running game.

This puts extra pressure on Mundy and Andrews to step up in run support. Cincinnati is a more complete offense team than Louisville. They will not abandon run to throw the ball 60 times. This may scare some people but I think it plays right into the strength of WVU's defense.

We will stuff the run and fill the holes that opened in the secondary last week. Look for Mundy and Andrews to have break-out games.

I'll be honest, I had absolutely no clue that the head coach at Cincinnati was Brian Kelly up until a few weeks ago. He has an impressive all-time record of 137-52-2, and has captured two Division II National Championships during his time at Grand Valley State. Good job, sir. Too bad this is the Football Bowl Series and CRR will be peering into his soul from the opposite sideline. For all the grief I give CRR I still love him as our coach and he does a hell of a job a majority of the time.

For all the talk about the WVU offense versus the Bearcat defense, the game could ultimately determined by special teams. Devine should be back for every kickoff after almost breaking one against Louisville and with the risk-taker Rivers returning punts it could always be all or nothing.

Picks To Click:

UPDATE: forgot to include the predicted WVU score. Ooops.

West Virginia (-6) 29
Cincinnati 19

Note: Stiles predicts a Cincinnati win. Feel free to stone him to death.

Stiles (season record = 31-27-2)

Air Force Force Force -11 vs. San Diego State
Clemson -8.5 vs. Boston College
Houston -11.5 vs. Marshall
Michigan +4 vs. Ohio State
Oklahoma @ Texas Tech OVER 66

5th Year Senior (season record = 20-14-2)

Michigan +4 vs. Ohio State
Syacuse +18.5 @ UConn
Kansas State +7.5 vs Missouri
Rice -3 vs. Tulane
Cal -7 @ Washington

Charley West (season record = 34-25-1)

Miss. State +11 @ Arkansas (in Little Rock)
Kansas State +7.5 vs. Missouri (in Kansas City)
Wisconsin -14 @ Minnesota
Northwestern +13.5 @ Illinois
NC State +6.5 @ Wake Forest

Sad Story of Peanut Whitehead

2007-11-16T10:45:00.000-05:00

Sad news out of Louisville yesterday as it was revealed that Deantwan "Peanut" Whitehead's football career is over due to a condition called spinal stenosis. Whitehead was injured early in the game at Mountaineer Field last week. Tragically, this is the second Louisville player to have his career ended this year, as OL Mike Donoghue was diagnosed with the same condition last month.

Peanut Whitehead was arguably the biggest recruit in Louisville history. It's tough seeing the career of such a huge, strong guy taken down in such a cruel way. My best to Peanut Whitehead, Mike Donoghue, and their respective families.

For more reaction, check out Card Chronicle.

The Face Of Fear

2007-11-16T10:30:00.000-05:00

Oh wait, nevermind.

(Game preview/picks coming around noon.)

Thanks Arizona, Arizona +11.5

2007-11-16T01:00:00.000-05:00

Yes, that's right, Arizona has defeated the #2 ranked Oregon Ducks. Arizona, known for it's high deserts, John McCain, and undefended illegal border crossings, now can claim an even bigger prize: helper of Mountaineer football (and my bank account). After the #1 LSU Tigers and #2 Whoever Survives The Big-12 Jaysoogers, the Mountaineers effectively rank #3 in the BCS.

So, you're asking yourself, what is the best case scenario? Well, here it is (all points assuming we win out):

LSU loses the SEC Championship Game, most likely Georgia...in the Georgia Dome. Odds: 2-1.
Oklahoma loses on the road to Texas Tech. Anything can happen with Texas Tech. Oklahoma then goes on to win the Big 12 Championship. Odds: 6-1.
LSU loses on the road this weekend to Ole Miss. Odds: 8-1.
Missouri loses on the road this weekend to Kansas State. Classic trap game. If this happens, and Missouri can beat both Kansas and Oklahoma, we go to the National Championship game. Odds: 12-1.

Taken individually, each is unlikely to happen. Considered together, however, there is a decent probability that one of these will happen. Of course, there are other scenarios, but these seem to be the four most likely.

The Perfect Swarm

2007-11-15T22:00:00.000-05:00

I hate to early-call this game, but things really don't look good for Oregon right now. Their star quarterback is injured, they're down 13, and the momentum is squarely on the side of Arizona. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't like to cheer for any injury -- unless it's Marvin Graves -- but Dixon going down has allowed Arizona to truly believe that they can win tonight. Plus, the priceless look on the Oregon fans faces will keep me warm tonight.

Bear Down!

UPDATE(S):

10:15 -- Down 20. What has two thumbs and has Arizona +11.5? This guy!

10:45 -- Well, if there was any doubt, we have now figured out that Oregon is a one-man show. Without Dixon, they look like a high school team.

As of right now, we are essentially the 3rd ranked team in the country. LSU is #1, the winner of the Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri derby is #2, and we are #3.

11:20 -- Arizona girls are hot.

11:30 -- Why is there an "R" before "Gronkowski" on the jersey? Are we going to mistake him for another Gronkowski on Arizona? Is that like Smith on that team?

11:50 -- What a ridiculous play. I know when I gain 50 yards on a fake punt, the first thing I want to do is a flying somersault with the ball exposed. Great work guy.

12:05 -- I have been silently praying for an Arizona win for the past 15 minutes. And by praying, I mean drinking.

12:15 -- Shit. Fuck. Bitch. Wannstedt. Damn. 31-24 Arizona.

12:30 -- Well, that was pretty lucky. Always nice when a fumble is overturned because your QB is so inept he can't walk 2 yards without falling down.

12:35 -- Please, please, please let that hold up.

12:45 -- Ladies and gentlemen, that will do it. If you have a voodoo doll or you believe in any type of black magic, start doing your worst against LSU. We are the #3 team in the nation.

Like Christmas In November

2007-11-15T14:30:00.000-05:00

By all accounts, this is one of the most -- if not THE most -- talented group of recruits signed by any Mountaineer basketball coach. In fact, Scout.com has this class ranked as the 17th best class in the country, only behind Georgetown and Louisville in the Big EAST and besting schools such as Duke, Maryland, Syracuse, and UConn. Pretty heady stuff for a coach not yet in his first full year of recruiting. Just imagine what CBH will be able to do in 2009 (or 2010, where he's already secured Poca's Noah Cottrill).

Here is a run-down of the three signing day commitments:

Kevin Jones, SF (6'7", 210 -- Mount Vernon, NY)

Jones is by far the coup of this class, not only for his talent but for how the commitment was secured. WVU overcame stiff competition from both Pitt and Indiana in a battle that went down to the last minute. Indiana's cause was hurt by recruiting violations and staff turnover. Pitt, on the other hand, was flat-out beaten by CBH and his staff. Jones, a tweener forward known for his athleticism, averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds per game as a junior at Mount Vernon High School, earning his ranking as a top 50 recruit by both Scout and ESPN.

Roscoe Davis, PF (6'10", 220 -- Chatham, VA)

Davis, one of the most-sought after big men remaining on the board when he committed, made his initial pledge to the Mountaineers on October 22. Originally a Kansas State pledge, Davis was also offered by the Pitt Panthers (seems a recurring theme to best Pitt this year in recruiting). Roscoe is currently completing his senior year at Hargrave Military Academy in a move to ensure qualification with the NCAA.

Darryl "Truck" Bryant, PG (6'1", 180 -- Bronx, NY)

We previously (briefly) profiled Bryant on WBGV back when he made his initial verbal commitment. Since then, the stock on Bryant has risen, impressing at each tournament he has appeared. Bryant is a slashing point guard who will add depth to both a shrinking PG lineup (graduation of Darris Nichols after this year) and a new up-tempo style of play.

Not only has WVU added three very good prospects to the roster, but two of those prospects add much-needed support to the front-lines. Huggins has been notoriously good about getting the best of players in the 6'6"-6'10" range, and should do the same with Jones and Davis. The kicker is that all-three seem to be high character guys, with Jones leading the way. With Huggins record at Cincinnati, at least some in the WVU community must be holding their breath to see what type of player Huggins brings to Morgantown. If the 2008 class is any indication, those fears can be put to rest.

Maybe If They Could Tackle, This Wouldn't Happen...

2007-11-15T12:00:00.000-05:00

In a story that in no way surprises me, Nebraska defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove is receiving death threats from the Husker faithful.

LINCOLN, Neb. -- University of Nebraska police are looking for a man who left two threatening voicemail messages for Cornhuskers defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove.

According to court documents obtained Wednesday, one expletive-laced message suggested Cosgrove go back "where you came from you ... before I ... kill ya."

Not exactly the most intimidating threat I have ever heard, and I've heard plenty. And where, exactly, did Mr. Cosgrove come from? Well, he played ball at Illinois Benedictine College before transferring to Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Immediately before joining the Nebraska staff, Cosgrove was the defensive coordinator at Wisconsin. Usually, telling someone to go back to the state of Wisconsin or they'll be killed is quite rude, but since it's Nebraska, he might be doing him a favor.

[image courtesy of Corn Nation]

We Have Merchandise

2007-11-14T19:00:00.000-05:00

Well, it took me long enough, but finally, WBGV has officially opened its own storefront. Right now, we only feature one fantastically awesome design, but plan to offer much, much more (depending on my creativity).

The inaugural offering is a simple message that every WVU fan can get behind...

FRONT:

BACK:
NOTE: Due to resizing, the pictures are a tad blurry. Trust me, the finished product is not blurry at all. If you click on the image, you can see the actual, full-size design.

Kevin Jones Is A Mountaineer

2007-11-14T16:45:00.000-05:00

As broken by Stiles in the previous post, Kevin Jones, a 6-7 forward from Mount Vernon, NY has signed his letter of intent to play for the Mountaineers. Jones, considered a 4-star and top 50 recruit by most publications, chose the Mountaineers over a bevy of big-time schools. According to Scout.com, Jones turned down offers from Indiana, Pitt, UConn, Ohio State, and Syracuse.

Don't believe me that KJ is a big-time player? Just consult his own website.

NOTE: Look for a full account of the early signing period in tomorrow's edition of WBGV.

Yes!

2007-11-14T16:11:00.000-05:00

From ESPN Recruiting blog:

Anyone questioning whether Bob Huggins can take West Virginia to the highest level needs to look at his latest recruiting accomplishment. Just a month ago, the Mountaineers were hardly considered as a possible school for multi-talented 6-7 forward Kevin Jones (Mount Vernon, N.Y.). Today, Jones sent his signed letter of intent to West Virginia. Jones, rated No. 42 nationally by ESPN, chose the Mountaineers over Pittsburgh.
His signing gives West Virginia three ESPN 150 rated recruits and should elevate their class into the top 25. Earlier, Indiana was considered one of the favorites for Jones. However, with its recent recruiting violations and the resignation of assistant coach Rob Senderoff, a New Yorker who was the Hoosiers primary recruiter for Jones, its chances were definitely hurt.
The West Virginia class now includes No. 97 rated, 6-2 G Darryl "Truck" Bryant (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond) and rapid-rising big man, No. 103 rated, 6-10 C Roscoe Davis (Chatham, Va./Hargrave Military Academy). -- Bob Gibbons

A&M Is Delusional, Part Infinity

2007-11-14T13:30:00.000-05:00

Surely, they can't be serious. As we all well know, the Texas A&M job might as well be available. Current head-coach Dennis Franchione is almost guaranteed to be fired/bought out at the end of the season. In that vein, Aggie Coach has begun the search in earnest. Now, while this site isn't an official reflection of the A&M coaching search, it does reflect the ludicrousness of the entire fan-base.

Here are some of the "candidates"...

Jon Gruden
Jeff Tedford
Bo Pelini
Tommy Tuberville
Bill Cowher

..and last, but not least...

Rich Rodriguez

Here is what Aggie Coach has to say about CRR:

Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia: At age 44, Rodriguez is rumored to be at the top of A&M's short list. Last year he was recruited ahead of Nick Saban by Alabama before turning down their $2 million per year offer. He took a laid back culture similar to College Station's and lacking football program, turning it into a BCS contender. He is the right age and pedigree. WVU is on track again for another 11+ win season and BCS bid. Has the intensity to outrecruit the likes of OU's Bob Stoops, LSU's Les Miles and UT's Mack Brown. He would be the biggest hiring news of the 2007 football season. See his bio here. Making $1.3 million, he is considered one of the top 5 most underpaid coaches. He turned down $2 million from Alabama last year. See another bio here and the YouTube.com video called "This is West Virginia Football." He also has his own website at CoachRod.com.

I agree with all of these things. What I don't see is why CRR would turn down Alabama, by far the biggest coaching job in the South, then run and take the Texas A&M job, which is automatically the the second-fiddle in its own state. Apparently, the only people that can see this happening are A&M fans.

If I were A&M, I would spend a little less time focusing on the 12th man and a little more time on the first 11.

[thanks to bringONtheEERS for the tip]

My Expectations Are Unreasonable

2007-11-13T15:00:00.000-05:00

I am finally coming to grips with the fact that I am a Nebraska fan. Or an Alabama fan. Or a Michigan, Ohio State, USC, LSU, etc. fan. I might not wear the colors of those teams (well, except Michigan, but that's a coincidence), but I have much in common with their fans. We all have unreasonably high expectations.

This is a departure from my expectations growing up as a Mountaineer fan. I was only 6 in 1988, so while I have some memory of the Fiesta Bowl, it's not vivid enough to truly register. In 1993, at the age of 11, I was officially really into the Mountaineers. But 1993 jumped out and surprised us all. If 1988 was the planned pregnancy, 1993 was the accident. Still a welcome addition but not quite sure how or why it happened.

Both 1988 and 1993 were the rewards for putting together one good team, not a program. Most WVU fans knew that it was only a fleeting moment of glory -- that WVU hadn't quite reached the promised land of college football programs. This was quickly confirmed by the down years that came after each undefeated season.

Even in years when we were supposed to be good -- 1996 and 1998 -- there was always something in our way. Whether it was Tremain Mack in 1996 or vastly underachieving in 1998, WVU was just not meant to get back to a major bowl. Each time we got to the door, we simply weren't able to knock it down. And each time we got close to that door, we were repelled even further away. Finally, with 1993 just a faint glimmer in the rear-view mirror, Coach Nehlen succumbed to the up-and-down nature of Mountaineer football. Coach Nehlen had done all he could with the program. He had done a lot -- even put WVU on the map -- but after 20 years, the act gets tired. We needed a fresh start.

Then came Rodriguez and expectations reached a fever pitch. Here was the coach that would finally take us to the heavens of college football. Then came 3-8. The hopes of Mountaineer fans returned to the ground. 2002's record of 9-4 restored hope, but starting the season 1-4 in 2003 dashed that progress. Of course, finishing that season with 7 consecutive wins got hopes up again. So much so that 2004 was finally going to be our year. But, yet again, the Mountaineers failed to live up to the lofty hype and finished with 8 wins. The same pattern seemed to be repeating itself.

Well, a funny thing happened in 2005. Just when we were least expecting it, the Mountaineer program we had all hoped for was finally born. Walking into the Georgia Dome that Sugar Bowl night, I had hoped we would win. Did I believe we would? Not necessarily. Only the truest of homers would have been sure of a Mountaineer win. But as the dust settled, after the Slaton runs and the Georgia bombs and the fake punt, I walked out of that stadium with a new view on Mountaineer football. No longer would I be satisfied with 7, 8, or 9 wins. No, after that performance and with this talent, we need to hit the stratosphere.

It's November 13, 2007, and we're almost there. Closer than we've ever been before. The current talent is there. The recruiting is there. The attendance and support is there. But now, on this same day, we sit 8-1 and I'm not thrilled. Even after those years of suffering through mediocre seasons, tormented by flashes of brilliance. Finally, we seem to be one of the elite programs in the country. In my dreams, it's all I ever wished for growing up. To be consistently counted on in national championship and Heisman previews. Finally, we're there. And I can't get over the fact that we only won by 7 against Louisville. Frankly, this scares me.

What will I do if we actually do win the MNC? What will my expectations look like then? If we never get there, will I be a sad, depressed, curmudgeon of a fan for the rest of my life? Shouldn't I enjoy BCS bowl games when over 90% of schools don't get there?

The truth is, I won't be truly happy until we win that national championship. If/when that happens, WVU will finally be legit. Until then, you'll find me continually bitchy and irritable.

I'll Take This Saturday

2007-11-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I know, Cincinnati is a good team. Sure they beat us as recently as 2003. Yeah, they're ranked in the top 25. But everytime I think of them, I think of this game. Just getting used by a young, impressionable Pat White and a nubile, naive Steve Slaton. Wow, they grow up so fast these days. Where does the time go?

Things That Made Me Want To Throw My Shoe!

2007-11-12T16:30:00.000-05:00

Thursday night was one those nights that makes you go hmmm. WVU looked to be rolling to a huge statement on national TV but stumbled down the stretch to barely squeak out a W. I've had to calm down and take a few Percocet since Thursday but I'm still pissed.
#1

The powers that be in the Big East need to rethink their priorities and give the us a Big East home game in October. It was not that cold on Thursday but we are the Beast of the East and deserve a more dispersed Big East home schedule. A look at USF's schedule shows the Big East gave them a break with only one "cold weather" game.

If you are one of the fans that went "BOOOOO" on Thursday, look at the palm of your hand and then smack yourself with it. Even if the play-calling and execution left something to be desired at times, boooing is not the way to inspire an improved performance.

I love the "The Pride," but why the hell are you trying to start the wave when Louisville is driving down the field to tie the game. The wave should be banned at Mountaineer Field, I just punched my desk. Thats all I'm going to say because every time The Pride plays Simple Gifts I get chills.

Everyone, including myself, need to stop freaking out about Steve Slaton and his one fumble. The Louisville defender had the perfect hit and just put his helmet on the ball. He is still averaging 5.3 yards a carry. Give him a break and watch him rush for over 150 yards against Cincy.

I hate the people that left this games early to beat the traffic. Basically two rows in front of us were empty before Patrick White's last run. My dad even yelled, "Have a nice drive you idiots," to one couple that left right after Louisville kicked us the ball for our final drive.

Finally, to the guy a few rows behind me that told me to sit down on a first down play during Louisville's final scoring drive I did say, "Fuck You," in case you couldn't hear.

It's Cincinnati Week!

2007-11-12T13:30:00.000-05:00

Yes, Cincinnati is officially a big game. Unfortunately, instead of getting you up-to-date on everything you need to know, I have been battling an illness which can only be described as the plague. Technically, I think it's only a cold, but it feels like the plague. I guess that's what you get when you fill your weekends with ~~dead~~ strippers and mountains of cocaine.

Do NOT Let Schmitt Punt

2007-11-12T01:00:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty sure the university's health insurance doesn't cover this kind of thing.

Bowl Predictions

2007-11-11T14:30:00.000-05:00

Everyone loves predictions, so here are my picks sure to make me look like a jackass.

BCS National Championship
Oregon v. LSU

Rose Bowl
WVU v. Ohio State

Fiesta Bowl
Missouri v. Arizona State

Orange Bowl
Clemson v. Oklahoma

Sugar Bowl
Georgia v. ~~Texas~~ Boise State

I fucking hate the BCS.

Thank You Mississippi State

2007-11-11T01:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Mississippi State furthered it's #1 goal of improving WVU's strength of schedule by beating #22 Alabama. Stewart Mandel of SI.com took notice:

With a 17-12 win over Alabama in which its defense absolutely stifled Crimson Tide QB John Parker Wilson, Mississippi State (6-4) has now beaten three ranked SEC foes: Auburn, Kentucky and Alabama. These same Bulldogs, however, got crushed just a few weeks ago by West Virginia. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for the SEC, but a tremendous achievement for Sylvester Croom’s team, which, after enduring three years as the conference whipping boy, is likely headed to a bowl game.

Somehow, someway, this fact will inevitably be lost by others in the mainstream media. Either way, the Mississippi State win will continue to help us immensely in the computer polls. In a weekend where Ohio State relinquished its #1 position, anything helps.

Louisville Is Classy, Part Zero

2007-11-11T00:30:00.000-05:00

Apparently, Louisville's Preston Smith spit on Pat White. Having trouble believing a Louisville player could be guilty of such an atrocious act? If so, check the video:

Not a whole lot of doubt there, eh? If I were an opposing player, I would stay the hell away from Pat White before and after a play. The last thing you want to do is make this guy mad. Hell, he didn't know where he was for half the game and he's still carving up the once and never 2nd best team in the Big EAST.

So, Preston Smith, I say bully to you. Thank you for finding a new way to motivate the conference's most electrifying player. All of West BY GOD Virginia salutes you.

[Thanks to Card Chronicle for the story/video]

Louisville Game Recap

2007-11-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

Forgive me father, for I am about to sin...

Well, that certainly was a steaming pile of dog shit, wasn't it? Surely, none of us have witnessed a more poorly conceived effort than the one that CRR put together Thursday night. It's like he popped a couple Xanax and lost all ability for creative thought (and consciousness). Seriously, what was that?

What was with the 71 consecutive Pat White runs straight up the middle? (I haven't rewatched the game, so I don't know the exact number). It's like CRR's play-calling shrinks significantly when we're facing a test. At some point, you can tell he's actively trying not to lose, rather than to win. To me, this is embarrassing. The last thing a top 10 program does is play not to lose, at home, to a 17 point underdog. You just don't do it. You step on their throat from the word go and blow them out of the damn stadium. When we took the 17 point lead, that's what should have happened. Instead, we played grab-ass for the next 15 minutes. What a fucking joke.

Where is Steve Slaton? Outside of the Sugar Bowl, has there ever been a worse big-game player in a Mountaineer uniform? Last year, he put the ball on the turf over-and-over against Louisville and then delivered a whopping 43 yards against South Florida. This year, he has averaged 62.3 yards in our three biggest games (South Florida, Rutgers, and Louisville). It's obvious that Rodriguez doesn't trust him in important situations, which is saying a lot when you're talking about a former Heisman trophy candidate.

Don't let Owen Schmitt punt. Just don't. If you're going to go for it on 4th down, go for it. If not, trot McAfee out there and let him punt. He is the fucking punter for God's sake. I can't get mad at Owen Schmitt as it's his job to be a fullback, not a punter. This one, as always, falls on CRR. And while I'm at it, we were lucky to get 9 yards on that punt. It traveled 3 at the most.

Noel Devine must play more. There's just no way around this. Everytime he touches the ball, the entire stadium holds its breath. Not because he might fumble, as is the case with Slaton, but because he might break a run or somebody's ankles. He's a game-changer, both with score and momentum. That kick-return was just another example of this. If Slaton is busy throwing up on himself in big games, give the kid a chance. He's only the most heralded recruit in Mountaineer history.

So that's about it. If you saw me after the game, you almost undoubtedly told me a "win is a win." I then undoubtedly wanted to punch you in the face. I came pretty close a couple times, too. If you want to be one of the best of the best, a win is never a win. Style points always count. Walk into the stadium, no matter who the opponent, and fuck them up. Easy as that.

Now, we need to get that memo to CRR.

Close Call

2007-11-09T13:20:00.000-05:00

Wow, I think I'm finally sober. That game was a lot closer than it should've been. I got so mad I walked out of Mountaineer Field with no shoes on. Be prepared!

On Location: Red Lot

2007-11-08T13:14:00.000-05:00

Well, it's that time. Finally, after three whole days of work, Thursday is here. Needless to say, I won't be working tomorrow, so my weekend is starting a little early. And what better way to start a weekend than with a blowout win over Louisville. If you need me (or Stiles or 5th Year Senior, for that matter), we'll be in the red lot. Just look for the guys who are pretending not to have a WVU blog.

Come Get Your Whoopin' Louisville

2007-11-08T11:00:00.000-05:00

While the Louisville defense has been rightly blamed for the teams lackluster performance thus far, they have actually improved over the last three games. However, that isn't saying much when you are talking about this squad. So far this season the Louisville D has allowed 27 points, 257 passing yards, and 154 rushing yards a game. All of these stats are in the bottom of NCAA rankings.

We all know Patrick White does not throw the ball down field much but this may be the game we see CRR let White show off his left arm. Even if Louisville loads up the box we should be able to run at will on this swiss cheese of a defense. They do not have the necessary speed on the edge to contain either White or Slaton, which will cause them to keep their linebackers wide. That is when we bust Schmidt up the middle and he busts another face mask.

Last season, WVU racked up a surprising 540 yards against a very good Cardinal defense. We'll see a little more than that for tonight's game. White throws for over 200 yards and rushes for 100 more. Slaton again does not go off for the numbers we have come to expect, only rushing for 113 but also getting about 60 receiving yards. It will be another solid performance with a few big plays but mostly extended drives down the field.

When our defense takes the field, something is going to have to give. Louisville's offense has been great, averaging 510 yards/game, ranking 6th in the country. The Mountaineer defense, however, is only allowing 262 yards/game, ranking 4th. Here's why WVU is going to win: we score more points.

Silly thing to say? Hardly. Like we said, Louisville is 4th in total offense. But where they lack is scoring, only ranking 18th. It's still a respectable ranking, but not quite the machine-like numbers of years past. Their defense is not putting them in good positions and their offense just isn't good enough to overcome that, mostly because their rushing offense ranks in the bottom half of Div. I-A (149 yards/game).

Even with just that, WVU should be favored by two touchdowns. But then we get into the biggest mismatch of the night: CRR vs. The Krag. Kragthorpe has arguably been one of the worst coaches of the season. If there were an award for "worst coach," it would be a dogfight between Mark Snyder and Steve Kragthorpe. Meanwhile, CRR has opened up our playbook and put the bite back in the Mountaineers' offense.

In the end, we win this one going away.

WVU 52 - Louisville 17

[5th Year Senior contributed to this preview]

Back When Louisville Didn't Suck

2007-11-08T00:45:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, this was one of the greatest games no one ever saw. If you remember, at the same time, this game was competing with USC-Notre Dame (push Matt, push) and Michigan-Penn State (back when Henne didn't suck). But, while the rest of the country might not have seen it, I know I did. And I remember at least 1/4 of it, too!

Bring It Back!

2007-11-07T15:00:00.000-05:00

In today's Daily Mail, Mike Casazza, asks an intriguing question; Is the WVU fan base changing? The answer is yes and no, but Mr. Casazza is looking at it from the wrong angle. It isn't about the new donor levels or ticket costs, it is about WVU's recent success creating a sense of entitlement in our fans.

The article basically questions all of our fanhood and asks why WVU no longer has that great home-field advantage. Mr. Casazza isn't the only one questioning our fans these days. CRR has also been extremely disappointed with Mountaineer fans because of the lack of noise and their halftime exodus.

With WVU on the verge of three straight 11 win seasons, some fans have become complacent. These complacent fans expect us to win by simply showing up on any given gameday. Some fans call these people "bandwagon fans," students, or the old-fogy donor. I say look in mirror because it is all of our faults.

Don't give me any bullshit about the games are out of hand and we are boring in the second half. Does anyone remember the Louisville game from 2005? The fans gave up on the team because we were behind. The team played their ass off for the greatest game I've ever witnessed at Mountaineer Field. The game isn't over until they play Country Roads.

This team wants and needs the fans support during all four quarters. CRR has challenged all the fans to wear gold and to make as much noise as possible when we are on defense tomorrow night. We need to answer this call just like the team does when they are challenged by CRR.

You always wear a blue jersey to the game? FUCK YOU, wear gold. You don't have any cute gold outfits? FUCK YOU, wear gold. It will be too cold. FUCK YOU, pull a t-shirt over your jacket so you can wear gold. You're just sitting on your couch at home? FUCK YOU, wear gold.

The "Gold Rush" isn't about marketing, it isn't about more money from t-shirt sales, but it is a way to challenge our fans to show their love for the Mountaineers. If we are going to criticize the team and CRR after a bad game we need to hold the rope ourselves. Do your part by showing up in gold and leaving with hoarse voice.

Tomorrow night is our chance to bring back the Mountaineer Field of old. The place that was loud and proud to be rooting on our beloved Mountaineers. "Bandwagon fans" stop your bitching about throwing deep passes and ESPN not respecting us and realize we have to handle our business on the field. Students show up early and leave late (y'all have no problem making noise). Old-fogy donors this isn't church, so stop worrying about people standing up in front of you and just stand-up and cheer when we are on D.

WVU fans, come together tomorrow night and make Mountaineer Field a place to be feared again. A night game at Mountaineer Field is a special time, in a special place with 60,000 of your closest friends.

My Friends Call Me "Double-Down"

2007-11-07T10:30:00.000-05:00

I can't decide whether Bob Huggins is a saint or an asshole. Until I touch down in Vegas, dreaming of strippers, craps, and booze, he's a saint. When I come back broke, married, and with fresh tattoos, he's an asshole. Either way, we're all going to Vegas:

MORGANTOWN -- West Virginia men's basketball Coach Bob Huggins said Tuesday his team will participate in the Las Vegas Invitational next season.

The field includes Kentucky, Iowa, Kansas State, Delaware State, Southeast Missouri, Oakland and Longwood. The preliminary games are on campus and the semifinal and championship games are at Orleans Arena, Nov. 28-29.

Unfortunately, it's the day after thanksgiving. Though, the tryptophan running through my system will make taking a nap on the plane significantly easier.

Oh The Humanity!

2007-11-07T09:10:00.000-05:00

Dave Hickman, whether he knows it or not, has cursed Brian Brohm much more than a losing season ever could. How did Dave do this, you ask? By comparing him to Brady Quinn. Yuck.

MORGANTOWN — Here’s the main reason Brian Brohm is going to be playing quarterback for Louisville Thursday night at West Virginia instead of sitting in some NFL team’s meeting room watching film:

Last January he was Brady Quinn.

He goes on to talk about draft stock, but the damage is done. You don't just come back from being compared to Brady Quinn. Even before Quinn existed, quarterbacks were being compared to him. Andre Ware, David Klingler, Akili Smith, etc. All once and future Brady Quinns.

And if you're wondering at home exactly what Brian Brohm's draft status is currently, here's a good idea:

The Triumphant Return

2007-11-07T01:52:00.000-05:00

Charley West is back...and speaking in the third-person. The jump-off begins later today.

Quote Of The Day

2007-11-06T10:30:00.000-05:00

Don't beat me up but The Krag gets credit for the quote of the day and new stat of the year from this story in The Courier-Journal.

While talking about Slaton and White The Krag came up with this little nugget:

With these guys, they ought to talk about yards after juke.

Brian Brohm Press Conference

2007-11-05T14:25:00.000-05:00

What did you just ask me you sniveling reporter? Of course, Brian Brohm wishes he would've gone pro after last season. That is a ridiculous question to ask me, BRIAN BROHM. Brian Brohm passed up being a top 5 draft pick to come back to win the national championship and the Heisman Trophy.

Now because of that idiot, The Krag, I, Brian Brohm, does not have a shot at either of these goals. All Brian Brohm got from returning to this trash heap of a University is a wicked nasty case of the crabs. OOOPS, I probably should've kept that to myself.

NEXT QUESTION

What do I, Brian Brohm, think about West Virginia? Brian Brohm, thinks they are a bunch of horse loving idiots, that smell like manurer, and have Napoleon syndrome because they will always be the second best university in the state. Oh no, Brian Brohm has messed up again, those were his thoughts about the Louisville alums.

Brian Brohm asks you all to forget about what he just said. This interview stuff is tough, whew. Brian Brohm now wishes to be referred to as B squared.

NEXT QUESTION

B squared will not respond until you refer to him as B squared. No one, no one, FINE this interview is over. WVU is going to kill us, I just hope I get my stats.

Future Schedules

2007-11-05T12:00:00.000-05:00

Last week the Daily Mail ran this story about WVU's future schedules. It brought about some controversy on the message boards and on the Statewide Sportsline. I know you've all been wondering my take on the situation, so let me pontificate for a few paragraphs, including a neat little idea Charley and I have discussed on numerous occasions.

I know everyone would love to have USC, Texas, and State Penn on our schedule year in and year out, but the fact is that they would only play us on a neutral site or a two for one. Teams do not want to travel to Morgantown because of our home field advantage and they can make money playing at home against South West Missouri State of Southern California.

I'm on board with Mike Parsons and CRR about only playing neutral site games for the right price. The University needs a seventh home game because our athletic department is self sufficient. The Morgantown business community relies on big football weekends for its money. Six million sounds perfect to me because that may be the amount we lose if we were to get beat and somehow miss a BCS game.

Because of money and home field advantage I would take a seventh home game over almost any neutral site game. This brings me to a neat little idea.

Imagine the above picture, Bristol Motor Speedway, with a football field at the center, filled to the brim with fans wearing gold and orange. My dream neutral site game would be WVU v. Tennessee at Bristol. Both teams would equally share the ticket allotment and revenue from the game. With a seating capacity of 160,000, not to mention the fact that seats would likely be placed on the track, it would break a college football attendance record and make a lot of money. A national TV audience would tune in to see the Mountaineers take down the Vols.

This will never happen but it is pretty sweet to think about.

WVU #7 in BCS!

2007-11-04T18:00:00.000-05:00

I'll be honest and say that I did not see this one coming. At first, I was alright with this ranking because there is a lot of football left to be played. However, the more I think about it, the more it pisses me off. Mizzou may only be .0012 ahead of us right now but down the road this could be a huge margin.

What really chaps my ass, and screws us is our average in the computer rankings. Two terrible teams, BC and Arizona State, somehow stay ahead of us after HORRID performances on the field. This isn't even the worst of it because a TWO LOSS, TWO LOSS, Georgia team is somehow still ahead of us.

Does anyone else notice how SEC teams schedules patsies toward the end of the season so nobody really talks about their cupcake schedules? Sneaky bastards aren't they?

Sometimes you just gotta say, "What the fuck," and go kick the shit out of Louisville on Thursday night. No excuses, just take care of business and pray for upsets.

Oh and EAT SHIT PITT, EAT SHIT PITT!!

We Need Upsets!

2007-11-03T16:45:00.000-04:00

I have had a few brews but lets get these games going. I am terrible at picking college football games. I apologize for subjecting you all to my horrendous picks.

4:55 I hate Saban but I hope 'Bama puts a hurting on LSU. ROLL TIDE

Hey Tigers
Hey Tigers
We just beat the hell outta you!
Rammer Jammer Yellowhammer
Give 'em hell Alabama

5:05 Sometimes I wish I had two last names like John Parker Wilson. Also, how does the SEC have so many awesome names, such as Early Doucet.

5:12 In this game we get to see the endangered species of white running-backius, Jacob Hester. Enjoy this moment because we may never see it again.

5:17 Navy just scored to go up on the Golden Domers. Now they go for 2 and THEY GOT IT....YES

5:25 I don't know about you but I like the preppy look at SEC football games. I would love to see girls in Gold and Blue sun-dresses at WVU football games. Granted, it would be hard to do in Morgantown for late season games because of the weather, but the girls would still look hot. I don't like the stupid pom-pom tradition. Clap your hands and make some noise.

Glen Dorsey just went down again but this time it was on a football play and not a dirty chop block.

5:30 LSU touchdown and Notre Dame converts a 4th and 14 in the span of 30 seconds. I don't like the way this is going folks.

5:35 Golden Domers just stuck it in the end-zone but there is 3:25 left on the clock. Navy doesn't have a quick strike offense but they could move it down the field with good clock management. I wouldn't mind seeing OOOOVERTIME.

Glenn Dorsey needs to stay off the field until that knee properly heals. John Paker Wilson just got decapitated.

5:40 Les Miles has balls the size of the state of Alabama. Flynn wins the Oscar for a great acting performance.

RANDOM thought: I hope UConn wins out so GameDay will come to Morgantown.

5:52 The ref in LSU game has psycho eyes and makes me feel like he is peering into my soul. Notre Dame just blew a chance for the lead and now it is headed to overtime in Southbend.

6:00 Cincy is sticking it to USF and they just forced another turnover. The Bearcats may be a tougher game than I thought. They have a quick D that just forces turnovers. Don't worry I think we'll be alright and win by at least 2 TD's.

6:10 I just tried to win free Chic-Fil'A at www.40winners.com but it was unsuccessful. If I got free Chic-Fil'A for a year I would be a fatass.

I hate Notre Dame.

6:15 LSU also has a white safety this is amazing. Could you just read his mind when DJ Hall caught the ball, "Damn, I'm white I can't catch this guy."

6:30 Is there anything that Paul "Bear" Bryant hasn't done in the SEC?

Big 3rd and 10 in the Notre Dame game I hope the Midshipmen convert because I don't trust their kicker. KICK IS GOOD

INTERCEPTION inside the 10 for 'Bama DANG this is exciting...I have to pee and I almost pissed my pants.

6:35 Navy is going to get screwed...I hate Notre Dame

6:40 Just in time for the ASU - Oregon game Navy beats Notre Dame. Navy celebrates like we just bombed Iran! Big win for the Naval Academy...THANK YOU!

6:50 I think that ref just made Hester head-butt Jackson with his psycho eyes.

7:00 That was a great half of football. 'Bama has the momentum and will hopefully Roll in the second half.

MIIIIchigan scored and needs to hold on defense, something they haven't done so far this year, to get the W. I'm cheering for Michigan.

7:08 Hail to the Victors! Did anyone just see Chad Henne bust ass running to the locker room? What a D-bag.

7:13 Rudy Carpenter and the Devils can't get too far behind, no matter how much the outscore opponents in the second half. Oregon is a good team that will just keep pilling it on. Poke'em Sun Devils!

7:15 I think Oregon has the only fans in the nation that can yell OOOOOOOO on 3rd down and have it actually mean something. That penalty just killed State.

Also the worst sign in history thanking ESPN for coverage? Idiots

7:25 I think Mike Patrick is either wearing his retainer or eating in the booth. Oregon is going to dominate all game long.

Also, my dog Major almost caught a rabbit when she went out to pee.

7:35 Glenn Dorsey is a big man and could dominate in the NFL. He has been getting double teamed all day but still makes it to the quarterback. If I had to pick one guy in NCAA to add to our roster it would either be him or Mario Manningham from Michigan.

I'm surprised Mike Patrick hasn't referred to Britney Spears yet in the Oregon game. He and I both have an unhealthy obsession with that trashy ho.

7:41 I don't know why but that TD by ASU made me think of this, but remember when Oregon unveiled the new Duck mascot?

I guess they only wanted to be known for ugly uniforms and not an ugly mascot.

7:47 That was a great finish to the USF - Cincy game. But like the girls tell Grothe all the time, "You came up a little too short."

7:56 These games are so back and forth it is hard to watch more than one at a time. Each play is so important, you don't want to miss anything. I found a glamor shot of the ref in the 'Bama game

I can't see the UConn game either but I'm rooting for the Huskies.

8:03 HUGE score by the Tide to go up by 10 and that guy has his shirt off. Please, let a souther bell be shown next with her dress around her ankles....dang no luck. Maybe next time.

8:14 What the hell is ASU doing? They should have scored a TD and then missed the field goal, GEEZ. They are a second half team so I hope they can turn it on and win this bitch.

Come on Huskies.

8:22 Watch the fake!

8:23 49 yard field goal that stayed true the whole way. We got a ball game folks.

8:31 What are they talking about both points of the ball hit the ground. Not a catch. Sometimes I wonder what the hell these announcers are watching.

8:35 I swear some fans will boo at anything. Booing the previous spot of the ball is obvious. Some people are such homers it makes me want to poke my eyes out.

WVU is the best team in the nation by FAR.

8:43 Now that is what I call a change of momentum. 4th and inches to down by 7. I know I will get crushed for this, but I really love SEC football.

I'm taking about a 20 minute break to eat my Chinese food. Gotta love the General Tso's chicken! I'll be back.

9:21 A little longer than 20 minutes but I had to enjoy it. 'Bama blew it, Oregon is running away with their game, and it doesn't look like it is raining at BC.

Xavier Lee being suspended for this game is the best thing to happen to FSU in a while.

9:26 I can't believe they called that a touchdown. It looked pretty clear to me that the tip of that ball was on the ground the whole time. Also, the way the FSU receiver came up makes me think that he knows he missed that one.

9:33 I hope the refs in the Oregon game are wearing pink whistles for breast cancer and not because they are a little fruity. Not that theres anything wrong with that.

If Dixon is hurt that could be bad things for Oregon but good for us.

9:43 The lack of upsets this weekend will likely spell the end of WVU's national title hopes. Even though BC will likely fall to FSU tonight we needed LSU or Oregon to go down.

Kansas will likely jump us in the standings to keep WVU at 7 in the BCS, unless BC does get beat then we are up to 6.

10:00 ASU can't win a game turning the ball over at critical junctures. Damn, after I wrote them off I thought they would prove me wrong. I'm calling it quits for the evening and heading downtown.

My Picks to Click

2007-11-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

If I'm not to drunk at 5 I will be doing a live blog for the LSU - Bama, and Oregon - Arizona State games. I've got two TV's setup in the basement, and ready for a great day of college football. Looking into the crystal ball I see at least one upset today.

If you come here for your Saturday picks, I think you're drunk. Here is what I'm feeling:

Wisconsin + 16 at tOSU
Nebraska +20 at Kansas
FSU + 7 at BC (I'm also inclined to take the under at 41 because it is going to be torrential downpour.)
Washington -3 at Stanford
Notre Dame -3 vs Navy

I just saw a WVU flag way in the back of College GameDay in Oregon.

Saturday Cheat Sheet

2007-11-03T09:29:00.000-04:00

With WVU off this week, it's a perfect day to just lay around and watch college football. To that end, here is a quick cheat sheet on who to root for today:

1. Wisconsin over Ohio State (P.J. Hill needs to play for Wisconsin to have a chance)
2. Florida State over Boston College (Ugh, it's tough to root for Florida State)
3. Alabama over LSU (C'mon this will be easy-root for the West Virginia guy)
4. Arizona State over Oregon (Tough game to call, but Arizona State has the harder remaining schedule between the two, therefore gotta pull for the Sun Devils)
5. Texas A&M over Oklahoma (Note to Coach Fran: Get the ball to that Lane kid. He's good)
6. Nebraska over Kansas (OK, I don't any hope for this game)

Obviously, one team ahead of WVU is going to lose. To make this a nice day, at least one more team needs to lose. Most likely in my opinion? LSU and BC.

Picture > 1,000 Words

2007-11-02T11:09:00.001-04:00

It's Me, Robert Goulet

2007-11-01T14:30:00.000-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, there is an air of sadness here at WBGV. Robert Goulet, one of our idols, a trained voiceman in the most traditional of senses, has passed away. While the lack of Internet yesterday kept us from paying tribute then, we do so now.

We'll miss you Robert. Goulet!

Wait, that was Will Ferrell? Oh. He's pretty young, but I guess we'll have to pay tribute to him, too, when he dies.

Matt Zemek Might Wan To Check His Math

2007-11-01T12:15:00.001-04:00

OK, you're Matt Zemek and you're a writer for CollegeFootballNews. You've been assigned the task of writing an analysis of the WVU-Rutgers game. Sound fun? You betcha. So, Mr. Zemek ended his piece with this:

The calculus of one Saturday showdown need not be more complicated than this: West Virginia-Rutgers was evenly played over the course of 98 percent of its snaps. But on a small handful of occasions, Rutgers drops--countered at the other end by dazzling, get-out-of-trouble runs by Slaton and also WVU
quarterback Pat White--made all the difference in the world. Six or seven snaps--especially two big ones midway through the third quarter--decided a game in which Rutgers played with an admirable amount of guts and grit. One deficient performance from one receiver sank the Scarlet Knights, while a huge play from a star running back enabled the Mountaineers to register their biggest win to date in the 2007 season.

98 Percent? Allow me to clarify- 98% of the game was evenly played. I'm sorry, Matty. I was there. The game was not 98% evenly played.

I can understand your argument that the game was closer than the score would indicate. However, when a team wins by 28 points and none of the scores came on fluke plays, it means one team took a whopping. Im sorry, I can't buy what your selling. Go try and sell it to Rutgers. I'm sure they're looking for a pick me up.

Do Cardinals Have Teeth?

2007-11-01T10:30:00.000-04:00

Am I the only one in the world who looks at the above image wonders WTF. Now I never took a biology class at WVU, but I'm pretty sure that Cardinals aren't hiding teeth inside their beaks.

The teeth may make the Cardinal look tough but it also makes the person wearing the shirt look like a jackass. Just admit that the Cardinal is a pussy mascot and use that fancy L as your logo.

Al Gore's Internet Sucks

2007-10-31T13:28:00.001-04:00

The Internet has been down all morning and will continue to be down through the rest of the day at my office. We're going ahead and calling this a lost day, but we will be back tomorrow.

We Pause For A Moment

2007-10-30T22:07:00.000-04:00

To bring this update on the basketball team...Andy Katz touches base with Huggins and the rest of the WVU basketball team in a nice preseason profile. You can find it here.

My favorite quote:

"He's just on us all the time about crashing the boards," Alexander said. "They never stop. I could rebound perfect all practice and miss one, one time, and then they'll yell at me like I've never rebounded before in my life. It's crazy. They're just on you all the time, but it's good for us."

Oh brother, how I love that. We'll be tackling more of the basketball team in the coming weeks. Buckle up.

Things That Made Me Want To Throw My Shoe!

2007-10-30T13:32:00.000-04:00

In all honesty, there should not be much to be upset about after the dismantling of Rutgers on Saturday. But I’m 5th Year Senior and I get pissed off about not being pissed off. Let the Dew rage begin…
#1

WTAE in Pittsburgh let me ask you something. Who in the hell would want to watch Pitt v. Louisville instead of WVU v. Rutgers? Shit fans would rather watch our game. Because of its decision to show the Pitt game, I had to watch the WVU game without HD.

I feel sorry for those of you without HD cable, it is the best thing since Koozie’s. Once you have HD it is impossible to go back. To me it is like having sex without a condom and then having to go back to wearing those pleasure preventers.

Why in the hell does Stewart Street still get a fucking green light? The road is closed because of construction which means there is no damn traffic. If I have to wait one more time through that damn light I may go to city council and throw a shoe at Ron Justice.

Does Rutgers not believe in proper drainage? There were puddles of water on that damn field, which is just not acceptable.

Please God stop all future announcers from using the nickel/five and dime to describe White and Slaton. It makes my ears bleed and does not do them justice. Call them badass mother fucker (BAMF) and slayer.

Will someone please tell that kid in the Sportsmanship commercial that nobody will take him seriously if his pants are around his neck. Why is this kid trying to be a 90 year old retiree? Kid, you are 12 years old find some baggy pants, sag'em, and make your mom yell at you for walking on the cuffs.

I need to start taking some Bayer Aspirin because my heart is in trouble.

Whores and Horses

2007-10-30T11:30:00.000-04:00

This wonderful piece of prose was created over a year ago after Charley's 4 day weekend in Louisville for the game. Good times...

Louisville sucks.

Not the team, but the school and the collection of greasy, STD-riddled, sluttastic "students" that attend the school.

Saturday night, I enjoyed a trip to what would be best described as a breeding ground for any and all communicable diseases. If Herpes ever mutates and becomes airborne, Fourth Street Live would be the scene of such a medical miracle.

The night started out well enough, with a pretty damn good dinner and damn good bourbon down the street at Maker's Mark Bourbon House. Unfortunately, our next choice was a CDC laboratory disguised as a bar: Parrot Beach. To give you an idea of this hole, it was a combination of Bent Willey's, Banana Joe's, the Jersey Shore, Hell, and Kentucky. Unfortunately, Kentucky turns out to be the worst of these 5 ingredients.

Look, I like girls dancing on tables as much as the next guy, but I would prefer if those girls rated more than a negative 3 out of 10 on any man's scale. And last time I checked, C-Section scars aren't sexy. Louisville girls should keep that in mind next time they decide to wear a Kids-medium sized shirt.

And the guys, even worse. Unfortunately, the bathroom had an attendant, which meant everyone had a chance to put on cologne from his collection. That poor guy must have to restock that cologne every 20 minutes. I walked in and nearly passed out as one chach-ball dumped a whole bottle of Drakkar Noir on his chest. I'm sure his cousin Geno did the same thing.

And lastly, I heard a rumor that they're taking the gold out of Fort Knox...apparently replacing it with a week's supply of penicillin for the U of L student body. Trust me, they'll need every drop. We should drop condoms on that school like we drop food on Afghanistan, just to make sure they don't procreate.

So as you can see, I enjoyed my trip.

Yes, Yes, a Thousand Times Yes

2007-10-30T00:00:00.000-04:00

There aren't really words to properly describe this footage of awesomeness. Sure, she's OK, so we can laugh, but there was a good chance I would be laughing either way.

[With Leather]

THE THRILL OF VICTORY

2007-10-29T20:25:00.000-04:00

Well, despite Charley's early claims, I do travel to games. (Note: Charley passed on going to this game because his tummy hurt. True story.) This weekend, I went into the eye of the storm. Literally. The whole drive up was nothing but rain, which as you might imagine-sucked.

Then came gameday. Pregame, the only thing nastier than the weather were the Rutgers dance and cheerleading squads. Yikes. The weather cleared up before kickoff, but was still pretty windy. That would not last. The skies opened. Not really sure when, but at that point it got a little primal. Coincidently, that's the point in time that WVU just kicked it into overdrive and left the overmatched Scarlet Knights behind. It was sweet.

Obviously, the whole team played great. However, I want to mention the performance of Pat McAfee. He was great. From solid kickoffs to the big field goal before halftime, Pat was gigantic.

Some thoughts on Rutgers:

I went up to the game in 2005. Same weather as this game. This time, there were alot more Rutgers fans there. That's a positive for the program and the Big East.

On the flip side, the program still has a ways to go. 40,000 seat stadium? Come on. No out of town scores. No stats. A sub par band. Long lines at bathrooms. Fellas, you aren't going 3-8 anymore.

I don't like Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, but respect him. However, it was GREAT to watch him throw off his headphones and start walking out onto the field before Rod made his move. He had his ass kicked enough.

Have fun again down at Houston, Rutgers.

Meanwhile, the good guys are gaining steam. I pity Louisville, Cincy, UConn and Pitt.

Who's In Your 5?

2007-10-29T17:56:00.000-04:00

Kate Hudson

Marissa Miller

Heidi Klum

Carrie Underwood

Ashley Judd

This one is for you Amelia.

Road To The BCS

2007-10-29T16:00:00.000-04:00

Let me just start off by saying that I want nothing more than to play in the BCS National Championship game. However, Woody Paige always says, “You guys have to look at the schedule.” After looking at the schedule it does not look good for WVU. I did not include Kansas in this scenario because they are not that good and will get beat by seasons end.

OSU (10-2)
W Wisconsin – If this were at Camp Randall maybe but not shot at the Horseshoe
L Illinois – The fighting Zooker’s come in and shock OSU as they are looking ahead to next week’s match-up at the Big House.
L @ Michigan – The Wolverine’s earn a spot in the Rose Bowl by winning the Big Ten.

BC (11-2) The New England magic ends with the Eagles. I hope this team gets the Clap.
W FSU
W @ Maryland
L @ Clemson
W Miami
L (ACC Championship v. Va. Tech)

LSU (12-1) The trek to their bowl game will be a short drive down I-10 to New Orleans.
W @ Bama – This will be a close game and if Les Miles gambles too much down the stretch he could get burnt.
W La Tech
W @ Ole Miss
W Arkansas
W (SEC Championship v. It doesn’t matter)

Arizona St. (10-2)
L @ Oregon – You don’t go into Autzen and leave with a W, unless you’re Cal.
W @ UCLA
L USC
W Arizona

Oregon (11-1) A longer drive to New Orleans but they will meet LSU for the BCS Championship.
W Arizona St.
W @ Arizona
W @ UCLA - This is the Ducks toughest remaining game but they will walk out of LA with a W.
W Oregon St. – The Civil War is a rivalry game so you never know what could happen.

Oklahoma (12-1) Most likely going to the Rose Bowl to face Michigan.
W Baylor
W @ Texas Tech
W Oklahoma St.
W (Big 12 Championship v. Missouri)

WVU (11-1)
W Louisville – This game still worries me. Brohm is a great passer but I think our secondary holds strong.
W @ Cincy
W UConn
W Shit – I can’t wait to chant EAT SHIT PITT over and over again.

If this scenario works out we will end up 4th in the BCS poll and will likely be picked first by the Orange Bowl to play the Chokies.

Rutgers Student Gameday Diary!

2007-10-29T14:30:00.000-04:00

9:00 a.m. Why the fuck is it so loud outside, who is this skank beside me, and why the fuck am I wet? Oh shit, I pissed the bed again, “MAAAAA.” I’m at school my ma isn’t here…don’t cry think. This skank isn’t up yet so I’m going to roll her ass to the wet side and blame this on her.

9:15 Damn this girl is fat what was I thinking? Oh yeah, I can’t do any better than this I go to Rutgers. Hey skank wake up you pissed the bed. Get the hell out.

9:30 Shit dawg, we play those hillbillies from western Virginia today. Time to get ready

11:30 That didn’t take as long as I thought and I look good. All black today and I look good. I hope I put enough gel and hairspray in my hair to hold up to the rain. Someone get me a Heineken and a Red Bull.

11:31 I’m already fucking hammered drunk and ready to rage in that stadium. CHOP CHOP CHOP CHOP

11:32 I’m so drunk I just threw up off the deck. When are we going to the club? Fuck, I meant stadium I’m so drunk I can’t even think straight.

12:15 GAME TIME BITCHES! I’m actually matching the team today that is sssuppperrr. CHOP CHOP CHOP CHOP

12:30 I’m wetter now than I was this morning in my bed. We better score a touchdown soon or I’m going to be pissed. These rednecks are fast but we can chop wood.

12:35 Damn, they scored. Roid rage building.

12:57 Damn, they scored again. Roid rage building. We need to do something so I can use all the redneck jokes like are you married to your fuckin’ sister.

1:45 17 – 3 at half this sucks my left nut which is small because I do steroids but the fat chicks love muscle.

3:15 We just lost again to those fucking hillbillies and I can’t control the roid rage. I’m going to beat some mountaineers’ ass. Yo, sister fucker, fuck your momma or your wife whatever that fat cow is walking beside you. Let’s rumble!

4:30 Where am I? My head hurts and I’m bleeding. I just got knocked the fuck out!

You Got Knocked The F--k Out

2007-10-29T11:30:00.000-04:00

Yes, you, Rutgers. Dominated. Owned. Pwned. Whatever you want. The tradition of Rutgers being West Fuckin' Virginia's bitch continues.

Just ask Ray Rice:

“We got outplayed,” said Rice, who rushed for 142 yards on 30 carries and became the first Rutgers player to surpass 1,000 yards rushing three times. “They came out here and executed, and we didn’t.”

Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.

Rutgers, at times, moved the ball on the ground against WVU. But even during these stretches, not once did they make the "big play," turning sustained drives into points. Each time, WVU met that challenge. Sure, Rutgers shot themselves in the foot by dropping passes, but more times than not WVU's defense stepped-up in key situations. Even if WVU's offense played awful, the defense would have kept us in this game.

But, of course, the WVU offense didn't play awful. They didn't just play average. They played pretty fucking amazing. Finally, it seems, the luster we lost during the USF game has been replaced. No longer is the execution -- and playcalling -- in some type of comatose. They're both alive and well. The best example of this was the 51 yard slip screen thrown to Steve Slaton against an all-out blitz from Rutgers. Maybe it's luck to catch Rutgers at their most vulnerable, or maybe it was good preparation and a good call. One way to know is if this awesomeness continues, which after these last 3 games, I have no reason to think it won't.

Other random thoughts:

It was good to see Noel Devine get back into action, though his 6 carries for 40 yards came when the game was already well in hand. Either way, any experience is good experience.

WVU goes on the road and beats a 25th ranked Rutgers squad that had beaten USF the week before. Arizona State beats a similarly-ranked Cal team at home and finally Arizona State is for real. I know ASU is unbeaten, but does anybody actually think they're a better team than WVU? Dennis Erickson might even agree with me. Luckily, it's only a few years until they're on probation.

Arizona State is so good, they have opened as a 7 point dog against Oregon. Seeing as how Oregon is the much stronger team, we have to cheer for ASU in this one, though a road win is unlikely.

Fox Sports/CFN are still projecting WVU to the national title game. Stranger things have happened, I suppose. (5th Year Senior will be back later today with a full BCS post.)

I have absolutely no idea what this means. Any ideas?

You've Been Nickled and Dimed

2007-10-29T09:30:00.000-04:00

Yeah, trust me, I hated the use of "Nickel and Dime" just as much as you did. But when you can't think of a better headline...

Actually, We're Going Up

2007-10-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

After watching this video, it's safe to say I would rather live in Britney Spears' vagina than live in New Jersey. At least it's cleaner.

I Got Drunk Yesterday

2007-10-28T22:00:00.000-04:00

Seriously, really, aggressively drunk. It was fun. But then today, I pay. So, when I fully recover tomorrow morning, there shall be posts. Expect a recap of the Rutgers game and hot chicks. But for now, this is the best I can do:

Picture > 1,000 Words

2007-10-27T19:08:00.000-04:00

Soulja Boy Is Dead

2007-10-26T14:30:00.000-04:00

Long live __________?

Soulja Boy is one of the most annoying songs ever to grace this fine planet. The accompanying dance? Even worse. That's why I am jumping on the anti-Soulja Boy bandwagon and trying to do something about it. And don't give me any of that racist crap. My wife and I gave money to Colin Powell!

OK, so we need to find a replacement. Remember, we need to keep the dance fresh and hip. That way, Devin Hester will do it.

Here is my own humble suggestion...your own suggestions in the comments:

Road To The BCS: Rutgers

2007-10-26T10:00:00.000-04:00

We've been half-assing our game previews since, well, this blog started. Starting today and continuing before each game, we'll be rolling out a more complete look at the upcoming game. Today, we turn to Rutgers.

When WVU is on offense:

When Pat White, Steve Slaton and the rest of the offense take the field, the offense will look much different than the one that Rutgers saw last year. With a revamped offense line that will likely be revamped again this week and a healthy Pat White; Rutgers will see a lot more runs during this contest.

After watching the South Florida-Rutgers game, I’m pretty sure Rod will be attacking the same things I saw. Look I’m not saying I’m a football coach, or could play one on TV, but some things were obvious. Case in point, the number of times Matt Grothe was able to get outside the tackles and take advantage of Rutgers linebackers over pursing plays. Therefore, I look for a lot of fake handoffs to Slaton and Schmidt up the middle and White get on the outside and cut up the field. (Imagine the first play from scrimmage against Mississippi State) Also, West Virginia needs to avoid having White sit in the pocket. The Bulls did more of this with Grothe in the second half which led to five Rutgers sacks.

Most importantly, WVU just needs to avoid turnovers and sloppy play. In their last two big road games (Louisville ’06 and South Florida ’07), West Virginia was ultimately done in by these two factors. Because of the South Florida game, White and Slaton have taken a hit nationally; this is their game to get back on track.

When WVU is on defense:

The key to this game is stopping Ray Rice. The key to stopping Ray Rice is hitting him before he really gets his momentum going. Rice is one of the best down hill runners in college football. He destroyed USF last week between the tackles. We need to keep Wicks close to the line on the edge to allow the linebackers to plug the middle if a hole opens.

So after we lock down Rice, with the 11th best rush D in the country, we have nothing to worry about because Mike Teel is not good enough to beat the number 5 pass defense in the country. Mundy locks down the deep ball and with a re-energized Johnny Dingle ready to decapitate Teel we are looking pretty good. If Teel does have time, Lankster will be covering Underwood, like we all wish panties would cover Britney's vajayjay.

Over the past few weeks, except for the deep pass in the USF game, this D has made me a believer. If we lock down Rutgers, the rest of the nation is soon to follow.

Overall:

WVU has historically dominated Rutgers, to the tune of 28-4-2. The last loss came in 1994. That record, however, is misleading, because this Rutgers program is nothing like the one that took an 80-7 whooping by an awful WVU squad in 2001.

Greg Schiano is a star coach in this conference, probably only second to our own Rich Rodriguez. Luckily, though, Schiano doesn't (yet) have our number, like USF's Jim Leavitt. That said, Schiano's squad put up a helluva fight last year in Morgantown. Then again, that game was played without start QB Pat White. White is expected to play the entire game tomorrow afternoon. Another huge difference between last year and tomorrow is the Rutgers defense. What was once a very fast, experienced squad is still fast, but graduation has really hurt this defense. A defense that eventually gave up 41 points to WVU with its backup QB.

This is a stern test, but not one that should keep us out of the BCS picture. After Rutgers' win against USF, a win tomorrow will make more than a ripple on the national landscape. This is a good win, if we can get it. Our bet? We get it.

WVU (-6) 27
Rutgers 14

Stiles (loves underdogs)

Washington State +6 vs. UCLA
NC State +4 vs. Virginia
South Carolina +2.5 @ Tennessee
Mississippi State +14 @ Kentucky
UConn +4.5 vs. USF

5th Year Senior

Purdue -12.5 vs. Northwestern
Florida -7.5 vs. Georgia
Nebraska +21.5 @ Texas
FIU +40.5 @ Arkansas
Clemson -3.5 @ Maryland

Charley West

Indiana +8.5 @ Wisconsin
Colorado +12.5 @ Texas Tech
UConn +4.5 vs. South Florida
Texas A&M +2.5 vs. Kansas
Michigan State -3 @ Iowa

Boston Collge is Popular

2007-10-26T09:00:00.000-04:00

Boston College is a big-time player in the Boston sports scene. Just last night, Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon introduced the Eagles during the ESPN telecast. One time, BC managed to make the third page of the Boston Globe sports section. Bob Ryan even thought about going to one of their games once.

To celebrate just how crazy Bostonians are over Boston College football, I present this ranking of just how much Boston loves each of their sports teams:

~~Boston College~~ Red Sox
~~Boston College~~ Patriots
~~Boston College~~ Celtics
~~Boston College~~ Bruins
~~Boston College~~ Revolution (MLS)
~~Boston College~~ the marathon
~~Boston College~~ chowder
~~Boston College~~ Matt Damon
~~Boston College~~ Harvard football
~~Boston College~~ tea parties
~~Boston College~~ Harvard crew
~~Boston College~~ Canons (Major League Lacrosse)
~~Boston College~~ The Big Dig
~~Boston College~~ the Yankees
Boston College
Ben Affleck

So, as you can see, Boston College is very popular. In fact, after tonight's ugly win, they might actually move behind Ben Affleck. Congratulations Eagles. Keep telling yourself you matter.

Snatching Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory

2007-10-25T23:15:00.000-04:00

Well, I didn't see that one coming. I would like to commend Virginia Tech on assuming the fetal position towards the end of the game. They really did that better than I think any other team could.

Couple things from the broadcast:

Stop calling a 25/52 performance with 2 INTs "Heisman worthy." Bullshit. BC couldn't do a thing on offense for 55 minutes. Then, Tech goes into the prevent and Matt Ryan wins the Heisman. Tech gave that away, BC didn't win it. If anyone tries to tell me otherwise, I'll punch them right in the throat.

I'm paraphrasing here, but Todd Blackledge couldn't tell us enough that VT's program was built on a team atmosphere, devoid of any superstars. Oh really? What was Tech before Michael Vick? Oh, you hadn't heard of them before that? Me neither.

After tonight's putrid performance, I am convinced that BC will lose again this season. #2 team in the country? Yeah, right. Maybe top 15, but nothing better than that.

The Apocalypse of Hate

2007-10-25T17:30:00.000-04:00

Yes, that's right, it's the battle for the Big EAST championship tonight. Wait, no, that can't be right, not if Boston College is involved. What conference championship could BC contend for? Hmmmm. Oh right, the ACC.

Yes folks, it's BC @ Virginia Tech tonight for the lead in the vaunted, heralded, and acclaimed Atlantic Coast Conference. If you're hoping for a meteor to hit Lane Stadium tonight, you have only scant few minutes left.

As far as the Mountaineers stance on this game, we have to be buying Virginia Tech tonight. Boston College is the stronger team with the easier schedule to end the season. Virginia Tech, on the other hand, has no offensive line (and no QB tonight) and a remaining trip to UVA.

In the end, though, it's going to be tough to cheer for any of these teams. Usually when that happens, I just put money on the game and cheer for that. Unfortunately, I'm not sure I particularly like either team tonight. With Tyrod Taylor, VT looked to be the player here. With Sean Glennon, it looks like any team but VT.

My advice? Drink heavily.

The Definitive Hate List (Updated)

2007-10-25T15:30:00.000-04:00

If you're like me, you're always confused as to who to hate. One week you're pulling for a team, the next you want them to lose. Such is life in this BCS sweepstakes that we find ourselves. Well, fear not, minions. WBGV is here to take all the guess-work out of your everyday existence. No, we can't tell you if your son is on drugs or if your neighbor has been stealing your lawn ornaments -- yet -- but we can tell you who to hate.

This is not sometimes, when-I-get-around-to-it hate. This is pure-all-the-time hate.

UPDATE: Find the new additions at the end of the list.

Let's get the easy ones out of the way first:

Pitt

This is the easiest of the easy, to hate and to beat. Zing! Seriously, Pitt has zero redeeming qualities. Hate with regard to neither women, children, the elderly, or kittens.

Marshall

The red-headed step-child that all of us keep locked in the basement. Oh, you don't have one? Yeah, stop lying.

Virginia Tech

Who cares if we don't play them anymore, my hate still burns bright. So should your's.

Louisville

Our new biggest rival. Down this year, though they should be back in years to come. Unless they keep Steve Kragthorpe, who enjoys losing football games, cross-dressing, and body-painting.

OK, those are the biggest 4. Then there's the rest of the football Big EAST:

USF
Cincinnati
Syracuse
UConn
Rutgers

Then we have to get to the Big EAST basketball schools:

DePaul
Georgetown
Marquette
Providence
St. John's
Seton Hall
Villanova

Of course, I intentionally omitted Notre Dame, not because they're not on the list, but because they deserve their own section:

Notre Dame

The most hated of the hated, not just by us, by everyone. Even the Aryan Brotherhood and the Mexican Mafia think Notre Dame is evil. Now if we just get the entire school into a California prison...

Now we have to get a little more creative:

Penn State.
The Big Ten, but not Northwestern.
ESPN, the network, not the individual letters. Except P.
Lee Corso.
College football analysts with an SEC bias. These include all of them.
Dan Dakich.
College basketball analysts with an ACC bias.
Jay Bilas. See above.
Miami Hurricanes.
Real, actual hurricanes.
The entire state of New Jersey.
Mike's Hard Lemonade, and any variation.
Bobby Bowden.
Sex and the City, the show and the impending movie.
John Beilein.
Lane Stadium.
Spiders, the insect, not of Richmond. Though their prior affiliation with Beilein is troubling.
Michael Vick.
Osama Bin Laden.
USC.
Texas.
Nebraska.
Maid in Manhattan.
Lou Holtz. Fuck you for 1988. Fuck. You.
The ref who called the technical foul in the 1998 Sweet 16.
Donovan McNabb.
Doug Flutie.

Stay with me, there's more...

Warren Sapp.
Lee Suggs and Kevin Jones.
The student gate at Mountaineer Field.
Jay Mariotti.
Old Pitt Stadium. What a fucking dump.
Frank Beamer. It's funny because his burn makes him look like a turkey.
Phil Fulmer. Nothing really to do with WVU, but just hate on principle. Trust me.
The 2001 football season.
The 2001-2002 basketball season. Two words: Drew Catlett.
Roger Staubach. Wow, was he fucking good. And three times as old as me.
Marcus Vick. Statutory rape is funny when it's not your daughter.
The UVA pep band.
When they pave paradise and put up a parking lot. Unless it's the Blue Lot.
Rick Pitino.
Adolf Hitler.
Jim Boeheim.
Joseph Stalin.
Jim Calhoun.
Jim Calhoun. Get it? Zing!
Elderly drivers. Turn off your damn turn signal!
The student section. Unless you're a student, and then...
The alumni section. Unless you're an alumnus, and then...
Not having a school golf course.
Paul Pasqualoni.
Stuart Scott. Or is it Linda Cohn I hate more? Eh, who can decide...
Linda Cohn.
Jewel. We get it, you lived in your van.

New inductions to the hate list:

Boston College. No excuse for me leaving these fucks off the list.
Kellen Winslow. Sure I might secretly love him as a Browns fan, but you can still openly hate him.
Steven A. Smith. I LOVE THESE CHEESE DOODLES!
Chevy Troutman: What a no-talent ass clown.
Perlo Bastien. Yes, we can hate our own. And he's easy to hate.
Bucky Waters. No one has a more inflated view of their own place in Mountaineer history.

...and last, but certainly not least...

Marvin Graves and Tremain Mack. Don't tell me you haven't been thinking about these two names since you started reading this list. They are the reason this list exists. Outside of the big four and Notre Dame, Marvin Graves and Tremain Mack might elicit more blind hatred than anyone else.

OK, that's the list. If I've missed anyone -- and there have to be more -- nominations are being taken in the comments.

Cough, Basketball, Cough

2007-10-25T14:00:00.000-04:00

Well, this team certainly doesn't lack confidence, does it? Big EAST basketball media day was held yesterday and WVU, rather expectedly, was picked to finish 10th. But you wouldn't know that from how CBH and the players were talking:

"I think it says that people, just because of our name, don't really take us seriously," junior forward Joe Alexander said. "After Coach Huggins is here for a while, that'll change."

Perhaps the most popular participant in media day as he returns to his alma mater just 10 wins shy of 600 for his career, Huggins hopes his players make the changes themselves.

"I hope we're not 10th," he said. "We want to make a run at being the best team in the league. I think if we can do that, we can make a run in the (NCAA) tournament."

Until they play a game, I'm not sure if anybody outside of CBH and the players know how the system change will affect this team. My guess is that, with the combination of increased strength and conditioning, it will be for the better. But again, who knows. But for now, I might as well take their word for it.

Look forward to Stiles' WVU/Big EAST basketball preview coming in the next two weeks.

Rutgers Has a Knight Mascot

2007-10-25T13:20:00.001-04:00

Karma's A Bitch!

2007-10-25T00:45:00.000-04:00

Returning home yesterday from the mall, karma reared its ugly head. I, for some unknown reason, decided to STOP at a stop sign. The car behind me decided to keep going and then BOOM, let's call the driver "Tiffany."

Because I'm such a calm and easy going guy, I got out of the car and politely asked, "What the FUCK are you doing?" She was still yapping it up on her cell phone until she saw steam come out of my ears. This is when she did what any girl would do and started to CRY.

As a guy we are supposed to comfort crying girls but she hit my car and I was not calming down. She was loud, had big hair, HUGE hoop earrings, and was driving her daddy's beamer. Actually she was wearing sweats, had her hair in a pony tail, and was driving a Taurus.

Then she backed up her car and I saw her front license plate, NEW JERSEY. This made me laugh, look up into the rain, and say, "Damn Karma's a bitch." Luckily, there was only a slight dent and yours truly is uninjured.

Some would stop making fun of people from Jersey after this incident, but I'm going to carry you for you loyal readers.

Jersey Alarm Clock

Sleep With Me Instead

2007-10-24T21:30:00.000-04:00

Can't Say I Disagree

2007-10-24T15:00:00.000-04:00

The BCS is garbage.

Even when it works, someone has a problem. Usually legitimate. At least in college basketball, the problems happen during the selection process, a full month before the national championship game. With the BCS, problems begin the first day the rankings are released and continue until about the middle of the 3rd quarter of the MNC game.

No one points out one of the biggest deficiencies of the BCS better than this piece by Wendell Barnhouse -- who's name frankly sounds made-up -- in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Star-Telegram:

Two of the most popular exhibits in the BCS' Hall of Shame are the 2001 and 2003 seasons. In both cases (Nebraska in '01 and Oklahoma in '03), a team reached the BCS title game without winning its conference championship.

...

Should West Virginia win out, it will be 11-1 and atop the Big East standings. If South Florida wins its remaining games, the Bulls and the Mountaineers would be the only Big East teams with one loss.
South Florida, based on its head-to-head victory over West Virginia, would be Big East champions. The Bulls, 12th in the coaches' and Harris polls and 10th in the BCS standings, are long shots to reach the BCS title game.
While it would require more upsets -- and based on what's transpired, that's not exactly a reach -- it's not out of the question that West Virginia could wind up ranked No. 2 in the final BCS standings.
Yep, that's right. West Virginia could play in the BCS title game and not be the top team in its conference. At least the Mountaineers could claim to be "co-champions," which is something Nebraska and Oklahoma couldn't do.

Obviously, this is the scenario we as Mountaineer fans want to have play out this season. But, in the interest of college football, there needs to be a rule change.

Simply amending the BCS qualification rules to require winning your own conference's championship (along with any tiebreakers) would help shore up a faulty BCS process. Reason suggests that if you're not the best team in your conference of 8-12 teams, then how can you compete for the title of best team in America?

Hopefully -- soon -- you won't be able to.

Why Jersey?

2007-10-24T12:30:00.000-04:00

If you live in New Jersey I have to ask you one question, why? Why, would you put yourself through the smell and high probability of contracting a STD by simply breathing?

Yes, you may be able to find hair gel and CK One cologne on every street corner, but it is New Jersey. People get stabbed for their K-Swiss shoes everyday. This person is your next door neighbor.

I bet people in New Jersey hate the fact that they live there too. If only there were a college to do a study about this fact. Oh wait, there is.

It's Hump Day, Get It?

2007-10-24T12:00:00.000-04:00

Greg Schiano Hunter

2007-10-24T09:30:00.000-04:00

Take the New Jersyian, for example, my favorite animal. There are 23 species. Seventeen of those species are rare or endangered. Sixteen of which have some type of sexually communicable disease. They're on the way out, no matter what anyone does or says, you know. No matter how many weights they lift, they just can't make it in this new world.

But today, today we're hoping to get lucky. We're on the search for one of the most dangerous and elusive New Jerseyians in all the land. In fact, only one of these massive "guidos" is known to exist. To find him, we must search in his natural habitat: the club. The club most resembles the savannahs of Africa. An open plain where danger lurks right around the corner. This is a kill or be killed world, to be sure.

We can distinguish this particular guido by the prominent gap in his front teeth. But don't get too close, as he is very, very dangerous. Because when he strikes it can be that quick that if they're within range, you're dead, you're dead in your tracks. Outside of the Komodo Dragon, Greg Schiano is THE single most dangerous predator. He's absolutely ruthless.

CRIKEY, there he is. It's Greg Schiano. Now stand back everyone, don't get too close. Marvel at the beauty of his hair, groomed perfectly with gel and product.

And look, he's sired a brood of younger guidos. This is absolutely fantastic. The endangered species is being rebuilt. But we must be careful. When he's protecting his young, he's especially dangerous. The entire brood might react as if on cocaine. They're that unstable.

Look at the beauty of the brood. Watch as they move as a group throughout the club, flirting with each female New Jersyian. Look as the bigger guido is more dominant with the female as the smaller ones stay to the back and lick themselves.

Quite the sight indeed!

[I have no idea who originally photoshopped this, but I first saw it on The Sports Nirvana, so credit goes to them -- for now. Feel free to correct me.]

Rutgers Football: A Timeline

2007-10-24T00:00:00.000-04:00

Rutgers fans, as we all know, are unbearably proud of their recent achievements in football. Unfortunately, at least for us, they completely ignore over 100 years of history in putridity, which I'm pretty sure is a word.

So, as I am always in the mood to shut up a Rutgers fan, I present to you a very simple timeline. It shows Rutgers football, both then and now.

First, then (1994)...

Look at Jon Cryer dancing in that sea of humanity. There were tens of people both in the stands and at the tailgates. The buzz around the stadium was unbelievable. And you couldn't even hear the background music of the "R --- U" cheers. Wow, just wow.

OK, how about we fast forward 13 years to "now"...

...and they've regressed.

Kentuckians Talk Slow

2007-10-23T21:00:00.000-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, the Secretary Of Agriculture.

Ladies and gentlemen, the orange crop estimates for the next year. After calculating the estimates from various orange producing states, we have concluded the following: The cold winter has apparently not affected the orange harvest. Consumers can expect orange juice prices to fall...

The Girls Of The Garden State

2007-10-23T14:00:00.000-04:00

At WBGV, we strive to bring you only the very best in women and only the very average of humor. In that vein, here are the hottest women New Jersey has to offer:

Clara Barton

Elisabeth Shue

Bette Midler

Ali Larter

Jon Bon Jovi

Kelly Ripa

Linda Tripp

VEGAS LOVES WVU

2007-10-23T12:45:00.000-04:00

Nobody is smarter than Las Vegas when it comes to understanding the game of football. As you know, the point of the lines is to drive the betting action to a 50-50 split. To make this happen, Vegas has demonstrated that WVU is a great football team. Case in point:

WVU @ South Florida
Line: WVU -6

South Florida @ Rutgers
Line: South Florida -2

WVU @ Rutgers
Line: -6

Now, I understand the Rutgers/USF game was at night, but Vegas is showing WVU a lot of respect with this line Saturday. Basically saying the Mountaineers are the best team in the Big East. Now, they have to go out and prove it.

Was this post necessary or even helpful? No, probably not. But, I gotta do something to pass the time till Saturday at Noon.

Editor's Note: Are we also 10 points better than Kentucky? Case in point:

Mississippi State @ WVU last week: +24.5
Mississippi State @ Kentucky this week: +13.5

Picture > 1,000 Words

2007-10-23T12:30:00.000-04:00

[thanks to John, via The Wizard of Odds, for the tip]

Jersey Student's Gameday Diary

2007-10-23T11:00:00.000-04:00

My alarm started that buzz buzz buzz at noon and I was like fucking get oudda heee. Who’da hell set my alarm so early on a Saturday? If I find out who’da hell set it I’m gonna bash his face in with a bat.

Aww dawg now I remember WVU has a football game today. YEAH, somebody get me a JAGERBOMB.

I better get in the shower if I’s gonna to get any time to tailgate and act like a cocksucker. It takes at least 2 hours for me to blowout my hair, put on my red Armani shirt, headband, and oversized silver chain.

Oh shit, WVU’s colors are blue and gold. Whateva’ gold and blue. I don’t give a fuck, the girls are going to see this red shirt and wanna fuck me right in The Pit.

I love this mirror because it makes me look like a fuckin’ pimp. My hair almost fills up the whole damn mirror. This shit could put some pussy’s eye out. I love it, you love, bitches love it, HELL YEAH, JAGERBOMB.

Now let me think, where’da hell is the stadium? Fuck that hurt, I’ll just ask one of my boys. I can’t go anywhere yet ‘cause I gotta wait for my boys to get heee.

If my group ain’t rollin’ 10 deep with sausage, I ain’t goin’ nowheres ‘cause I’ll get my ass kicked if I walk anywheres alone.

Finally, at the stadium and I need a JAGERBOMB and a Corona. What no Corona? Only keg beer, fuck it I’ll just throw a cup on the ground after every beer to make it feel like Jersey, I LOVE TRASH.

Why is everyone leaving it is only 3:00? The first quarter won’t be over until at least 4:15 and I ain’t goin’ in until then.

It’s 4:00 and I’m fuckin’ drunk and if anybody wants to fight I will kick their ass, with the help of my 10 boys who are tough as shit.

Wow, we are already up HUGE. This game will be over in 15 minutes. What’da fuck are you talkin’ about the game is over after the second half. A football game is two halves? I don’t give a fuck I’m still leaving at halftime and never coming back.

The Definitive Hate List

2007-10-23T10:30:00.000-04:00

If you're like me, you're always confused as to who to hate. One week you're pulling for a team, the next you want them to lose. Such is life in this BCS sweepstakes that we find ourselves. Well, fear not, minions. WBGV is here to take all the guess-work out of your everyday existence. No, we can't tell you if your son is on drugs or if your neighbor has been stealing your lawn ornaments -- yet -- but we can tell you who to hate.

This is not sometimes, when-I-get-around-to-it hate. This is pure-all-the-time hate.

Let's get the easy ones out of the way first:

Pitt

This is the easiest of the easy, to hate and to beat. Zing! Seriously, Pitt has zero redeeming qualities. Hate with regard to neither women, children, the elderly, or kittens.

Marshall

The red-headed step-child that all of us keep locked in the basement. Oh, you don't have one? Yeah, stop lying.

Virginia Tech

Who cares if we don't play them anymore, my hate still burns bright. So should your's.

Louisville

Our new biggest rival. Down this year, though they should be back in years to come. Unless they keep Steve Kragthorpe, who enjoys losing football games, cross-dressing, and body-painting.

The most hated of the hated, not just by us, by everyone. Even the Aryan Brotherhood and the Mexican Mafia think Notre Dame is evil. Now if we just get the entire school into a California prison...

Now we have to get a little more creative:

Penn State.
The Big Ten, but not Northwestern.
ESPN, the network, not the individual letters. Except P.
Lee Corso.
College football analysts with an SEC bias. These include all of them.
Dan Dakich.
College basketball analysts with an ACC bias.
Jay Bilas. See above.
Miami Hurricanes.
Real, actual hurricanes.
The entire state of New Jersey.
Mike's Hard Lemonade, and any variation.
Bobby Bowden.
Sex and the City, the show and the impending movie.
John Beilein.
Lane Stadium.
Spiders, the insect, not of Richmond. Though their prior affiliation with Beilein is troubling.
Michael Vick.
Osama Bin Laden.
USC.
Texas.
Nebraska.
Maid in Manhattan.
Lou Holtz. Fuck you for 1988. Fuck. You.
The ref who called the technical foul in the 1998 Sweet 16.
Donovan McNabb.
Doug Flutie.

Stay with me, there's more...

Warren Sapp.
Lee Suggs and Kevin Jones.
The student gate at Mountaineer Field.
Jay Mariotti.
Old Pitt Stadium. What a fucking dump.
Frank Beamer. It's funny because his burn makes him look like a turkey.
Phil Fulmer. Nothing really to do with WVU, but just hate on principle. Trust me.
The 2001 football season.
The 2001-2002 basketball season. Two words: Drew Catlett.
Roger Staubach. Wow, was he fucking good. And three times as old as me.
Marcus Vick. Statutory rape is funny when it's not your daughter.
The UVA pep band.
When they pave paradise and put up a parking lot. Unless it's the Blue Lot.
Rick Pitino.
Adolf Hitler.
Jim Boeheim.
Joseph Stalin.
Jim Calhoun.
Jim Calhoun. Get it? Zing!
Elderly drivers. Turn off your damn turn signal!
The student section. Unless you're a student, and then...
The alumni section. Unless you're an alumnus, and then...
Not having a school golf course.
Paul Pasqualoni.
Stuart Scott. Or is it Linda Cohn I hate more? Eh, who can decide...
Linda Cohn.
Jewel. We get it, you lived in your van.

...and last, but certainly not least...

Marvin Graves and Tremain Mack. Don't tell me you haven't been thinking about these two names since you started reading this list. They are the reason this list exists. Outside of the big four and Notre Dame, Marvin Graves and Tremain Mack might elicit more blind hatred than anyone else.

OK, that's the list. If I've missed anyone -- and there have to be more -- nominations are being taken in the comments.

The Wilner Clusterf--k

2007-10-23T09:15:00.000-04:00

That's the only title I can give to pollster/addict Jon Wilner's continuing ballot catastrophe. Each week, he manages to mangle his top 25 to offend me in a different way. It's actually quite impressive. This skill has convinced me that Jon Wilner is either a Jedi or a high school dropout. Either way, I don't understand him.

Here is the latest masterpiece:

1. LSU
2. Oklahoma
3. Oregon

Three very good football teams. Also, three football teams who have lost a game this season. If you're putting together a poll like this, you're essentially telling me you don't give two shits about the actual games. You're just making a completely arbitrary judgment on which team you think is best. There HAS to be some way to prove yourself during the season. Could it be, I don't know, win all your games?

4. Boston College
5. Ohio State

Hey, look what I found here: undefeated teams!

6. Missouri

Just garbage.

7. South Florida

One ranking I agree with. But I would never tell Jon that, just because if I ever did, he'd think we were best friends and buy a tandem-bicycle. I have a hard enough time getting laid without a tandem-bike, thank you very much.

8. Florida
9. Kansas
10. Kentucky

2-loss team, undefeated team, 2-loss team. Does this make any sense? When little children ask me why their parents got divorced, I always tell them, "because of Jon Wilner." I haven't seen any benefits yet, but one of those little rugrats will eventually grow up, hunt this guy down, and shoot him. You got to plant that seed and watch it grow.

11. West Virginia

Sigh. Wilner is slowly extinguishing my will to live. Luckily, every once in awhile, there's a story about a girl getting fingered at a football game and my life is reborn, but in that meantime, it's tough.

Kanye Is Popular In The YouTube, College Football Highlight Circle

2007-10-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

This is about the 16th highlight video (from different schools) that features Kanye West's "Stronger". It seems like a very popular song. I don't listen to hip-hop, so I'm not really sure. Though I am partial to the promotion of misogynistic behavior and racial violence. Or Tuesday, as well call it at the Charley West household.

I HEART THIS PARAGRAPH

2007-10-22T20:10:00.000-04:00

There is just so much to like about this paragraph clipped from an anti SEC rant:

Everyone couldn’t dump on South Florida fast enough after it lost a tough, nationally televised road game against Rutgers. Didn’t the Bulls beat Auburn at Auburn? Didn’t Auburn lose to Mississippi State? Didn’t the West Virginia team USF beat just destroy Mississippi State?

Is it gametime yet?

Touchdown! Finger Blasting!

2007-10-22T16:15:00.000-04:00

Man, that headline has it all. And so do the pictures. Apparently, after UK had scored to go up 7-0 in the first quarter against Florida, the general rules of decorum were suspended briefly at Commonwealth Stadium.

Take it away, lucky Deadspin reader (only kinda NSFW):

Here's the deal. 8:00 mark, 1st quarter, UK up a touchdown. Most people celebrate with high-fives and rocksplosions.

But the couple in front of me...not so much. They celebrate by straight up finger-banging. that's how we roll in the bluegrass.

My girlfriend alerted me first of this hot public action. Then the chick to my left elbowed me pointing with disgust at the table-turning in the pants. (Apparently women can hear other women's belt buckle coming undone.)

Then, basically, me and 32 others in the section watched with shock-and-awe for the next 3 minutes as this M.I.L.F. got her shit on.

Oh. Hell. Yes. I may be a lot of things, but I am most definitely a man that would unabashedly marvel at a girl getting fingered at a football game. I ~~might~~ would absolutely borrow an older gentleman's binoculars just to get a better look. This is the best story of the year, by far.

At the same time, though, it makes me sad. There I was, busy checking things off my "Fucking Awesome Things To Do At A Football Game" list and now I have to add something to the bottom. Oh well, I'm still young.

[Deadspin]

Things That Made Me Want To Throw My Shoe

2007-10-22T14:15:00.000-04:00

Sometimes silly things really piss me off and let’s just say that this weekend was full of silliness. Homecoming weekend will be responsible for at least three of my future heart attacks. If I wrote down everything that made me want to throw my shoe through somebody’s sphincter on Saturday, it would be longer than the list of people Britney Spears slept with last night.

OK, people, it was our third home game and I maybe saw 4 people rocking during the opening video. When the video says “Time to Rock”, you rock like you never have rocked before! In case you don’t know how to rock simply lean back and then lean forward. Do this repeatedly until you are supposed to start clapping/going crazy.

Hey cheerleaders, why in the hell are you trying to start a “Let’s Go Mountaineers” cheer when we are on offense? I think the hairspray and make-up has gone to your brain. You are supposed to shut the hell up when we have the ball. If you are in the stands and someone beside you participates in this cheer while we have the ball, I give you permission to break your empty bottle of Jack over their head.

Please, I beg of you, for the love of God no more waves. It distracts everyone from the game and really sucks the life out of the crowd. This team is giving their all on the field but you would rather watch the rest of the crowd stand up, throw their hands over the head, and go WOOO. (sigh)

Titus Brown of Mississippi State is an asshole. He hit Patrick White late on at least three plays. White was slow getting up on one of those occasions and I had visions of making Mr. Brown squeal like a piggy.

To calm down from these traumatic moments I came home and stared at this for a couple hours.

Comment Or Die!

2007-10-22T13:00:00.000-04:00

There are three types of blogs, I guess.

First, there are the blogs that no one ever reads. I would say 80% of blogs fall into this category. These are mostly written by middle-aged men and women about their 3 cats or their "hilarious" trip to the dry cleaners. These are rarely updated, even more rarely read, and fade into oblivion within 6 months.

The second are blogs that are read often but not commented on. Right now, this describes WBGV. Due to the miracle that is SiteMeter, I can see that people come and go on a regular basis throughout the day -- everyday. Trust me, this is a reassuring feeling that you're not simply talking to yourself via the Internet. We appreciate the readership, but there's a third level that we have not reached -- yet.

That third level is the pantheon of blogs. They include Deadspin, Kissing Suzy Kolber, With Leather, the Big Lead, etc. These are all popular blogs, yes, but what distinguishes them is their commenter base. Each and every post is greeted by numerous response from the readership, providing both further insight, humor, and feedback. And dick jokes. This is what WBGV strives for, dick jokes and all.

Now, don't hear me wrong. We're not Deadspin and will never be Deadspin. If we are half as humorous as Deadspin, we'll be successful in our own minds. But we still crave the comments. As I said above, comments make this site better. I know there are WVU fans out there that read this site and are 126% funnier than us or know 1,347% more about football/basketball, so why not leave your mark? Through comments, this site can get stronger.

And besides, if you don't comment, the terrorists win. You're not a terrorist, are you?

Maybe A Promotional Mug?

2007-10-22T12:30:00.000-04:00

Maybe a t-shirt? Something has to be done.

I have no idea how to get out the fact that our defense doesn't suck. Not only does it not suck, it's pretty damn awesome. This gives you a little better idea about this new-found awesomeness:

Defensively, the Mountaineers allowed only 214 yards and improved to No. 4 nationally. They rank in the top 12 in total defense, run defense, pass defense and scoring defense. The defense enabled the offense, as well, as fumble recoveries by Mortty Ivy and Marc Magro set up a field goal and a touchdown.

But you still get fucktards like Ivan Maisel who continued to bad-mouth the defense. Maybe we could just send Mortty Ivy door-to-door, terrorizing and intimidating individual commentators. Is that an NCAA violation? I certainly hope not.

[photo courtesy of the Daily Mail, via the Associated Press, via a camera]

Game Recap: Fire Croom!

2007-10-22T11:20:00.000-04:00

Not really.

There was not much Mr. Croom could have done to stop our first quarter on Saturday. Sometimes -- like Maryland last year -- we're just destined to kick some ass. Saturday was one of those days. If you needed any more proof, just look at the offsides penalty on the opening kickoff. If that play stands, the first quarter might look dramatically different. Unfortunately, at least from Miss. State's perspective, they were just a little too antsy to tackle Steve Slaton. After that play, however, they didn't seem in a hurry to tackle any of our players.

The easiest analogy from Saturday is that our game lived up to the hype of the gold jerseys. Personally, I was not looking forward to seeing us wearing what I thought would look like a huge highlighter stain. I was way off. The gold jerseys looked good. Not great, but good. Sometimes, when I'm busy reminiscing, I long for the simpler Nehlen days when we knew we were wearing blue jerseys and gold pants at home. But, in these Nike times we live in, I have to live with change. At least this change wasn't as abhorrent as I first thought.

OK, now for the rest of my stream of conciousness:

Slaton looks better, but he still looks human. When you consider I was halfway to naming my unborn child Charles Steven Slaton West, it's a little disappointing. Luckily, if he goes for 124 and 2 TDs every week, we still have a chance to win every game we play.

The offensive line looked just OK. With a new starting tackle (Selvish Capers), this was understandable. Long-term, I think Capers gives us the best and most athletic line, but the going might get rough in the short-term. Luckily, we have about 5 days to correct this.

I am going to stop paying full-price for tickets if Noel Devine doesn't start getting more PT. I find it hard to believe that Jock Sanders is actually #2 on the depth chart and that Rodriguez wanted to have Slaton play all 4 quarters of a blowout. Maybe CRR is trying to send a message to Devine. If I were him, and he wants me to consider Charles Noel Devine West, he better start busting his ass.

Someone needs to tell the nation we have a defense. It has 11 guys and generally shuts down opponents. Why hasn't anyone outside of West Virginia noticed this? This might not be a problem if they'd actually watch us play.

Besides 5th Year Senior's weekly "Things That Made Me Want To Throw My Shoe" later today, that just about wraps Mississippi State. Overall, we beat an SEC opponent two years running, both by a significant margin. Not too shabby.

Post of Vindiction

2007-10-22T09:46:00.000-04:00

I am an Indians fan. Needless to say, last night (and the past 3 games) have not been an especially happy time for me. To get the hate and despair out of my system, I have decided to take it out on you guys -- the loyal WBGV reader. Here's why:

This is a great video;
This is the last you'll hear about my Indians fan status for at least 6 months; and
Even if you hate soccer, just know that I feel much worse today about the Indians than you do about watching this video. So tough it out. Pussy.

It's Rutgers Week

2007-10-22T00:46:00.002-04:00

Mississippi State is barely a day in the books and already my attention has turned to Rutgers. And by attention, I mean making New Jersey jokes and searching for Jamie-Lynn Sigler on Celebrity Movie Archive.

After opening as a 6.5 point favorite, the line on the game has already shifted downward to 6. This is going to be a tough game. Of course, if we need any more proof, we could always ask USF. They're probably too busy trying to put the bandwagon back together.

To kick off Rutgers week, I have acquired a confidential copy of our game-plan for this Saturday. Shhhh! Don't tell anyone I let you watch this...

(Much more coming later today...)