Must-read: Why Rich Left WV

Detroit Free Press has the scoop here. It's very well written. A definite must read, with exclusive Rich Rodriguez interviews.

Roundball Polls

WVU jumped in the top #25 for the first time this season at #24 in the AP. The coaches have them at #27. And it's also worth mentioning Joe Lunardi (ESPN) has them as a #4 seed in his bracketology. Looks like folks are starting to take notice.

Regarding the comments by Ken Kendrick

It appears that Ken Kendrick is going to assist Rich Rodriguez's legal team in an effort to recoup his $4,000,000 buyout, and withhold it from the University and hence from the athletic program. Reading the recent interviews of this guy has been mildly infuriating. It sounds like he's a booster for Rich Rodriguez University.

Kendrick, if your partisanship is stronger for Rod than it is for the school you ostensibly donate to, how about go take your money and meddling and direct it to Michigan. How can you claim to give two rats' asses about the Mountaineers when you aid and abet the coach's decision to jump ship before a bowl game, gut out the coaching staff, and attempt to force the school to give up 4 million that will be vital to an effort to move forward after this debacle?

If you want to be Rod's personal patron and sugar-daddy, why not follow through and give your money to the Wolverines? If you squint real hard, you can pretend that big yellow "M" is a flying WV.

J A Big East Player of the week.

As was published on the BE web site:

"Alexander was chosen as BIG EAST Player of the Week after he posted a game-high 20 points, while shooting 9-for-11 from the floor, in an 86-62 over UMBC, the Mountaineers’ only game of the week. Alexander also grabbed eight rebounds and blocked three shots. He leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 16.2 and 7.1 averages, respectively."

Way to go Joe!!!

Hold the Rope we were told, and then he and the administration dropped it.

I like many am still dealing with the shock of the news that has come to light over the last 72 hours. I was in shock because I have been a hook line and sinker supporter of our coach since he came here. I was ecstatic at the hire. I said, "just wait and see" after the 3 and 8 season. I stuck by him before it was in vogue to do so. I stuck by him even when he flirted with Alabama and I was one of the fools who believed that he would not join the Maize and Blue. I was obviously wrong. "In Rod we could not trust," he simply had other plans. I am not sure that a different outcome of the Pitt game would have reaped a different result but I know he has bailed on his team now. I have heard several perspectives on what had "caused" this to come to pass. Too say that this hurts would be gross understatement. He told us all to hold the rope!!! He then let go and watched us all fall down. I wish that he would have taken his words as seriously as did his players and the fans.

I have heard from the Rod camp, which suggests that it was not him but the administration of WVU. I have heard that he simply couldn't take it anymore with regard to the fans. I would note that the administration appears not to have clean hands in this either. "I tell you what, I've never seen anything mishandled as much as this was," Bob Reynolds, former chief operating officer of Fidelity Investments, said yesterday. "Here's a university that made a $200,000 decision -- it probably could've cost less than that [to keep Mr. Rodriguez] -- and it's going to cost them millions" in booster support, potential bowl money and revenue from football success." Earl G. "Ken" Kendrick Jr., a part owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks and benefactor to the WVU College of Business and Economics and other colleges in his home state, said: "I'm severely disappointed in leadership. I'm discouraged by the decision-making and lack of judgment. And the lack of respect for key employees -- because this isn't just about Rich, he's just the most high-profile one. It's a sad story. It's compelling to me as somebody who's given emotional and financial support to the university. And it makes it questionable to me as I go forward."-as quoted in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette I can't give the administration a pass either. I just hate the fact that we didn't have a chance to work this out. Rod didn't want to negotiate or fight the administration anymore and the administration didn't want to feel like they had a gun to their head every year. It is a tough situation in my opinion mis-handled by all. But it really doesn't matter why it came to pass it does matter what it means:

1. I think that it means in the short term that this team is going to have to overcome a lot in less than a month to be competitive against the Sooners. They have to overcome Pitt. They have to overcome disappointment over falling short of their dream to play for all the cookies. And now they have to overcome a betrayal of trust by both the coach and the administration. I am sure that it impacts some players more than others but it will have a profound impact regardless.
2. I think that in the short term it means that this recruiting class arguably our best ever will likely be blown up. I don't blame these kids either. I wish them the best regardless of their choice. I hope that they come in spite of this but I understand why they might wish to pull their commits.
3. I think that this means that the reputation of West Virginia has just taken a big blow. Now all those who would say we are a 2nd tier program have some significant mud to sling.
4. I think that this means that the administration has an opportunity after royally botching this, to once again show the country that it is more important to see a flying WV than the name tag on the shirt. I hope against hope that our days without a coach are short ones.
5. I think that this means that Bobby Bowden may get a chance to make an immediate splash. I hope that if this is the case that he uses his charisma to bring a quick "healing" to the wounds of this program. "I made a full commitment to get back into coaching almost two years ago. Coming home to West Virginia would obviously be the dream job for me," Bowden, a college football analyst on radio and for Yahoo! Sports, said in a statement released by his publicist.
6. Long term I think that this program will rebound and come back a strong as ever.

I know that Rich has lead us well for the last 7 years and I am grateful. I wish that his legacy at WVU wouldn't be tarnished in this way. I guess I need to fall back and be the "bigger" person and realize that it is a part of this "business," however I am ill-equipped to do so. You see I am a transplanted West Virginian. I bleed the Gold and Blue and I love my people. This was one of our own turning his back on us. Mostly I am mad because this team has come to believe in the philosophies of Rich. The problem is that he has always talked about doing not talking. His words ring shallow when he uproots and leaves the job undone. I will heal from this as we are a resilient bunch but I am mad right now. Whomever is coming to fill the vacancy please realize how important this is to us the fans. Please realize that we will follow you into the fire we will bleed every scrape we will do what it takes to make you a part of our family. Please don't come here unless you wish to do so for the long term. The program will continue to grow even if the rope was dropped by Rich. I guess we need to take his quote from the presser this morning to heart as he is "in the past." Though the fallout from this will not settle for some time to come.

DA GEEK

So Who then...

Any thoughts on the new coach? I think they should start with Jim Grobe (Huntington native). He once told me years ago that his dream job would be Marshall. OK, that was a LONG time ago. He could reunite with Bill Stewart since they were both assistants at Air Force in the early 90's. Maybe, that's just MY dream. So, do you go after Jimbo Fisher? Would Terry Bowden stay if he had success? How about going where Michigan wouldn't with Brian Kelly? WVU has to look appealing with the talent that...should... be coming back.

Bottom line: It will always come down to recruiting for WVU. It's a tough place to recruit. Unfortunately, I think we'll lose more than Terrell Pryor!

Oh noes!!!

December 16, 2007
Rodriguez leaving for Michigan (1:47 pm)
Dave Hickman, Staff writer
The Rich Rodriguez era at West Virginia ended early Sunday afternoon, not with a bang, but with a whimper.
In an early afternoon meeting with his football team, Rodriguez announced he was leaving to become the head coach at Michigan.
Rodriguez walked into a scheduled 1:30 p.m. meeting with his team and emerged 10 minutes later without comment and walked briskly back to his office. Shortly thereafter the players began to file out of the meeting room, somber-faced and generally without comment.
Rodriguez reportedly met with Michigan officials this past Friday in Toledo, Ohio.

Rumors n' rumblings

Story here

The WV Gazette is reporting that Rich may be in talks with Michigan.

I don't know what to make of all this.

Da Geek's Bowl Pickem

I have created a Private College Bowl Pickem Site called Da Geeks Bowl Pickem on Yahoo.com. I am inviting you to join this game. The pertainant information is as follows: ID# is 24538 and your password is: football

Please join the fun this bowl season.

WVU Picks up two verbles with the last name Woods. And a kicker to boot.

JD and DJ Woods (DJ Woods Pictured to right via Rivals.com) a Rivals 2 star from Fla and a Rivals 3 star with sub 4.5 speed from Ohio respectively have given verbal commitments to WVU. This was confirmed on all the major recruiting networks. This is filling a position of need *2. Both receivers are going to have the opportunity to compete for playing time next season. Our success in recruiting top level talent has not been stymied by one loss. It is clear that we are making some big moves to fill needs. We are still in the mix for several more athletes. We shall see. But today welcome to the Mountaineer family JD and DJ.

As was said above we have also got a verbal from a kicker, Tyler Bitancurt and this one happens to be a protege of Paul Woodside. Now that is going to add some "kick" to this recruits status with WVU fans everywhere.
He is pictured to the left.

DaGeek

Women's Basketball Team is sitting at 8-1

The Lady Eers tallied an impressive win themselves against the Lady Dukes. This came right after they routed host Rhode Island, 80-47, last Saturday afternoon at the Ryan Center in the championship game of the URI Invitational. This nationally ranked team is going to be special this year as it is lead by a very good senior class: Guard, LaQuita Owens; Forward Chakhia Cole; Center Olayinka Sanni; and Guard, Meg Bulger (pictured right.) Expectations are high. Fortunately so is the talent. With their only loss coming against top ranked Tennessee this season looks to be a great one.

Da Geek

WVU Basketball wins another now 7-1.

Wow another dominant performance from Huggy's youth. Obviously we have a winner in our senior leadership with D. Nichols. He has proven to be invaluable in the time he is in the game. He distributes the ball like a master and he can bring the ball up the court as sure handily as anyone. But it seems that the excitement for this year will be from a mixture of talent. Last nights game saw Mr. Butler (AP Photo left) and Mr. Ruoff deliver very impressive numbers, 18 and 15 points respectively. I thought that a defensive philosophy change is bearing fruit. As our Eers out rebounded the Dukes by 38 to 24 margin. I guess Coach was right that after trying to rebound they did find that they liked it. Another very encouraging stat was the free throws as they were 19-of-23 from the line.

Thank you kids for figuring things out so quickly. One would think that this team is only going to improve the longer they are in Coach Huggin's system. Anyway it is quite encouraging to see this type of dominance this early in the season. I also think that the fact that this team leads the nation in point margins is something to consider when contemplating the potential success of this team.
1 2 Final
DUQ (6-3) 37 31 68
WVU (7-1) 48 44 92

Very very encouraging.

Da Geek

DaGeek's Random Thoughts RE: WEST VIRGINIA SPORTS

• Pat White is Big East Player of the Year: I realize not a shock to any on this board but pretty special non the less. I am damn proud of the accomplishments of this team and that is directly related to the leadership, skill, and infusion of fun given to the Eers by Pat. Thanks for a wonderful season. Can't wait to see you display your wears at the Fiesta Bowl.
  
• Pat McAfee has had to endure some despicable idiocy at the hands of those that would call themselves Mountaineer fans. I am sure that you all have heard that Pat has been harassed after the missed kicks at the Pitt game. For the record I love this kicker/punter. He has proven to be invaluable this season in what he brings to the table. Rarely has he missed. It is common that the opposing team has a long way to go as a result of either his kick-offs or his punts. He has been an entertaining interview each and every time he has had the opportunity to opine on anything. I just wish people would get a clue. Anyway, Patrick we love you and wish you continued success with the Gold and Blue.
• I mean really can you find a more apropos bowl for the number one party school in the nation than the one called Fiesta? Oklahoma is a wonderful draw. This is the type of marques match up that can continue to propel our program forward. The beauty is that even after the Pitt loss the Sooners are only spotting us 7. Truth be told that says a lot about the respect that our program has garnered from the professionals in Vegas.
• Coach Rodriguez has been named the Coach of the Year for his region by the AFCA. “What makes this award so special is that this is the only coach of the year award voted on exclusively by the coaches themselves,” AFCA Executive Director Grant Teaff said. “The winners are selected by the coaches they compete with and against on a daily basis.”
• We are once again Big East Champions!!! U Conn gets to share the title but we get the big game reward.
  
• On the hardwood the Eers came to play last night in Alabama as they whipped the Tigers (war-eagle or whatever they call themselves) by a final score of 88 to 59. Alex Ruoff went off with 28 pts. Shooting 10 for 12 from the field and 6 of 8 from 3 point land. Way to go Alex!!! The Eers are now 6-1. Things looking good for the Huggy rendition of this team.
  

Building the ultimate Mountaineer

http://www.msnsportsnet.com/ultimate_mountaineer/index.cfm

Help build the ultimate mountaineer (football)

My thoughts:


Brain: Oliver Luck
Heart: Bo Orlando
Eyes: Pat White
Chin: Sam Huff
Leadership: Jeff Hostetler
Arm: Marc Bulger
Hips: Major Harris
Strength: Brian Jozwiak
Calves: Jerry Porter
Toes: Willie Drewry
Tenacity: Chuck Howley
Hands: David Sauders
Thighs: Ron Wolfley
Feet: Steve Slaton

I struggled with what the best toes or calves meant. But I know Porter could leap out of the gym and Drewry could run a fine line on kick returns. But there are too many I had to leave off. Where do you stick the Mike Comptons, Aaron Beasleys and even Todd Sauerbrun and Mike Vanderjagt. How can you leave off Jim Braxton and and Chris' fav Canute Curtis. Difficulat to say the least.

Some Emotionless Analysis

OK, I don't expect people to be beyond the stage of emotional unease quite yet, and I'm not either, personally. But I would like to run a few things by y'all to help frame how we approach the Fiesta Bowl and the '08 season.

Firstly, the loss this year to Pitt is an almost identical circumstance to USC's loss to UCLA last year. Same score, and the same ramifications for the team on the ugly side of the upset. USC choked in its final game of the season after dominating the Bruins the two previous years. But now, just a year later, you scarcely hear that loss mentioned as USC wins the Pac-10 yet again. There's a reason you don't hear about it--- Every team suffers horrific losses from time to time, and it's impossible for any one loss to stay a story forever. West Virginia and Pitt fans will always remember this one, but in the long run, to everyone else, it will just be an ugly footnote on a season where WVU won the Big East and faced Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.

In retrospect, I now think it's unfortunate that LSU lost to Arkansas in 3OT. Had they won, the Pitt loss would have only been a vexatious blip after stomping UConn en route to a BCS bowl. After all, where things stand right now is the probable best-case-scenario everyone envisioned after losing to South Florida. Three weeks ago, I told Chris that the UConn game was all that mattered; we'd lock up the Big East and head to a BCS Bowl. And that's exactly where we stand. Except that no one feels happy about the situation right now that we were hoping for so recently.

We can fairly assess what was lost Saturday night: The opportunity to play for the National Championship. With so many teams in college football, this is not something that comes by all too often. And losing that opportunity was a setback. However, winning the Fiesta Bowl would quickly stop the bleeding, and leave the team poised to garner a good preseason ranking and make another run in '08.

Ole JB's Post-Brawl Thoughts

First off, to get this off my chest, Mountaineer fans who booed Rod after that 3 and out need to get a clue. Not only is that classless but it demonstrates a complete lack of understanding about the psyche of the game. Those players and coaches wanted to win this game more than even the most rabid of fans did. Rod's coaching has led to victory 90% of the time the past three years. It didn't work tonight, but one broken tackle and you all would have been singing a different tune.

Other than that, obviously this was a crushing disappointment. On my way back to the 'Burgh, I at first told myself that I wouldn't listen to the radio, but I did anyway. Pat White's post-game interview was pretty heartrending. They asked him when the loss would sink in, and his response was "when the clock hit zero". I can't tell you how glad I am that he's the WVU quarterback, and I fully expect him and the rest of the team to pick up the pieces and win the BCS game, whichever it may be.

Some of the sting will wear off in a month, and hopefully we'll be able to embrace the good of this season despite the bitterness of the end. A Big East championship, another shot at a BCS bowl and another double-digit win season. I've had a blast watching the Mountaineers this year, and the sad events of this evening won't change that.

As the various incarnations of the spread offense continue to dominate college ball, teams are going to figure out ways to stymie it. The mustacioed one, for all my derision of him, brought a solid defensive gameplan tonight, and it paid off for the Panthers. Hopefully this will be a learning experience for the coaches and players. After all, there's a lot to look forward to in '08.

The Evolution of the Broken Play & The Spread’s First Quarterback

This first article is about 1991 Mountaineer transfer (He was the star of the spring game, before moving to Glenville to be a part of Hot Rods program.) Jed Drenning who along with Coach Rod invented what is the evolving spread offense. The second article is written by Jed about being the trail-blazer or "Pioneer" of Rod's offense. That is right my sports fans Jed Drenning is now published in the New York Times and one of its blogs. Not bad for a country boy from Davis, West Virginia. Way to go buddy. I am pretty damn proud of you.

The New York Times needs no preface, as it is one of the foremost publications in the World. I included the full text of this article as well. For your reading enjoyment:

"MORGANTOWN, W. Va., Nov. 27 — In the fall of 1991, Glenville State quarterback Jed Drenning left the field with a few fractured fingers and numerous body bruises. He had been sacked 20 times by West Virginia State, and no one was more embarrassed than his coach, Rich Rodriguez.

Glenville State quarterback Jed Drenning accidentally began what has become West Virginia’s spread offense in 1991.
“He didn’t want to face my parents,” Drenning said of Rodriguez, now the coach of West Virginia University. “I’ll never forget the look on his face.”
The look on Rodriguez’s face this weekend should be an iridescent smile. His second-ranked Mountaineers (10-1) need a victory Saturday against Pittsburgh, a heavy underdog, to reach the Bowl Championship Series title game. The linchpin to success is Rodriguez’s spread offense, which averages 41 points and 310 rushing yards a game.
It is a system that has worked well for dynamic quarterbacks like Tulane’s Shaun King, Clemson’s Woody Dantzler and West Virginia’s current starter, Pat White. But the offense that has West Virginia on the cusp of its first national title in football began, as the song goes, with a story about a man named Jed.
How did a pharmaceutical salesman whose son’s middle name is Unitas help invent college football’s most productive offenses? By accident, of course, as Rodriguez likes to joke, noting that the man who inspired the offense that has turned White into a Heisman Trophy contender could not run the 40-yard dash in 5.0 seconds with a stiff breeze at his back.
“I’m nothing if not self-aware,” Drenning said, chuckling, in a recent interview.
Rodriguez calls Drenning one of the smartest players he has coached, which is how a bit of ingenuity by necessity was able to give birth to the basic shotgun zone-read run play that West Virginia uses so effectively. In a game early in 1991, Drenning missed or bobbled a handoff and then kept the ball, running for a moderate gain.
“Why did you do that?” Rodriguez asked Drenning.
“The end squeezed in, so I kept it,” Drenning said.
“Oh, right,” Rodriguez said, pretending not to be surprised. “Oh, we’re putting that in next week.”
Years later, Rodriguez laughed when he recalled that moment of discovery.
“It was one of those deals where we kind of fell into that,” Rodriguez said. “We weren’t running it because he wasn’t a runner. But the thought process came in our mind.”
And 16 years later, a majority of running plays in West Virginia’s spread offense are built on the same principle: reading the movement of the defensive end.
Here is how the play works: White takes a snap out of the shotgun and looks at an unblocked defensive end, as Drenning did. If the defender crashes toward the quarterback, White runs into the hole he vacated. If the end stays put to contain the quarterback, White hands off to tailback Steve Slaton, who dashes off in the opposite direction.
Florida’s Tim Tebow and many other college quarterbacks run the spread option out of the shotgun using the same read.
“I don’t think that there’s a team in America that doesn’t do that play now,” said Rod Smith, West Virginia’s quarterbacks coach, who was the backup to Drenning at Glenville.
When Drenning ran the offense at Glenville, it was still primarily a passing offense based on the old run-and-shoot. Drenning said the offense was “stitched out of necessity,” an apt description considering that his body had to be stitched back together while he and Rodriguez learned.
Progress was slow and often painful, with Drenning following up his 20-sack Saturday by taking 12 the next week.
“One thing about getting sacked that many times, he learned to get rid of the ball quickly,” Rodriguez said, laughing. “Jed Drenning probably had the quickest release in all of college football.”
But soon, the new offense took shape, adapting to the defenses and adding wrinkles like reads to counter blitzes. A year after taking the 20 sacks, Drenning led Glenville to a blowout victory against West Virginia State without being sacked. By his senior year, Drenning threw for 4,329 yards, was named the conference’s player of the year and helped receiver Chris George set an all-college single-season record with 144 pass receptions. He also led Glenville to the N.A.I.A. title game.
“It’s amazing how the game has changed,” Smith said. “I used to ask Jed all the time, ‘How come teams don’t run what we run?’ He’d say, ‘They’re scared to.’”

Rodriguez found the same thing. He applied for jobs in his own conference without success. But his break came in 1997, after seven years at Glenville, when Tommy Bowden hired Rodriguez as an assistant at Tulane.

In installing the offense, things started off so bad that during the first spring scrimmage, Tulane’s defensive coaches let a manager call the defensive plays.
“I don’t think we got a first down the whole spring,” Rodriguez said.
Eventually Rodriguez got Shaun King to buy into the system. By King’s senior year, his second in the system, he broke the N.C.A.A. record for passing efficiency and Tulane finished 12-0 and No. 7 in the Associated Press poll. King was not as fast as White, but he ran well enough to be a threat out of the shotgun with the field spread out. King’s running ability showed an evolution from a pass-heavy system.
“He gets so much credit for his system,” King, who played in the N.F.L. and is now an analyst for ESPN, said of Rodriguez. “But he doesn’t get as much credit for his ability to adapt the system to personnel.”
Rodriguez was snubbed for the head coaching job at Tulane after Bowden left for Clemson. So Rodriguez went with him and his system developed its reputation for being “amoebalike,” as Smith calls it.
At Clemson, Dantzler was not as effective a thrower as Drenning or King. So Rodriguez shifted the system’s emphasis to the ground, an early version of its current incarnation. Rodriguez designed run plays based around Dantzler reading the defensive end and reacting. And as Dantzler became more comfortable, Clemson started climbing the polls, including as high as No. 5 in 2000.
“As simple as it is, it’s very potent when executed properly,” Dantzler said of the offense. And the more he ran it, the harder it got to defend.
“Instead of thinking about the play, you’re reacting to the defense,” Dantzler said. “Those are two totally different things. If you’re thinking about the play, you’re not paying much attention to the defense.”
After two seasons at Clemson, Rodriguez came home to his dream job in West Virginia, his alma mater in his home state.
There were growing pains, including a 3-8 season to start, in 2001. But once the personnel fit, the Mountaineers took off. Quarterback Rasheed Marshall ran the spread well enough to lead the Mountaineers to the Gator Bowl in consecutive years. Marshall was selected the Big East offensive player of the year in 2004.
But White and Slaton have taken it to another level, becoming only the third pair of teammates to run for more than 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons. And while the national title game in New Orleans is a long way from Glenville State, the principles are the same.
“If the defensive end squeezes, I pull the ball,” White said. “If the defensive end stays wide, I hand off to Steve, and he goes 90.”
Sounds familiar to a man named Jed. Just a bit better executed.
“The difference is that a play that I’d get 15 yards on,” Jed Drenning said, “Pat White would get 80.” "

The Quad is a sports blog from the New York Times about college football. I have included the full text of this article in this blog because I wish to save it. So here it is:

"Jed Drenning was the first quarterback of a spread offense. Drenning started for Glenville State in 1991, when Rich Rodriguez was the coach. Now that Rodriguez has West Virginia in the hunt for a national title, Drenning has fond memories of the spread’s early days and he was nice enough to share them with us here at The Quad.
By Jed Drenning
Different.
That’s the best word I could use to describe the spread offense West Virginia Coach Rich Rodriguez has employed to such great effect over the past 16 years of his coaching career. That same system has been instrumental in making Rodriguez a household name in coaching circles and that now has Rodriguez, a former Mountaineers defensive back, on the threshold of guiding his alma mater to the promised land of college football: a berth in the B.C.S. title game Jan. 7 in New Orleans.
To qualify things a bit, let me preface this all by saying I do believe my perspective through the looking glass of an offensive scheme and style that has in many ways changed the landscape of college football might at least be a touch distinctive, or so I hope. You see, I have the very good fortune of being the first quarterback to ever have played in this offense for Rich Rodriguez. With the Heisman Trophy candidate Pat White behind the wheel, the sleek old sportster seems to be running faster than ever, even after countless points and tens of thousands of yards. Now more than ever I beam with pride over the fact I was the guy lucky enough to first be handed the keys from Coach Rod and drive it off the lot 16 years ago at Glenville State in West Virginia.
Folks these days most readily associate Coach Rodriguez’ Mountaineer offense with 400-yard rushing outbursts, zone-read running plays and explosive jaunts on the perimeter by guys like White and Steve Slaton. While things have no doubt changed a bit since the early 1990s at Glenville State when we were chucking the ball around to the tune of 50-60 times a week and our leading receiver once hauled in 144 receptions in a single season, the fundamental premise of Coach Rod’s scheme remains intact: Spread the defense and take what they give you.
The numbers are hard to dispute. In the past decade and a half Coach Rodriguez’ system has demonstrated an unparalleled ability to burn the offensive candle at both ends. In 1998, with Rodriguez as offensive coordinator, Tulane averaged more than 300 yards passing and 200 yards rushing per game for an entire season. Show me another offensive system boasting a resume that includes 500-yard passing performances (Coach Rodriguez’ quarterbacks produced three such games at Glenville State), as well as games with over 500 yards in team rushing (two times to date at W.V.U., including last week against Connecticut). Show me another scheme that has produced a quarterback with 38 touchdown passes in a season (Shaun King under Coach Rod’s tutelage at Tulane in 1998), and a quarterback with no fewer than three 200-yard rushing performances (White at West Virginia). For that matter, can you cite another offense that stakes claim to a 300-yard single-game receiving performance (Chris George at Glenville State in 1994), and a 300-yard rusher (Kay Jay Harris at West Virginia in 2004)?
The concept of four-receiver sets and a high octane, no-huddle tempo probably seems mainstream today. That wasn’t the case, however, when the earliest variant of West Virginia’s “power-spread” offense was first conceived sixteen autumns ago.
To truly appreciate how progressive Rodriguez’ approach was in 1991 as the head coach at Glenville State, which was when he first began attacking the opposition with spread formations and no-huddle, you first must recall the climate of the collegiate game at that time.
In the early ’90s, college football was obviously a much different game than today, and this especially held true on offense. It was a time, after all, not far removed from the golden era of the wishbone offense. Throughout the course of the 1970s and 1980s, old-school icons like Bear Bryant and Joe Paterno had guided their teams to glory with a simple but effective formula that resonated through the college ranks, from the major universities to the lower-tier, scholarship-deprived programs. Hard-nosed and fundamentally sound defense coupled with a conservative, ground-oriented offense that would chew up the clock and often call for more tight ends and fullbacks in the formation than tuba players in the band.
In short, many coaches at the time still preferred to play it as close to the vest offensively as possible. Batten down the hatches, tighten up the formation and play the entire game in rugby-scrum fashion between the tackles.
For generations of coaches that was the tried and true recipe for success. In the early 1990s when Coach Rod arrived at Glenville State, that conservative mind-set still reigned supreme over college football. For every offensive radical like LaVell Edwards at Brigham Young or John Jenkins at Houston, there were dozens of traditionalists still clinging to the more established three-plays-and-a-cloud-of-dust approach that had worked for decades.
Never get cute and line up in the shotgun or start spreading people out. Only in desperate circumstances like the two-minute drill or third-and-long should you even consider such antics. To do so otherwise would be to invite disaster. That was the widely accepted attitude of the day.
Things weren’t so simple for Coach Rod. At Glenville State, he inherited a program that had at the time the smallest football budget in the country at its level (N.A.I.A.). He recognized that his squad was overmatched, both financially and physically, and consequently he lacked the luxury of convention. Coach Rodriguez realized very early on that if he was going to reverse Glenville’s football fortunes and bring the university its first conference title since 1958 he would have to defy the norm. Defy it he did in 1993. That was the year that he led Glenville State to the first of five straight West Virginia Conference crowns, and he hasn’t looked back since.
Players respond to the notion of being part of something special and unique. Maybe Coach Rod was forward-thinking enough to recognize that going into his rebuilding project at Glenville and that’s why he played the hand he did with an offense no one else dared to implement. Or maybe he simply gained that insight from his experiences there. Either way, Coach Rodriguez adheres to that philosophy and to this day it still serves him –- and his team -– very well. Whether it’s West Virginia’s unique no-huddle, power-spread running game, or the Mountaineers’ odd-stack defense that only a handful of teams across the country employ, or a fake punt in the final minutes of West Virginia’s 2006 Sugar Bowl victory over heavily favored Georgia, Coach Rod is acutely aware of a simple detail that appears lost on many coaches. Kids react favorably to someone who demonstrates the courage to take a chance, and they embrace the notion of circling the wagon and being a part of something that few others have the guts to try.
The great irony is that the whole circumstance appears to have come full circle. There’s no copyright on X’s and O’s and following West Virginia’s recent success coaches across the land are now doing their best to emulate Coach Rod’s offensive system, a system that was born years ago in Glenville when he was brash enough to do one thing no one else dared to.
Be different."

I thought they were two great reads.

DaGeek

Da Geek's Pitt Week Pickem.... GO EERS!!!!

Well my fellow Mountaineer fans Pitt Week is upon us. We are getting charged up for our 100th tilt with the Pussy-cats from Pittsburgh. As hyperbole could not express the expanse of the ramifications for this weekend let me just say that what happens this weekend is of some import. I have decided for the last regular season pickem just to pick the games straight up. As it is wins and losses that will be touted for the voters and computers this weekend I shall prognosticate the following: (as always you may take this to the bank, however if you do this author takes no responsibilty for your reliance upon these stone cold lead pipe locks)

Rutgers at Louisville DaGeek's Pick: Louisville becomes bowl eligible with their sixth win at home.

Virginia Tech (6) vs Boston College DaGeek's Pick: Much to my chagrin one of these Big East traitors is heading to a BCS Bowl and I am picking BC to repeat its performance in Jacksonville.

(12) Tennessee (15) vs Louisiana State DaGeek's Pick: LSU coming off of a crushing defeat last week will once again lose and the SEC send the Vols in New Orleans January 1.

(7) Oregon State at Oregon (20) DaGeek's Pick: OSU wins this intrastate rivalry and further demonstrates how much the Duck's miss their QB.

UCLA at Southern California (9) DaGeek's Pick: USC gets to play this game and then play again in Southern California as it locks up yet another ho-hum Pac10 championship.

Pittsburgh at West Virginia (1) DaGeek's Pick: The Mountaineers do what is necessary to stamp their passport to New Orleans in January 7. Couches Burn. DaGeek Cries like a little girl both with the Senior night festivities and the sheer gravity of the situation. The EERS are going to play for all the cookies.

Arizona at Arizona State (13) DaGeek's Pick: Arizona wins this game much the same way it defeated Oregon. An otherwise fantastic season ends with a disappointment for the Sun Devils.

Oklahoma (8) vs Missouri (2) Da Geek's Pick: Ohio State fans have to weight until the wee hours to find out that they are going to get their wish to play the Mountaineers. Oklahoma wins a wild won in Texas to end the dream of Missouri. The BCS voters are left with a big decision about whether or not to send Missouri, Illonois, or Kansas BCS bowling.

Washington at Hawaii (10) DaGeek's Pick: Hawaii finishes its perfect season and gets to play the Vols in an interesting contest in New Orleans.

Army vs Navy DaGeek's Pick: The Middies take out some frustration on their rivals from New York. It is not even close.

I hope you enjoyed this years Pickem. This site will host a Bowl Game Pickem for all who wish to participate. You need only register and place your picks in a response to the original post prior to the first Bowl game.

DaGeek

WVU Men's Soccer team advance to Sweet 16

Way to go Soccer-EERS!!!

With a win over UVA on a free kick by Dan Stafford in the 51st minute of regulation to win 1-0. This is another program 1st. I know that this blog is focused on the other version of "football" this week but I felt compelled to share the great news. The Coach of the Mountaineer Soccer team was quoted as saying "the goal is a national championship." This sound familiar. Mountaineer Athletics is in a true "golden" age and we need to appreciate just how good we have it. You can read the MSN.Com story for a full report on this sport as do not claim to be a soccer guru. I am however quite excited about both the Men's and Women's success this year.

DaGeek

Coach Calvan Magee is getting nationwide recognition...

Coach Magee has brought an energy and integrity to this program along with a rich knowledge of the game. He is a former Tampa Bay Buccaneer and South Florida Assistant. He came to Morgantown in 2001 as a running backs coach and his players have since never relinquished the Big East Rushing title. Any time DaGeek has visited with this wonderful coach he has been greeted with a smile and a handshake. He is always willing to share his thoughts with anybody who seeks them. He spent 5 minutes with DaGeek and DaGeek's father one year just discussing the program. He didn't hurry on to the next person he made us feel like we were a part of the program and that impression has lasted. It is fun to watch he and the other coaches succeed. He has gotten the job done in all of his previous rolls. He currently is the running backs coach, the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach. He is being sought after openly by Georgia Tech among others to be their next head coach. Today he received the prestigious "2007 Assistant Coach of the Year" from the American Football Coaches Association. He is also a finalist for the Broyles award. This is what happens when a program such as ours has success. It is great that we are blessed to have his kind of talent in Morgantown. It is a shame that we will likely lose him to another program, but it is a direct byproduct of success. Everybody with WVLaGeek's West Virginia Sports wishes him a heart-felt congratulations and continued success. Thank you, Coach Magee for making us proud.


DaGeek

Wallpaper

Here's an appropriate computer background for you.

G

WVU pounds Maryland-Eastern Shore on hardwood.

110-44. Wow just wow. I don't care who you are playing that was a beat down. Huggy is off to a nice start in this years basketball campaign. I think what can be taken from the early season pulse, would be the fact that a Huggy coached team will win the games he is supposed to win. More on basketball after the close of Pitt Week.

DaGeek

pics

This was the play White broke up the sideline. The following play Slaton scored up the left side. On the sideline after the play it was announced Slaton and White had just gone over 1000 yds each on the season. Niiiicccceeee!!!

W'sWVS Contributing Writer's Poll 11/26/2007:

Thank you Doug for another fine performance. For your viewing pleasure compliments of Dougitydog from wvsports.com Blue Lot :

Rank School points (1st); last week:
1 WVU 125 (5) ; 3

2 MISSOURI 120;4

3 OSU 115;6

4 KU 106; 1

5 UGA 104;7

6 LSU 97; 2

7 VPI 91; 8

8 OKLAHOMA 89; 8

9 USC 84; 10

10 HAWAII 75; 13

11 BC 73; 15

12 ASU 69;5

TIE FLORIDA 69;12

14 TENN 58; 18

15 ILL 54; 19

16 CINCY 45; 21

17 USF 34; 22

18 UVA 30; 14

19 OREGON 27; 11

20 TEXAS 26; 17

21 BYU 25; 24

22 CLEMSON 24; 22

23 U CONN19; 16

TIE WISC 19; 25

25 AUBURN 8; NR

RECEIVING VOTES: BSU 7, MISS ST 5, TEXAS TECH 4 , ARKANSAS 3, USAFA 2

DROPPED FROM POLL: BOISE STATE

BIGGEST MOVE UP: CINCY 5;

BIGGEST FALL: OREGON 8, ARIZONA STATE 7

And for your viewing pleasure:

Crow tastes a lot like Leftover Turkey

I'll skip the "we're going to the championship" gloating for a moment to say I was wrong.

T0 Hawaii: you beat Boise St. Not only did you win, you were impressive. BSU was never in the game and looked rather lethargic. Meanwhile you have a great set of wideouts. They fight on every play. Probably because every play is a pass play but nonetheless... That being said, you SHOULD be able to beat a battered Washington at home this coming week. Congratulations, you will get an at large bid. The bad news is you'll be the last pick. That pick is owned by the Sugar Bowl this year. You know, the ones with the SEC tie-in. That's right! You get the winner of the LSU-Tennessee game....good luck with that. Maybe you can stick around for the week and see WVU whip up on OSU.

DaGeek's Thoughts for this weekend...

Have I said how much I love Pat White? Well he simply was "sick" Saturday night. That was true both figuratively and literally. While amassing yet another monumental night on the ground and in the air he was losing weight by throwing up. Tis quite impressive when you can battle not only opposing defenses but also flu like symptoms and still come out on top. His supporting cast didn't do so bad either. 66-21 I believe constituted the necessary style points to get us to a level never attained at any time before in West Virginia Football history. That is a No. 1 ranking in a regular season poll. That is right fans the Coaches have anointed our beloved Mountaineers the best team in the land. You will see in this sites poll the Mountaineers will also get some love.

I think that maybe it would be hard to overstate my excitement regarding this weekend's events. A perfect storm has occurred and WVU is now in the driver's seat again regarding it's future.

First off let's check back at the teams preseason goals:\

1. Win the Big East Out Right (To be determined on Saturday on Saturday December 1 around 11:45)
2. Make a BCS Bowl as a result of Big East Championship. (Check)
3. Go undefeated: (Whoops in Tampa prevented this)
4. Play for a national title. (To be determined on Saturday December 1 around 11:45)
5. To win a national championship. (Again we have to win the semi-finals to advance to finals.)


As you can see more work is to be done.

Now let's look at the remaining concerns for the WVU Mountaineers in their quest to play for the national title:

BEAT PITT!!! That is it, that is all. Even though the Big 10 crybabies out their are going to cry foul OSU will not overcome an 11 and 1 WVU. OSU's only hope is for Missouri to lose to Oklahoma for the second time this season. I hope they get their wish because I would love to put that arrogant fan-base in its place. I relish all of the pub right now. Including a well written article by Mr. Schlabach of ESPN. Some quotes of note:

"If Ohio State fans want to avoid an upset stomach, they might not want to root too hard for Oklahoma to beat No. 2 Kansas or No. 4 Missouri in next week's Big 12 Championship Game in San Antonio. The No. 5 Buckeyes should really save themselves from being embarrassed for the second season in a row.

The Buckeyes' national title hopes seemed lost when they fell to Illinois 28-21 on Nov. 10. Then Oregon, Oklahoma and finally LSU lost while the Buckeyes watched. But Ohio State's chances of winning the BCS title are still fleeting, at best. Even if the Buckeyes use the back door to the Louisiana Superdome by finishing in the top two of the final BCS standings, they don't stand a chance.

After Florida ran up and down the field against a better Ohio State team in a 41-14 win in the 2006 BCS Championship Game, the Mountaineers might actually lap the Buckeyes on the Bayou. The Mountaineers are really that fast."-Mark Schlabach

"It is not going to be the "Back Yard Brawl but rather the Back Yard Maul" Stated in Game Day Final after the trouncing of U Conn- Mark May (former Pitt Grad no less.)

"I think we have to have a perfect game and then I don't even know if that's good enough against these guys. Even if we played perfectly I don't know if we could beat this team."; "I hope [West Virginia] goes and wins the national championship."; "The only way that West Virginia loses is if they turn the ball over," Edsall said. "That's what happened [in their loss against] South Florida. If you don't get turnovers on them, ain't nobody going to beat them."- Coach Edsall as was quoted in the courant.com's article West Virgina Routs U Conn.

The Big East anounced its weekly award winners and guess who they were: Offense: Ben Mauk (What?) Deffense: Morrty Ivey Special Teams: Pat McAfee . The Big East saw fit to give Pat White and honorable mention this week. Oh well 2 outta three ain't bad. I just can't believe that the Big East couldn't see fit to give the sweep to WVU. Side by side how can Mauk be considered to have had a better performance than Pat White's 3 quarters of Brilliance. Oh yea I do drink the Pat White cool aid even if it might give me the flu.

As for other issues I am certain that this blog is going to be on overdrive this week with folks thoughts. I will edit this blog later to include some photos I took from the game this weekend.

DaGeek

Thoughts on recent developments

It may be folly to get ahead of oneself, but I am not a football player, nor am I superstitious, so I'm going to go ahead and do so. The crushing victory over Connecticut propelled the Mountaineers into a virtual dead heat in the polls and BCS standings with Missouri, with Ohio State lagging in third place. Barring a collapse against the Pittsburgh Pussycats, West Virginia is going to the National Championship game in January.

After West Virginia fell to USF and back into a double-digit poll position, the necessary scenarios for WVU to get a berth in the BCS championship game looked too improbable to contemplate for long. After all, early in the season, it didn't even seem guaranteed that an undefeated Mountaineers squad would get the nod over the anticipated perfect seasons of LSU, Oklahoma, et al. Bizarrely, however, those unlikely events have come to pass.

The most important game next week, of course, is against Pitt. I'm sure Wannstadt is salivating over the prospect of a season-redeeming upset that would crush the spirit of his rivals to the south, not to mention give him a reprieve from the angry mob of a fanbase that is *this* close to setting fire to his metaphorical thatched-roof cottage.

But other than the Backyard Brawl, the game to keep an eye on, of course, is the Big 12 championship. An Oklahoma win in that game would allow Ohio State to supplant current #1 Missouri as the other Championship entrant. I'm uncertain which one would provide a more favorable matchup, but my sense is that OU is going to beat Mizzou, and the Buckeyes will get the nod.

If that's the case, there are a few observations I've made lately that may be of relevance to their likely fate if they line up across from the Mountaineers. Essentially, the Big 10 is a conference living in the past in more ways than one. Having browsed some OSU message boards, it appears that many folks in and around Columbus rely on past years' accomplishments as a proxy for current realities. When discussing how OSU would do against West Virginia, their fans point out the fact that West Virginia has never won a championship as a reason that Ohio State would prevail.

West Virginia may never have won a championship, but one thing Ohio State has never done is successfully defend against a decent spread offense. Not to disrespect Juice & Co, but there's a reason that a second-rate spread attack at Illinois has become the second best team in the Big 10. It's not that Illinois is a top-notch team; it's that the Big 10 still thinks it's 1935, and generally hasn't made the necessary defensive modifications to compete with any decent opponent that plays a modern style of college football. Besides Illinois' achievements, look at the success that Oregon had against Michigan. And why do you think Ohio State decided to stop playing Cincinnati? Maybe someone in the program realizes that the Big East's Bearcats are a threat to OSU's intra-Ohio winning streak.

Do I think that a WVU-OSU matchup would be as noncompetitive as Oregon-Michigan? No. But if West Virginia plays Ohio State for the national championship, I think that White, Slaton, Devine, Saunders, Reynaud and all the rest will be licking their chops. I'd go so far to say that Collington might even get a few carries in the Big Easy.

Geek Sighting?

If that guy in the Slaton jersey was wearing a ski cap instead of a baseball cap, I would've sworn it was DaGeek.

I just got done reading a blog by a U Conn media person with the New Haven Register.

The discussion reminded me of the many discussions we use to have about who gets what bowl. Obviously, if either team wins this weekend they are going BCS bowling. But the discussion was interesting on how the rest of the Big East tie-ins would sort themselves out. Anyway, I thought you guys would find his information to be interesting. Here is the link U Conn Blogger.

OFF TOPIC: Taking athletic fanaticism too far...

My fellow Eer Fans, you won't find me going off topic very often on here but this is I would argue tangentially related to Mountaineer sports and I felt compelled to opine.

I have been a fan of Mountaineer football for all of my life. I was blessed and am quite thankful to be able to go to games throughout my life. My parents took incredible care of me and gave me opportunities that many others never received. Throughout that period if time. 35+ years in my case I would be called a Mountaineer fan (maybe more accurately a fanatic). I have placed an inordinate amount of importance upon the success of this College's athletic success. I have fallen into miner depressions when the Eers didn't accomplish the goals I had set for them. I have had mania-like events when they achieve. All in all I would say that I am extremely passionate about Mountaineer sports. I tend to give our coaches a blind trust to get it done. I am loyal to a fault to Mountaineer players current and graduates. I tend to drink this gold and blue cool-aid like it is the nectar of the gods. I guess the point I am making is that I have danced on a line of fanaticism, which some might suggest is in excess. I don't see me relenting of course. But I did find a line that I can not cross when it comes to athletics. It is merely a hobby and a game! There are things of far greater significance and import than the success or failure of an athletic team on the hardwood or turf.

Nick Saban decided to invoke past national tragedy to illustrate a point regarding Alabama's loss to Louisiana-Monroe. I read the following: article and found myself getting sicker by the second. Maybe I am being a bit judgmental in my analysis, but I will stand by this position. The last line of the article stated that Mr. The level of contempt I harbor toward the following made me take stock in my favorite hobby and passion. Alabama fans are commonly referred to as the most fanatical of any you will find and their head coach wished to illustrate to his football team the very large disappointment he had in their performance. You see it was reported by the associated press that Nick Saban didn't "compare the embarrassing loss to those events" referring to 911 and Pearl Harbor. I beg to differ that is exactly the picture he was creating when he made the statement. I argue that in no way was the loss catastrophic. I offer this AP article for your thoughts:

"TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama fans aren't the only ones treating the Louisiana-Monroe loss as a monumental event.

Coach Nick Saban described the humbling defeat in almost apocalyptic terms Monday, mentioning the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and Pearl Harbor in talking about how his team must rebound like America did from a "catastrophic event."

"Changes in history usually occur after some kind of catastrophic event," Saban said. "It may be 9/11, which sort of changed the spirit of America relative to catastrophic events. Pearl Harbor kind of got us ready for World War II, and that was a catastrophic event."

If the comparisons seem over the top, well, it is Iron Bowl week.

Saban didn't compare the embarrassing 21-14 loss to Louisiana-Monroe to those events, but picked those historical references to illustrate that this could be a pivotal week for the Crimson Tide..." The rest of the article can be read by clicking on the link. There is also a poll on that site asking whether you found the comments offensive. - Associated Press via ESPN.Com

If you disagree with my assertions please feel free to share your thoughts on the same. As I said above I am a Fan(atic), and I look forward to this Saturday's clash with U Conn with high hopes. However, rest assured the heroics which may be exhibited on the football field should not ever be taken to a level greater than what it is an accomplishment on a football field. All this in my humble and verbose opinion.

DaGeek

Another Dougity Dog Video Cincy highlights!

West Virginia vs. Cincinnati- "The Sky is the limit!!!"

THIS WEEKS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS POLL

Rank Team votes (1st), last week

1 KANSAS 123 (3); 1

2 LSU 120 (2); 3

3 WVU 117; 4

4 MISSOURI 108; 6

5 ARIZONA STATE 105; 7

6 OHIO STATE 103; 8

7 GEORGIA 89; 9

8 VPI 79; 10

(TIE) OKLAHOMA 79; 5

10 USC 71; 11

11 OREGON 68; 2

12 FLORIDA 65; 14

13 HAWAII 63; 16

14 UVA 59; 13

15 BOSTON COLLEGE 56; 18

16 U CONN 42; 21

17 TEXAS 41; 12

18 TENNESSEE 40; 20

19 LLONOIS 34; 22

20 BOISE STATE 31; 18

21 CINCINNATI 24; 17

22 USF 20; 24

(TIE) CLEMSON 20; 14

24 BYU 15; NR

25 WISCONSIN 14; NR

DROPPED OUT OF POLL: PENN STATE; KENTUCKY

RECIEVING VOTES:
TEXAS TECH 8, AUBURN 5, UCF 2, USAFA 2, KENTUCKY

BIGGEST MOVE UP:
U CONN 5 SPOTS

BIGGEST FALL FROM GRACE:
OREGON 9 AND CLEMSON 8 SPOTS

All we really need

One thought for this week's football game.

Where is Lester Hayes when you need him?

Round ball

It may be a little early to get too deep into the round ball, but just a couple thoughts. Friday's game against Tenn strikes me as much more than a benchmarking game. Every year there seams to be statement game for a program. Obviously, the rigors of the Big East can wear any team down in the win/loss column. This game has the potential to be THAT game. I'm not sold on Tenn at #7, but they certainly can run and score. It will be interesting to see how Huggie defends and if our offense can be as explosive as it was under Belein (may he rest in peace). Frankly, I think it sets the tone for the entire season. And at year end, we will probably be one of those teams under the microscope being disected on every win and loss. An early statement against a top ranked team can propel them not only into to the NCAA tournament, but put them squarely in the face of new recruits building the future of WVU basketball. Enjoy the game. (VS network, 7pm)

WVU Basketball goes to 2-0

Mountaineer Basketball team gets off to a great start against lessor opponents, first 81-53 win over Arkansas-Monticello then todays lambasting of Praire View 106-41. First test of the season will be against the Vols this Friday.

WVU Women's Soccer moves to Sweet 16

WVU women defeat the Lady Dukes of JMU 2-0.

BCS 3 rd :Harris Poll tied for 3; Coaches 3, and Sagarin 3

The polls have been released. We are now 3rd in the latest BCS Poll. We are now at least tied for 3rd in 2 thirds of BCS component polls, Harris Poll tied for 3 with Missouri, Coaches 3. We are also 3rd in Sagarin both regular and ELO Chess. ASU is 4th and OSU is 6th. The AP has us at 4. Things are getting interesting now.

Phew 2!!!

Wow that was a hell of a game!!!! Mauc is for real! It was all I could take but lets just say survive and advance! I will have more thoughts about this tomorro. Ask Oregon and Oklahoma how it feels tonight and I am guessing the feeling in the "queen city" is better.

Quotes of the game:

"I tried to give the game away," White said crisply. "Two fumbles -- one forced, one not. Just happy to get out with a win." -from Pat Forde ESPN.COM

"There's always this talk of style points on ESPN," kicker Pat McAfee said. "I don't understand it. The No. 1 team in the country wins by two points every week." -from Pat Forde ESPN.COM

DaGeek

Another week, another heartburn-inspiring victory.

Hey, if it works for LSU...

This makes two weeks in a row that West Virginia's solid general play has offset bad mistakes. But really, that's not a bad thing. The vast majority of teams don't survive turning over the ball in their own territory twice like that.

In other news, Oklahoma trails Texas Tech by 21 points in the fourth quarter. So we should be rooting for Oklahoma to win the Big 12 Championship.

Mountaineers in ESPN the Mag

ESPN Magazine has a feature where they profile young athletes that are about to break on the scene in a big way called "Who's Next". Freshman RB Noel Devine has made it to the final five athletes who will have the biggest impact on the future of sports. Other candidates are Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain, sprinter Tyson Gay, Trailblazers guard Brandon Roy, and 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis. It's pretty phenomenal that a college freshman is on a list with 3 young professional athletes. You can vote for Devine in this poll at: www.espn.go.com/mag/?lpos=spotlight&lid=tab8pos1

Also in the magazine in the Page 2 section (the goofy section of The Mag) is Ryan Mundy in a feature where they asked athletes who are not baseball players what music they would listen to if his sport had "at-bat music." Finally, here are my picks for the day:

Northwestern +14 at Illinois
Syracuse +19 1/2 at Connecticut
Pitt +12 at Rutgers
Kansas State +8 1/2 vs Missouri
Ohio State -3 1/2 at Michigan
Georgia Tech -10 vs North Carolina
Navy -16 1/2 vs Northern Illinois
LSU -19 at Mississippi
Duke +7 at Notre Dame
Miami +16 1/2 at Virginia Tech
Clemson -9 vs Boston College
Southern Miss -3 at UTEP
Baylor +16 1/2 vs Oklahoma State
Oklahoma -7 1/2 at Texas Tech

Oregon is losing. And just fumbled again.

I'll just leave it at that.

Update: Oregon Lost.

We signed all three basketball recruits listed yesterday.

LOI's were sent to Huggy today and he made the official announcement this afternoon.

Very Very Very Cool.

Roomers are surfacing that "Game Day coming to Motwown"

I read today that someone had it on "good authority" that it is in the works with both teams WVU and U Conn winning this weekend. Just another reason to kick some bear-kitty butt. But it looks like it will be down to WVU-U Conn or UVA-VPI. (By the way this will be the same day that several recruits will be visiting the campus.) That would be a wonderful boon to our recruitment of those athletes. Maybe it will also bring the students back to campus a little earlier too. The Kansas Missouri game is out because the game will be at a neutral site. It would be the first time that this crew would have shown up in Morgantown. But I am guessing that it is still a long shot. Well anyway, I just wanted to make sure that the roomer mill didn't pass you by. It is my solemn duty to pass second hand information to you as quickly as possible. It is only a little necessary that the info is good. :) Just kidding. I thought it was interesting that it is even being discussed.

Greg's Picks

Oregon (2) at Arizona (Oregon by 12) -Oregon covers
Hawaii (12) at Nevada (No Line) -Nevada
Ohio State (7) at Michigan (23) (No Line) -OSU
Missouri (6) at Kansas State (Missouri by 7) -Miizou covers
Kentucky (20) at Georgia (9) (UGA by 7 ½) -Kentucky covers by UGA wins
Idaho at Boise State (15) (Boise by 34) -Boise picks the spread
Miami at Virginia Tech (10) ( VPI by 17) -Tech wins, Miami covers
Louisiana State (1) at Mississippi (LSU by 19 ½) LSU covers
Iowa State at Kansas (4) (Kansas by 26 ½) Kansas, ISU covers
West Virginia (5) at Cincinnati (25) (WVU by 6 ½) WVU covers by 1/2 point
Oklahoma (3) at Texas Tech (Oklahoma by 8)Oklahoma covers
Syracuse at Connecticut (U Conn by 18 ½) Uconn, Orange cover
Maryland at Florida State (FSU by 7 ½) FSU, Maryland covers
Pittsburgh at Rutgers (Rutgers by 11 ½) Rutgers covers
Mississippi State at Arkansas (Arkansas by 11) MSU wins outright
Marshall at Houston (Houston by 11 ½) Houston, Marshall covers
Western Michigan at Iowa (Iowa by 14) Iowa violates them and covers
Louisville at South Florida (USF by 7) USF covers
Duke at Notre Dame (ND by 6) ND covers (Go Blue Devils!)

Ol' J.B.'s picks.

Here are my picks. These are all, obviously, mortal locks:

Oregon (2) at Arizona (Oregon by 12) - Oregon SU, Arizona ATS
Hawaii (12) at Nevada (No Line) - Nevada
Ohio State (7) at Michigan (23) (No Line) - Michigan
Missouri (6) at Kansas State (Missouri by 7) - Missouri SU & ATS
Kentucky (20) at Georgia (9) (UGA by 7 ½) - Kentucky SU & ATS
Idaho at Boise State (15) (Boise by 34) - Boise SU, Idaho ATS
Miami at Virginia Tech (10) ( VPI by 17) - VPI SU & ATS
Louisiana State (1) at Mississippi (LSU by 19 ½) - LSU SU, Ole Miss ATS
Iowa State at Kansas (4) (Kansas by 26 ½) - Kansas SU, Iowa State ATS
West Virginia (5) at Cincinnati (25) (WVU by 6 ½) - WVU SU & ATS
Oklahoma (3) at Texas Tech (Oklahoma by 8) - Oklahoma SU & ATS
Syracuse at Connecticut (U Conn by 18 ½) - UConn SU & ATS
Maryland at Florida State (FSU by 7 ½) - Maryland SU & ATS
Pittsburgh at Rutgers (Rutgers by 11 ½) - Rutgers SU, Pitt ATS
Mississippi State at Arkansas (Arkansas by 11) - Miss State SU & ATS
Marshall at Houston (Houston by 11 ½) - Houston SU & ATS
Western Michigan at Iowa (Iowa by 14) - Iowa SU, WMU ATS
Louisville at South Florida (USF by 7) - USF SU, Louisville ATS
Duke at Notre Dame (ND by 6) - Duke SU & ATS

Da Geek's Picks for this weekends games:

(All picks are both line picks and straight up unless noted.)

(The line used is the "Sports Book" line as published in the USA Today for Thursday November 15 2007)

WVU BCS Impact Games:

Oregon (2) at Arizona (Oregon by 12) DaGeek's Pick: Arizona against the line Oregon Straight up.

Hawaii (12) at Nevada (No Line) DaGeek's Pick: Hawaii

Ohio State (7) at Michigan (23) (No Line) DaGeek's Pick: Michigan

Missouri (6) at Kansas State (Missouri by 7) DaGeek's Pick: Missouri

Kentucky (20) at Georgia (9) (UGA by 7 ½) DaGeek's Pick: UGA

Idaho at Boise State (15) (Boise by 34) DaGeek's Pick: Boise State

Miami at Virgina Tech (10) (VPI by 17) DaGeek's Pick: VPI

Louisiana State (1) at Mississippi (LSU by 19 ½) DaGeek's Pick: Mississippi against the line and LSU straight up.

Iowa State at Kansas (4) (Kansas by 26 ½) DaGeek's Pick: Kansas

West Virginia (5) at Cincinnati (25) (West Virginia by 6 ½) DaGeek's Pick: West Virginia

Oklahoma (3) at Texas Tech (Oklahoma by 8) DaGeek's Pick: Oklahoma

Syracuse at Connecticut (U Conn by 18 ½) DaGeek's Pick: Syracuse against the spread and U Conn straight up.

Maryland at Florida State (FSU by 7 1/2) DaGeek's Pick: Maryland

Pittsburgh at Rutgers (Rutgers by 11 ½) DaGeek's Pick: Rutgers

Mississippi State at Arkansas (Arkansas by 11) DaGeek's Pick: Mississippi State

Marshall at Houston (Houston by 11 ½) DaGeek's Pick: Houston

Western Michigan at Iowa (Iowa by 14) Western Michigan against the spread and Iowa Straight up.

Louisville at South Florida (USF by 7) Louisville

Game of interest only because of its utter futility:

Duke at Notre Dame (ND by 6) DaGeek's Pick: Duke (totally a homer pick but gotta do it!)

Great News WVU Basketball Kevin Jones Signs LOI Today!!!

LETS GO.....MOUNTAINEERS!!!!!!

Mt. Vernon (NY) 6-foot-7 210 pound, **** Power forward Kevin Jones is a Rivals top 100 4 star basketball recruit. He made his decision today to join the Mountaineers. He chose WVU over Indiana, Seton Hall, and Pitt to name a few. What is really exciting is that this power forward is just the type of athlete that is known to excel in the Huggins style of ball. A question I have for our previous coaches who claimed we could not land the big-time athletes at WVU is: Why? The answer Huggy has given is: Why not?. Headlines like "Huggy get's his man" are being posted on ESPN.COM.

He promised immediate upgrades in the talent level at WVU and this recruit along with rivals 3 star athletes: *** Shooting Guard Darryl Bryant (From New York (NY) St. Raymond's he played AAU for the New York Gauchos he is 6-foot-2 and weighs 190 lbs ) and 6 foot 10 205 lb, *** Power forward Roscoe Davis (who is actually rated as a 4 star in Scout.com's list.) from Hargrave Military Academy from Chatham, VA. He played for the AAU team DC Assault. Each have verbally committed to WVU to be a part of the class of 2008. I am with out a doubt excited at the prospect of beating out Pitt for Basketball recruits. No longer does the Zoo have one up on us. It will be very fun to see how all of this plays out. I think it is clear we are playing with the "Big Boys" now. Do I see Big East Championships in our future? You bet I do.

(All photos are the property of Rivals.com. The top image is Kevin Jones, the middle image is Darryl Bryant and the bottom image is Roscoe Davis.)

DaGeek