Roundball Update

If you're not following the action on the hard court now would be a good time to start!

WVU is currenty sitting at 10-3. Kevin Jones is playing on a Player of the Year (POY) level in the Big East (20.4 ppg, 11.5 reb). Truck has found his shot at the #2 spot (17.7 ppg) and there's a lot of talent in that freshman class.

I think we're better than a bubble team. With a win over a 10-1 K State team and the OT loss to Baylor, this team has proven they can play with anybody.

Syracuse is the class of the league, but there's a drop off after that. Despite the early rankings, some of those teams have under-performed. *Pitt should be dropping from the rankings this week.

So here's my thought's on how the Big East schedule shapes up

at Seton Hall - Could be a key game for both teams SH is playing very well, slight edge to WV

at Rutgers - W

Georgetown - Hope the coliseum is rocking for an upset, L

at UConn (Hartford) - L

Rutgers - W

Marshall (Charelston) - Beat Cinci, stayed with Syr. tough game, L

Cincinati - Playing better since the brawl, but edge to WV

at St Johns - W

at Syracuse - L

Pitt - Haven't got their act together yet, W

at Providence - W

Notre Dame - Other than Pitt, playing has been poor w/or without Abromaitis - W

Louisville - Winnable game but Louisville will be the favorite -L

at Pitt - L

at ND - ND tough at home, but I hate ND - W

Marquette - Playing well, surprised they dropped to LSU after beating Wisc - L

Depaul - W

at USF - W

That would put us at 21-10 and my early guess would be about an 8 seed.

This team is getting better every game. They seem to have good chemistry, more important in basketball. Role players seem to be accepting and embracing their roles. Kevin Noreen has giving a lot of good minutes and continues to develop. Aaron Brown is a very good shooter coming off the bench. Rutledge is very athletic. So there are role players for all the looks Huggs wants or needs.

Now that the BE schedule has started we're really going to separate the haves and have nots.

Da Geek is getting a new oppertunity.

I have recently agreed to do some posting on HailWV.com regarding the goings on with the 2 law suits concerning WVU and the Big East. Please if you get a chance check out that site.  It is a fan-based WVU website.  My first article, A tale of two Jurisdictions WVU vs. Big East/ Big East vs. WVU was just posted.

Da Geek

Edging Closer To Top 25

It was a good week for WVU hoops. The win over KState this week gives them a quality nonconference win. Almost as importantly, the 2 overtime periods was like getting an additional practice or another quarter game of much needed game experience for the young guys. That was followed by a nice win over Miami on short rest. While this certainly isn't going to vault them into tourney favorites, I expect they will see some votes for the top 25 this week.

Truck Bryant was quite impressive last night and could receive POTW honors in the BE for his performances. Kilicli was also a force on a diminished frontline for Miami. After struggling with Miami's backcourt play in the first half, the 'Eers opened up the 2nd with a 25-3 run holding Miami without a field goal for the first 9 minutes. Good shooting and dominance on the boards were the main factors for the turnaround. For the young guys, Gary Brown hit a couple key 3 pointers early in the contest to keep WVU close as well as doing a much better job of distributing and limiting his TO's. Aaron Brown had some nice offensive possessions in the second half and Noreen was impressive for his limited minutes. Hinds saw his minutes diminished for at least the second consecutive game, but I still suspect he will be one of the most explosive young guards in the BE by the end of the season.

For the next few games, the Mounties should be able to gain some momentum and get on a roll. Contests against Texas A&M CC, Tenn Tech, and Missouri State should be pushovers. They'll need to take advantage of those matchups cause they'll close the pre-conference schedule with #7 Baylor.

WOW just WOW!!! WVU Hoops defeats K State in Double Overtime.

Kevin Jones and Truck Briant were true leaders both in terms of production on the floor and in terms of getting production from the rest of the team.  K-J led all scorers with 30 points he added 11 rebounds to record yet another double double in his career.  Truck put 24 points on the board against just one turnover.  Those type of games are going to be hard to duplicate but, suffice to say, it got the job done last night.   Though not mistake free we got to see the two Browns play very well too.   Aaron Brown in particular was clutch on 3 separate occasions.  The one glaring downer is the free-throw-shooting.  But on the whole I think that this game will prove to be one of the measuring posts for the growth of the team this season. 

It was an interesting storyline before the tip-off even occurred  as Huggs and Martin were having a reunion of sorts.  It was clear to me that Martin is a chip off the old block as the two of them brought similar amounts of intensity and profanity.  I found this game to be one of the most entertaining to watch in a very long time.  Clearly, this game can go a long way in terms of team confidence down the road.    Finally, I think it is fantastic that a brand new rivalry may have just been born.  K-State and WVU played in a preview of things to come in the future.  Excitement, effort and growth are words I would use to describe last nights action.  I think that Huggs demonstrated a willingness to go to his bench and utilize the talent rich though experience lacking pool of players.  The future looks very bright indeed but last night was extreemly fun for the present incarnation of the Mountaineers!!!.

Go Eers!

Da Geek

Bowl Lineup for 2011-2012 Who do you pick?

December 17, 2011

Gildan New Mexico Bowl

Temple (8-4) 37 vs. Wyoming (8-4) 15 Da Geek's Pick: Wyoming; Weezie's Pick: Wyoming +7

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Ohio (9-4) 24 vs. Utah State (7-5) 23 and Da Geek's Pick: Ohio; Weezie's Pick: Ohio +1.5

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

San Diego State (8-4) 30 vs. La Lafayette (8-4) 32 Da Geek's Pick La Lafayette; Weezie's Pick: La Lafayette +4

December 20, 2011

Beef O’ Brady’s Bowl St. Petersburg Bowl

FIU (8-4) vs. Marshall (6-6) Da Geek's Pick: Marshall Weezie's Pick: Marshall +4

December 21, 2011

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl

TCU (10-2) vs. La Tech (8-4) Da Geek's Pick: TCU Weezie's Pick: TCU -9 1/2

December 22, 2011

MAACO Bowl Las Vegas

Arizona St. (6-6) vs. Boise St. (11-1) Da Geek's Pick: Boise St. Weezie's Pick: Boise St. -14

December 24, 2011

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl

Nevada (7-5) vs. Southern Miss (11-2) Da Geek's Pick: Southern Miss Weezie's Pick: Southern Miss -8 1/2

December 26, 2011

AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl

Missouri (7-5) vs. UNC (7-5) Da Geek's Pick: UNC Weezie's Pick: N. Carolina +6

December 27, 2011

Little Caesars Bowl

Western Michigan (7-5) vs. Purdue (6-6) Da Geek's Pick: Western Michigan

Belk Bowl

Louisville (7-5) vs. NC State (7-5) Da Geek's Pick Louisville

December 28, 2011

Military Bowl—Pres. By Northrop Grumman

Toledo (8-4) vs. Air Force (7-5) Da Geek's Pick Air Force

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl

California (7-5) vs. Texas (7-5) Da Geek's Pick: Texas

December 29, 2011

Champs Sports Bowl

Florida State (8-4) vs. Notre Dame (8-4) Da Geek's Pick: Notre Dame

Valero Alamo Bowl

Washington (7-5) vs. Baylor (9-3) Da Geek's Pick: Baylor

December 30, 2011

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl

BYU (9-3) vs. Tulsa (8-4) Da Geek's Pick: BYU

New Era Pinstripe Bowl

Rutgers (8-4) vs. Iowa State (6-6) Da Geek's Pick: Rutgers

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl

Mississippi St. (6-6) vs. Wake Forest (6-6) Da Geek's Pick: Wake Forest

Insight Bowl

Iowa (7-5) vs. Oklahoma (9-3) Da Geek's Pick: Oklahoma

December 31, 2011

Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas

Texas A&M (6-6) vs. North Western (6-6) Da Geek's Pick: North Western

Hyundai Sun Bowl

Georgia Tech (8-4) vs. Utah (7-5) Da Geek's Pick: Georgia Tech

AutoZone Liberty Bowl

Cincinnati (9-3) vs. Vanderbilt (6-6) Da Geek's Pick: Cincinnati

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl

Illinois (6-6) vs. UCLA (6-7) Da Geek's Pick: Illinois

Chick-fil-A Bowl

Virginia (8-4) vs. Auburn (7-5) Da Geek's Pick: Virginia

January 2, 2012

TicketCity Bowl

Houston (12-1) vs. Penn State (9-3) Da Geek's Pick: Houston

Outback Bowl

Michigan State (10-3) vs. Georgia (10-3) Da Geek's Pick: Michigan State

Capital One Bowl

Nebraska (9-3) vs. South Carolina (6-2) Da Geek's Pick: South Carolina

TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl

Ohio State (6-6) vs. Florida (6-6) Da Geek's Pick: Florida

Rose Bowl Game Presented By Vizio

Wisconsin (11-2) vs. Oregon (11-2) Da Geek's Pick: Wisconsin

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl

Stanford (11-1) vs. Oklahoma State (11-1) Da Geek's Pick: OSU

January 3, 2012

Allstate Sugar Bowl

Michigan (10-2) vs. Virginia Tech (11-2) Da Geek's Pick Michigan

January 4, 2012

Discover Orange Bowl

West Virginia (9-3) vs. Clemson (10-3) Da Geek's Pick: West Virgina

January 6, 2012

AT&T Cotton Bowl

Kansas State (10-2) vs. Arkansas (10-2) Da Geek's Pick: Kansas State

January 7, 2012

BBVA Compass Bowl

SMU (7-5) vs. Pittsburgh (6-6) Da Geek's Pick: SMU

January 8, 2012

GoDaddy.com Bowl

Arkansas State (10-2) vs. Northern Illinois (10-3) Da Geek's Pick: Northern Illinois

January 9, 2012

AllState BCS Championship Game

Alabama (11-1) vs. LSU (13-0) Da Geek's Pick: LSU

WVU Football ranks 6 in New America Foundation Accademic Bowl this year!

WVU Places 6th!

The New America Foundation pull the academic records from the schools found in the final BCS Poll of the regular season and then compiles this list.  I think it is telling that WVU had spent most of the expansion saga dealing with Academics being the (lie for an excuse) reason for exclusion from the ACC and SEC.  I look at this poll and WVU is 5 places better than any ACC team, only one SEC team ranks higher than WVU and that is by a mere 3 points.  Kind of interesting that the two Orange Bowl participants are the highest ranked from their respective conferences in academics.  A further point should be that we would rank near the top of our new conference trailing only the other new comer TCU.

Eer Nation is proud of this accomplishment.  This indicates that these football players are excelling in the classroom too.  Way to go fellas. This is a testament to the commitment of the coaching staff and academic support staff at the University towards athletics.   It is my hope that Eer Nation will remind everyone that WVU competes in the classroom. 

Da Geek

The Big East expands, covers its losses, and persists in trying to stifle WVU's exit.

               WVU is in a battle with the Big East regarding the term of its stay.  The two pending lawsuits are in a turf battle. Both of the Courts are going to try to determine who has Jurisdiction in the matter.  The hearings on the motions to dismiss filed in both Courts by the respective plaintiffs will be heard later on this month.  This matter is in the hope of WVU fast tracked.  But as anyone who practices or has participated in a law suit understands, the court system moves slowly.  It is not likely that this matter will be concluded prior to the late Spring even on the fast track.  WVU doesn’t have that kind of time to prepare for participation in Big XII sports.  Therefore, WVU has to get moving on with the scheduling of all participation sports for next season.  It is with that in mind that WVU AD Oliver Luck traveled to New York City to meet with other members of the Big XII conference.   

            It is the opinion of da Geek, that with the Big East acquiring replacement plus two for Syracuse, Pitt and WVU, the conference is moving on and should simply let the teams who wish to leave, go.   “All of our thoughts, quite honestly, have been about the Big XII as we go into the 2012-2013 academic year and prepare all of our sports, from football down to volleyball and swimming, for Big XII competition," Oliver Luck said Wednesday when asked about the newest teams to sign on to the Big East Conference.   Luck is correct in the fact that he doesn’t have time to gander at the changing landscape of WVU’s old conference. 

            What is it that the Big East gains from keeping WVU around?  WVU returns the vast majority of its offense.  The offensive line is bound to improve (one would hope.) This young defense is going to have Bowl prep/ spring ball and fall ball to improve.  The special teams (okay I concede I have no idea what will happen there.)  The point is that with all of the returning talent, and the additional talent WVU is to acquire, WVU’s likely going to repeat as Big East Champions for the third straight year, if we are forced to stay.  What does that do to help the credibility of the conference if WVU is ultimately leaving?  The answer is that it will take away from the new “plan” (as oxymoronic as that sounds in conjunction with anything Big East.)  They want to promote their new standard bearers, Boise State and Houston.  They can’t do that if WVU is around to cloudy that picture.  The point I am making is that the Big East needs to tell us what they want in terms of money, get paid a percentage of that and move on.

            On a related note, I find it interesting that the travel for the “New Big East” aka the “Jet Blue Conference,” would have been more taxing on the WVU budget as the travel in the Big XII.  Trips to California and Idaho would be considerably further than that of any games in the Big XII.  Trips to Houston, South Florida, SMU, and Central Florida would be awash in terms of travel expense.  Point is that WVU may have ultimately saved on travel costs by leaving the Big East.      

            As I have said on other occasions, WVU will be in the Big XII next season.   It is my hope that said transition will be smoother than it appears to be at this time.  Alas, it shall happen whether smoothly or not.  As more information is released either regarding future schedules or lawsuits I shall post on this blog.

Go Eers,

Da Geek

Da Geeks Final Big East Power Rankings and Bowl Invites...

1.  West Virginia University won 3 games in exciting fashion after all but blowing the season at home against Louisville.  Coach Holgorsen has done what no prior coach has done and that is take the Eers to a BCS Bowl game in his first season of coaching.   That was the expectation of the fan base, and though it was a rocky road to get there, he was successful in leading the team to this most important goal.  I see only a very bright future for this team under his leadership.  This team is the best team in the Big East.  They are one of the few teams to begin the season at the top of the conference and end the season there as well.   The Mountaineers are off to face the Tigers in the Orange Bowl on January 4th at 8:30 on ESPN.

2.  The University of Cincinnati had two hiccups against WVU and Rutgers that did ultimately cost them a trip to the BCS.   No question that losing Zach was costly to this team.  They played the most consistent football throughout the Season and until they faced the Eers at Paul Brown were poised to finish atop the conference standings.  Alas, they must settle for Co-champion with the Mountaineers and the Cardinals.  They were awarded a trip to the Auto-Zone Liberty Bowl for their efforts.  They square off against Vanderbilt on December 31st at 3:30 on ABC.

3.  The University of Louisville were a surprise Co-Big East Champion this year.  They certainly had a turbulent season wherein they lost to FIU and Marshall but were able to go 5-2 in the Big East with a signature win over WVU at home.  This series of events really stirred the pot in the Big East race, forcing both Cincinnati and WVU to win their last two games to force a 3 way tie.   I would point out that Da Geek had higher hopes for this team than just about anybody else.  In my preseason poll I picked Louisville to finish 2nd in the conference. (My predictions take a hit after that as USF, Syracuse and sPitt underachieved in huge ways while Rutgers and Cincinnati played better than I expected.)  Charlie Strong is to be commended on this season.  He took a bunch of no-names and made them Conference Co-Champs at season's end.  For that success they are awarded the Belk Bowl.  They drew NC State as their opponent and will play this game December 27th at 8:00 pm on ESPN.  

4. The University of Rutgers played 3 spots better than I thought they would.  An up and down season with this team but the "wood-choppers" played well enough to be a Big East Co-champion up until being dismantled by a game Connecticut team.  This lead to a finish of 4th in the League Standings.  As has been stated on here since before Rutgers became bowl eligible, the Scarlet Knights will be the Big East representative in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.  They will play, the team that cost Oklahoma State a bid to the National Championship, Iowa State on December 30th at 3:20 pm on ESPN. 

5. sPitt, as is usually the case, underachieved this season.   They took some costly injury hits, but the biggest deficiency of this team was Coach Graham's insistence that Tino be his man at quarterback.  But alas they did what they tend to do, let everybody down.  Well I guess not everybody, because their demise is a good thing in my mind.  For their stellar bowl eligible season they are awarded a trip to the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham Alabama.  They shall face off against Conference USA champion Southern Mississippi at 1 pm on ESPN.

6.  University of Connecticut finishes the season they way they played all season without a back to back win.  Though, they gave it the ole college try in second half of the game against the Bearcats they simply couldn't get it done.  For their efforts they get an invite to nowhere.  Only a year after being the Big East BCS representative they are not even bowl eligible. Coach P's second Big East go-around is not looking to be as successful as his past efforts, I am not ready to throw him completely under the bus as he has had no time to recruit.  But his first season must be judged as unsuccessful.  As stated before no bowl for UConn. 

7. University of South Florida.  Wow what a let down of a season.  Skippy just didn't seem to have this team's interest after the win over Notre Dame.  To say that this team underachieved with the athletes they had is a huge understatement.  Several preseason publications picked South Florida to win the Big East this year.  In stead they were able to muster just 1 conference win.  As such they get to reside in a co-chumpion position with the 8th place finisher of this poll.  No Bowl for the Bulls.

8.  Syracuse aka who cares.  This team lead by Coach M. had high hopes for the season.  For his efforts he was awarded a one win season in the Big East.  As I understand their fans though, as long as it is against WVU the season is a successful one.  You see I was informed by at least two of their fans (that represents what 1/2 of them?) that by beating WVU they are in point of fact better than WVU.  As Iowa State is better than Oklahoma State and countless other examples. It was only after this education in "score-board" rules that I came to understand the Orangefan's elite understanding of college football success.  I believe it was stated after that one conference win that WVU would be playing in Beef O'Brady's Bowl, while Syracuse and its laughing faithful would be playing in a BCS Bowl.  (I guess he meant the other team from West Virginia would be playing in that bowl.  See below.)  Well since they were able to win their October bowl game at home, they obviously were slighted by the Bowl selection committees, and like UCLA deserved a pass for being under 500.  I am sure that the Orangefan(s) of the world will be snickering with glee come New Years when they are watching the Eers play Clemson in the Orange Bowl.  Enjoy. 

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't make mention of the fact that Marshall is playing FIU in the Beef O'Brady's Bowl,  aka the "we beat Louisville too Bowl."  Congrats to the Herd on this Bowl Bid.  Enjoy your trip to Tampa Herd fans everywhere.  It should be noted that Marshall defeated both a Big East Co-champion and the Conference USA champion.  Doc must have this team going in the right direction. 


Additional Mountaineer related notes:


Junior wide receiver Taovon Austin has been named the BIG EAST Special Teams Player of the Week, and sophomore wide receiver Stedman Bailey and senior linebacker Najee Goode have been named to the Weekly Honor Roll for their performances against USF on Thursday night.




Austin had 208 all-purpose yards, including 141 yards on three kickoff returns, to help West Virginia to its 30-27 win at USF, giving the Mountaineers a share of their record seventh BIG EAST championship.
He returned a third-quarter kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown, giving him two touchdowns on kickoff returns this season. He also had a team-high seven receptions for 54 yards and added a 30-yard punt return for the Mountaineers.


Bailey had seven receptions for 80 yards, including a pivotal 26-yard catch on fourth down in the game-winning drive, and Goode had seven tackles, a tackle for loss and a key forced fumble in the fourth quarter.

Da Geek

Da Geeks End of Season Poll

1. LSU
2. Oklahoma State
3. Alabama
4. Oregon
5. Wisconsin
6. Michigan
7. Boise State
8. South Carolina
9. Clemson
10. Stanford
11. Virginia Tech
12. USC/Houston
14. Texas Christian
15. Michigan State
16.Southern Mississippi
17. Baylor
18. West Virginia
19. Nebraska/Kansas State
21. Oklahoma/Arkansas
23. Cincinnati
24. Georgia
25. Penn State
Others receiving votes: Northern Illinois, Rutgers,Wyoming

Win #700 for the program.

WVU entered elite company with its win last night. With that exciting-last-second 30-27 win over the Bulls, WVU became one of only 14 teams with 700 wins. Think about that for a second. 700. WVU is also one of only 3 teams to have had at least 9 wins in the last 7 seasons (the other two are VPI and Boise State.) As we are sitting in our favorite seats for tomorrow's game let us not forget what our beloved Eers have accomplished dating back to the time they were referred to as the Snakes. We have participated in 2 Sugar Bowls, 2 Fiesta Bowls, 7 Gator Bowls, and 4 Peach Bowls. We have had wins in all four of those storied games. We have had wins over Oklahoma, NC State, Texas Christian, Georgia, Florida, and Georgia Tech on New Years+ Bowl dates. Though some on here think it is appropriate to continue to disparage the Old Gold and Blue the truth is that our program is in pretty exclusive company when it comes to the 700 win milestone. The members of the 700+ Club: Michigan, Texas, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Nebraska, Southern California, Alabama, Tennessee, Penn State, Georgia, LSU, Auburn and West Virginia.

Tomorrow we need all of Eer Nation behind those silly Bearcats. May they acquire their 5th conference win and send us to another New Years Day+ Bowl just in time to begin our next 700 wins.

Da Geek

Go BearCats Go!!!

Eer Nation will have two priorities come Saturday.

1. Win in Starkville for Hoops team.
2. Cincinnati getting it done on the field against U-Conn. I am guessing that this game will have a ratings boost from the 1+ million new viewers of interest. TV sets shall be tuned in at noon from all points in WV, as well as the Orange Bowl selection committee all of which are huge and I mean huge Bearcat fans.  

Things learned from last night.  Tavon Austin is unreal.  Stedman Bailey is a superstar.  Najee Goode is tough as nails.  Tyler Bitancurt has ice flowing through his veins.  I need to buy some stock in cardiac medicine as the entire State of West Virginia is in jeopardy of heart failure as a result of watching these cardiac kids.  Coach Holgorsen now has some time to count his incentive money while watching the Cincinnati, UConn game. 

More to come Saturday after the Bearcats take care of business.

Da Geek

Brief on the Bulls

Tonight is the night to be remembered according to coach. Unfortunately a win doesn't guarantee an Orange Bowl birth. I wish Cinci played before us. The last thing I would want is to demotivate Cinci with a win or worse, motivate them with a loss. That being said, here's how I think it plays out.

I fully expect a heavy dose of Darnell Scott. If Daniels plays, he can run. But I don't expect to get beat by either QB.

Stop the rush of the D line. Turnovers, bad decisions, and no rushing game is the goal of this Def line. To win this game, we must win this battle. D backs are suspect and Geno with time, can have a big game.

I was surprised watching the Bulls D against Louisville. They looked uninspired. That's not how they usually play us. A prime time game and a shot at a bowl game should be plenty of motivation.

I look for a close game with some big plays. Deep throws by WVU and a couple of turnovers by the Bulls D. WVU covers the -2.5 and wins by 10 going away.

Season to date average statistical breakdown per game... Is this where we thought we would be?

In the schools first 11 games yielding 8 wins:

• WVU has scored an average of 35.4 points per game, while giving up an alarming average of 26.2 points per game.  West Virginia is 20th nationally in scoring offense and 16th in total offense while being 59th in scoring defense and 25th in total defense.  I must admit I was expecting to be substantially better in all of these areas. 
• WVU turns the ball over on average 1.6 times per game, while forcing turnovers at a rate of 1.55 times per game.  Making this a statistical dead heat.  Basically WVU is even in turnover margin with its opponents. West Virginia ranks 71st in turnover margin nationally. 
• WVU has averaged 31.27 rush attempts for 116.91 yards on the per game, while giving up an average of 138 yards per game on the ground.  Coach Holgorsen has indicated that the rush numbers are going to be indicative of what the defenses give us.  As long as the team can rush the ball they have seemed to be successful. 
• Through the air WVU has averaged 41.82 attempts at an average rate of 27 completions for an average of 351.36 yards only giving up an average of 0.56 interceptions per game.  The defense gives up on average 197.2 yards per game through the air.  This statistic is in line with what was expected at the beginning of the season.  WVU's version of the Dana Holgorsen "air-raid" have yielded significant numbers.  Geno Smith is 5th in the nation in passing yards.  He is however only 20th in the nation in touchdowns and 22nd in the nation in third down conversions.  Both Stedman Bailey (who ranks 13 nationally in receiving yards) and Tavon Austin (who ranks 1st in all purpose yards and 26th in receiving yards) are over 1000 yards in receiving this season with two games to play.  This has never been done before.  It really is a mixed bag for grading out this part of the offense.  The defense has been impressive nationally on third down conversions allowed WVU graded out at 23rd. (It seems like teams have greater success than that but alas we are decent at getting off the field on third down.) 
• WVU averages 140.4 return yards per game while giving up an average of 164.7 return yards per game. Our return team grades out at 41st nationally. Our punt return team grades out at an impressive 18th really being the best part of our special teams.  Our kickoff coverage team as expected is awful, nationally we rank 108th. We aren't much better on punt coverage team were we grade out at 100th nationally. 

At the beginning of the season Da Geek predicted big numbers from Geno Stedman and Tavon.  Well those guys delivered.  I was hopeful for a more solid defensive performance and thought that our Offensive line and Special teams had to improve well alas that didn't happen. 

So what does all of this mean in terms of seasonal success?  Well I think it means that the Holgorsen experiment is still in its infancy.  We are a work in progress and there is plenty of work to do.  The measure of this season's success may be determined by 2 games both played this week.  If WVU can go do what it struggles to do in Tampa and win, and if Cincinnati can get a home win over Connecticut then this season is a success if not it simply wasn't. This is more a statement of how bad the Big East is rather than how good WVU is.   The standard set by Oliver Luck and Dan Holgorsen was conference championships and BCS Bowl births.  If we aren't on track to do that then we aren't on track. The only statistics that really matter are W's.  We need enough of those to get our invite to the BCS.  This year 9 wins may or may not be enough.  (Ironically, for Louisville,  7 wins may be enough in this lousy conference.) 

Would love to read your thoughts...

Da Geek 

Da Geeks Power Rankings for 11/28/2011 Bowl Predictions...

1.  West Virginia  Louisville and Cincinnati share the top spot in this weeks poll. These 3 teams are the only ones that have any shot at the BCS and thus are the only relevant teams.  Everyone else has fallen into complete obscurity.  To break this down simply it is like this Louisville is already at worst a co-champion of the Big East and shall be the BCS representative with a Cincinnati loss.  They are a pedestrian 7 and 5, but of those 7 wins including one over the Eers in Morgantown, they have won 5 conference games.  The best that Cincinnati and West Virginia can hope to do is to win 5 conference games for a share of the Big East Crown.  Cincinnati wins the nod to play in the BCS game with a win over UConn (bringing their record to 9 and 3) and a WVU loss.  They have won the head to head match with Louisville, thus they would win the first tie breaker.   WVU would get the BCS nod if the Eers can notch a victory over the always challenging Bulls in Tampa (which would bring their record to 9 and 3), and a Cincinnati win over UConn.  Were this to happen the 3 co-champs would then be placed into a mini-conference.  Since all of the teams won one and lost one against the others (Louisville beat WVU lost to Cincinnati; Cincinnati beat Louisville and lost to WVU; and WVU beat Cincinnati but lost to Louisville.)  This means that the representative would be the team ranked higher in the BCS poll.  As it currently stands WVU is 23rd in the BCS poll being the only team ranked in the top 25 (Cincinnati is 30th and Louisville is 41st.)  Though stranger things have happened I simply don't see Cincinnati jumping WVU in this poll were both teams to win this weekend and Louisville has no team to beat to move them up in the poll this weekend, thus WVU shall get the nod in the 3rd tie breaker and therefore shall be the representative in the BCS bowl game this year in the event that WVU and Cincinnati take care of business.  Bowl predictions for these teams:  WVU in the Orange Bowl; Louisville in the Belk Bowl; Cincinnati in the Papa Johns Bowl.  Notre Dame is Bowl eligible and I think that this is all that matters to the Champs Sports Bowl, thus the second pick of a Big East team would fall to the Belk and Louisville is a proven traveler to bowl games for this reason I think they would get the edge over Cincinnati.

4.  Rutgers at 8 and 4 takes this spot even with that abysmal loss to Connecticut.  They fall here ahead of Pitt for 2 reasons first they beat them head to head and secondly and far more importantly they have a better conference and overall record.  While, Pitt can still end up tied with Rutgers in the Conference standings this week they trail the Knights.  The New Era Pin Stripe Bowl has been salivating over inviting Rutgers basically since the season began and thus will give Rutgers the invite as soon as it is their turn to make a selection.  

5. Pitt holds down the number 5 spot.  They fought hard but refused to accept the many gifts that WVU passed their way in terms of turnovers.  Pitt won the turnover battle 3-1 and still couldn't find it in themselves to beat the Eers.  As far as Brawl's go this one was certainly a classic.  Particularly because the Panthers were under the misguided impression that they were going to win this game right down to the last sack/fumble.  But alas, it was not meant to be so the Panthers had to hightail it 77 miles back home losers again.   They like the rest of the teams in this Power Rankings are not currently Bowl eligible. They are currently 5-6.  They face the completely irrelevant Orange to find out who is going to get the invite to the Beef O'Brady's Bowl.  Yup everybody is going to be glued to the sets to see the outcome of this game.  My prediction is that the Panthers defeat the hapless Orange thus they shall be heading to Tampa over the holidays. 

6.  Connecticut is next on the list as they have at least won a game recently.  They gave Rutgers a good-old- fashioned-butt-kicking this past weekend.  Who would have seen a 40 point explosion (a) happening for Connecticut and (b) being given up by Rutgers, suffice to say, it happened.  With that win they have earned the right to go to Cincinnati and likely get pasted and eliminated from Bowl Contention.  I realize that they are playing for their Bowl lives but the Bearcats are playing maybe for a shot at the BCS.  Even without this motivation the "Flying Munchies" with Isaiah Pead are simply a better team and should get this win.  Therefore, The Huskies will end this season Bowl-less. 

7.  South Florida currently at 5 and 6 have a lot to play for as they too can become bowl eligible with a win.  However, they usually don't need any more motivation to progress than to know that WVU is going to be on the other side of the ball.    They have a nack for rising to the occasion against the Eers particularly in Tampa.  It appears that they shall have the services of their starting quarterback for Thursday nights game so I expect a battle.  I predict however that the Bulls will come up short as the Eers simply have too much to play for on Thursday.  This game in the words of Coach Holgorsen, is "season defining." As a result of this game, the bowl hopes of the Bulls come to an end.  They will end the season 5 and 7 and more importantly 1 and 7 in Big East play.

8.  Syracuse, wow does this team really even deserve a mention in the top 8 of an 8 team league?  They had one moment in the season where they cashed it all in against WVU and then thud came the season.  The utter futility of this seasons effort makes the ACC proud.  I mean let us look at this for a second the ACC invites one of the worst teams in the Big East and the team that just did marginally better in Pitt.  Enjoy!  With Syracuse's loss to Pitt this weekend they shall join South Florida with a 5 and 7 record with just one win in conference play.  So no bowl for you.  Hmm.  Sure looks like that performance against WVU earlier this season really mattered in the grand scheme of things.  I am sure that there fan base takes solace in the fact that they will have beaten one of the eventual conference champions but any fan that is satisfied with this seasons' performance should really reexamine their sports loyalties.  It is a FINE time to be an Orangefan.   

PITT Weak

Vegas has this game WVU -6.5 with an over/under of 57.

Translation WVU 31.75 Pitt 25.25 or roughly 32-25

I can see that. Both teams should be able to score. Both have been inconsistent.

I would lean toward the over (which I never bet the over) and WVU by 6

Louisville +3 at USF O/U is 43 => 23-20

Cant understand why Louisville isn't getting the respect. BJ Daniels is likely out. Maybe that's WHY. I like Louisville here but hope USF pulls it out.

Rutgers -3 over UConn. No O/U because no one cares.

Rutgers' Jamison running well. Rutgers by 10

Cinci -3 over Syracuse No O/U becuase no one cares.

Should be interesting with no Collaros vs no heart. Apparently season goals were met by Syracuse and the team packed it in after the WVU game. (At least according to their fans)

I like Cinci and that defense by 3

Is Huggins a Magician?

Hoops season is finally upon us. Just 3 games in and we've already seen evidence of the roller coaster ride that is to come. I've only been fortunate enough to catch the Kent State loss, but hope to watch many games in the weeks to come. Nobody is quite sure of what to expect from all the new faces, (including Huggins) and there is quite a wide margin of speculation about where WVU will finish among the fans I have spoken with. My personal opinion is that there isn't much to be optimistic about.... this year.

Historically, at WVU, Huggins' teams have not had impact players in their first season. Devin Ebanks is the only exception. Even highly touted JuCo transfer Casey Mitchell took a year before becoming a significant contributor. That combined with the fact that we are an extremely offensively challenged team leads me to expect a difficult season. However, in watching the Kent State game, there were flashes of great talent among new players like Aaron Brown and Jabarie Hinds. I also understand that Kevin Noreen had some great minutes against Alcorn State. Among the returners, Kevin Jones should be more consistent this year and earn BE honors again at the end of the year. I expect Kilicli to be much more aggressive and more comfortable playing an important role. Truck should come into his own as a top performer as his responsibilities as point guard diminish throughout the season. Nonetheless, the inexperience still shows heavily and it will be a hurdle all year long.

Huggins has said the success of the team this year will depend on how quickly the new players pick up the system. I would certainly agree and add that it also depends on how well the new guys are at taking a physical beating. Players under Huggins transform from boys to men after a year of conditioning and weights. Right now, the freshman aren't massive or strong enough to endure the constant pounding of a BE schedule and the only thing that will change that is time.

My prediction for the team is 17-14 (8-10) and a trip to the NIT. That may be considered a disappointing season, and it's quite possible that some of the talent outshines the inexperience and we're able to pick up a few more wins and make a run at the NCAA tourney. If it happens, I would consider Huggins quite the magician.

Big East big picture... What does this weekend bode for everyone involved? Da Geek's predictions...

This weekend is an off weekend for the most important team in this league, WVU.  So, I thought I would address what the rest of the league is doing this weekend and what impact each of those games have on the big picture.  As we all know, at least those who actually pay attention, the league has never been won by a team with 3 losses as Syracuse and South Florida each have lost 4 conference games, they are only playing for bowl eligibility and I suppose spoiler but otherwise are irrelevant in the discussion.

The rest of the league is actually mathematically alive for the crown.  The only team that currently lays claim to the outright title possibility is Cincinnati.  If the Bear Cats can overcome the blow of losing Zack and Munchie proves to be a winner the rest of the way out they will be playing in the BCS.   The rest of the league 2 loss teams are going to be anxiously watching the action in New Jersey.  Rutgers, WVU, Louisville, Pitt and even Connecticut all have a shot at winning the league if the Scarlet Knights do their part and hand Cincinnati a loss this weekend.

Were Cincinnati to lose to Rutgers this weekend, this is the breakdown of the conference picture:  Rutgers would own tie breakers over Pitt and Cincinnati; WVU owns tie breakers against Rutgers, UConn, and Cincinnati.  Louisville owns the tie breaker with Rutgers and WVU.  Cincinnati owns tiebreakers over Pitt, Louisville.

• WVU is BCS bowling if they were to win out either Louisville loses one more game or Cincinnati, UConn, or both to win out as well.
• Rutgers is BCS bowling if they win out,  WVU and Louisville loses or if Cincinnati and Pitt also win out.
• Louisville is BCS bowling if they win out and Cincinnati loses an additional game, or if WVU, Rutgers win out as well.    
• Cincinnati would be BCS Bowling if the win out and WVU and Rutgers fall, or if Pitt and Louisville win out as well.  
• Pitt would be BCS Bowling if they win out and Cincinnati and Rutgers lose an additional game.
• UConn would need to win out and everybody else needs to lose one more.  (Stranger things have happened but this seems to be the least likely eventuality.)

The two games this weekend of import are as follows:

• Rutgers vs. Cincinnati.  While Cincinnati has been to Rutgers the Achilles heal that South Florida has proven to be with WVU, Da Geek goes on record as saying that the Rutgers defense  proves too much for Munchie.  Rutgers in a well fought defensive struggle prevails 17 to 13.  
• Connecticut vs. Louisville is an important game for both teams as well as Rutgers and West Virginia.    The game is being played at the Rent but Louisville is fantastic defensively.  Though WVU's title picture would be clearer with a Connecticut win I simply don't see this happening.  Louisville 23 UConn 17.