Last Post Before the Game

OK faithful readers, and I mean both of you! I have a ton of stuff to do between now and gameday, so this is going to be the last post until then. If either one of you need a little more me, you can go to the AOL blog. My prediction should be up about 8am tomorrow. I still need to test out the piece of early 2000 technology that I am going to use for my pre and post game podcast. You'd think I would be smarter than to wait until the last minute, but not really.

Like I said before, I'm going to try to catch the atmosphere of a Morgantown tailgate for those who have never been. While I will be close to "The Pit" I doubt I will get in the middle of it. Rather, I might grab one of the participants and bring them over for a battle of slurred words. And since I've been doing this a lot longer than most college students, chances are I'm gonna win.

That's not me, but I kind of wish it was sometimes

Photo of the Pit from WVGameday.com

Photo of the Pit from WVGameday.com

I was supposed to have a banner for the game, but no word from the sign place yet. If all else fails, look for the guy with the microphone. See ya there!

Friends of Coal on Notice

You're On Notice!

I can just hear the singer from the Bud Light commercials in the background,

"How'd you get so stupid?"

At least that's how it's playing in my head.

More on Moore

.129 my ass!

There is dumb, like locking your keys in the car, then kicking the windshield in to get to the keys

There's stupid, like leaving the dog tied to the bumper.















And then there's a total lack of self awareness, like hitting a parked police car that is parked in front of the Huntington police station, while drunk, with a suspended license, and trying to flee the scene of the crime.

Hiram Moore, 21, a senior wide receiver for the Thundering Herd who is from Huntington, was arrested Saturday at about 11:35 p.m. after the Mercedes he was driving wrecked into an unmarked police cruiser in front of the Huntington Police Department in the 600 block of 10th Street.

When several officers approached the vehicle, the driver tried to pull away but got stuck on a curb on the east side of 10th Street, according to the police report.

I'm not so sure that isn't worth about 10 Fulmer Cup points. But, chances are no one is going to take the lead from Marshall as the deadline is today.

Great News

Of course while the title still says allegedly from the Blue Gold News, two freshman that were first ruled ineligible have appealed or taken the entrance exam over and qualified. Because of a recent change in Big East rules, partial qualifiers will not be accepted, and can not ever play for any Big East team if they fail to qualify.

True freshmen cornerbacks Robert Williams and Guesly Dervil were ruled ineligible by the NCAA Clearinghouse at the start of fall practice. The ruling cost each nearly 12 total practice sessions, and it was thought they could be lost for the season and their career because of the new Big East prop rule, in which the conference presidents voted 13-3 not to accept partial qualifiers. If they did not qualify, they could not play for West Virginia or any other Big East team, among other colleges and conferences that do not accept prop players.

Guesly Dervil was expected to via for playing time as a true freshman, and Robert Williams was likely to redshirt. So yeah, a little more help for the secondary never hurts.

Please tell me this isn't happening!

Ernesto, you need to take your storm causing self and head out to sea with the rest of the water. We don't need you, and you are not welcome. However, if at some point I start to feel woosey, how's bout you kick a little shade my way on Saturday? Thanks old pal.

And wouldn't it be great to get Chris Farley back for one more El Nino update?

Another look at the Herd with Gary Fauber

I recently sat down with Gary Fauber, Marshall beat writer for the Beckley Register-Herald. Gary did a Q&A with me about a month ago, and I wanted to come back at it again right before the game to get an update on the Marshall feel for the game.

Mt. Lair-As the game is less than one week away, are you seeing the excitement growing among Marshall fans? Any special events taking place between now and the game? How would you compare the rivalry of this game to some of the bigger rivals for Marshall in their MAC days?

GF-I don't think Marshall fans can get any more excited now than they have been since the series was announced in May 2005. Most of them have wanted this game to be played for the last nine years. I'm sure there will be many tailgating-type activities for fans who were unable to get a ticket to the game.

It's hard to compare this game to past rivalries because, I believe, a rivalry is born on the field and not from smack talk be the fans. But I feel a true rivalry will be developed by the time we all leave Morgantown Saturday.

Mt. Lair-How is Marshall coming out of training camp with respect to injuries? Are there any areas that are a concern going into the WVU game?

GF-The biggest injury was to receiver Shawn Lauzon, who dislocated his hip in the team's first scrimmage. He will miss the entire year. Running back Ahmad Bradshaw and center Doug Legursky both missed time with minor ankle injuries but will be OK. Also gone is receiver Hiram Moore, suspended for the WVU game after his arrest early Saturday morning.

Mt. Lair-There was a bit of a battle for the starting quarterback position in spring. Has that been decided?

GF-Bernie Morris actually went into two-a-days designated as the No. 1 guy and has done nothing in the preseason to make the coaches regret the decision. He had a good summer in the weight room and seems to have a lot more confidence coming out of camp.

Mt. Lair- Did you notice any difference between last years summer camp and this one? Was this years camp more focused, or crisper?

GF- The biggest difference is that everyone was getting used to each other in last year's camp. Mark Snyder had just been hired in April and hired several new assistants, so there was not a lo of familiarity. I think that played a big part in the team finishing 4-7. This year, everyone knows each other and is more comfortable all around.

Mt. Lair- And lastly, what is your prediction for the outcome of this game?

GF- Mountaineer maniacs don't like to hear it, but Marshall has the ability to keep this game close for a while. But WVU comes in with its highest expectations ever - a national championship is now a legitimate goal. The Mountaineers have too much to play for to see it ruined in the first game of the season. I predicted in Saturday's edition a score of 38-20 (WVU), so I will stick with that.

Thanks again to Gary to taking the time to sit down with us. 3 days and counting...

A Pause in the Rivalry

For all the bad things I do and say toward Marshall, I have to say that this news just plain sucks! Terry Gardner died Sunday morning. If you don't know Terry, don't feel bad. I didn't know him until 5 minutes ago. He scored the winning touchdown vs Xavier in 1971 to seal a 15-13 upset victory a year after the plane crash that killed most of the Marshall team.

“He had a good attitude and he was feeling pretty good, even though he told me he was having some breathing problems,” Oliver said. “He was excited about doing the (DVD) interview and getting back together, reminiscing.”

After everything that has happened, and the movie finally gets made. It just isn't right. I hope he felt a certain amount of piece knowing that the story was being told.

Let's change the name while we are ahead

I've been a little outspoken about my disdain for the name of the WVU-Marshall Series over the past couple months. To be honest with you, getting a corporate sponsorship for this series is pretty tasteless in my opinion. All the great rivalries in college football are so because of great games and a general hatred between fans of the opposing schools. Naming a bowl "The Wonderific All-World Superfantasmigorical Match-up of the Ages" doesn't make it so. So in this age of instant gratification, we look to corporate sponsorship to add validation? Why not just let the rivalry develop over the years, and attach something to be the prize for winning, like the Black Diamond Trophy from the WVU-VT series. See what I mean? It's that thin line between clever and stupid that we crossed when we name it the "Friends of Coal Bowl."

And that brings me to my point. This post was instigated by a comment from friend and former band mate, Xose, when he said of the "Friends of Coal Bowl",

"Friends of Coal" Bowl should use the more accurate title of "Out-of-state-corporate-interests that are here to rape WV and leave its inhabitants unskilled, uneducated and living on toxic waste dumps" Bowl.

Coal does a lot of good and bad for this state. The jobs and money it generates can't be easily replaced. However, a bi-product of coal is the destruction of our environment, and hundreds of coal miners die from black lung disease every year in WV. That just doesn't seem like something I want to celebrate or have associated with my Mountaineers.

AOL Update

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I am going to be covering WVU football for a new venture by AOL called "College Football Fanhouse." The official start-up date isn't for a few more days, but if you want to check it out, you can search WVU from this page, and it should bring up all my posts so far. I'll post again, and put up a link when everything goes live. If you are not a fan of WVU, chances are that your favorite team is being represented on there, so search for that.

Let's all point at Marshall and laugh

I'm still in a state of shock after reading this article from the Herald-Dispatch. I've talked a big game about Marshall's never say die attitude in the race for the Fulmer Cup. But, never in my wildest dreams did I think they could pull it off. Well, Hiram Moore just made it happen, and I couldn't be prouder if I tried. Not only did he receive four misdemeanor charges, but he went and got himself suspended for the first game. Now there is no way in hell that they could ever catch Ellis T. Jones for the overall lead, but this last offense should push them to the top of the team points lead!

Unlike most of the teams at the top of the Fulmer Cup, Marshall has matriculated their way to the top with a DUI here, and a stolen Play Station 2 there. It's truly been a workman like performance. But really, you have to give credit where credit is due. No one said it better than Orson:

Give it to Marshall-–champions win games when they're on the line. And despite being miles down in the Fulmer Cup standings to the Insane Clown Posse that is the Delaware Blue Hens (hard to beat home invasion/armed robbery/steroids combo,) Marshall keeps plugging along with their three yards and a cloud of misdemeanors strategy of winning the Fulmer Cup.

Thank you Orson, making fun of Marshall just wouldn't be the same without you!

Disturbing news out of Huntington

What quietly started out as a fun idea to better inform female Marshall fans about the in's and out's of college football turned ugly yesterday. In the beginning, there was a lot of "rah rah" cheers, and seeing who could cheer the loudest. The coaches went over some of the rules of the game. Then when the coaches started discussing the price of each item the players wear , and the players took off that part of their uniform, chaos erupted!

The loudest ovations, as usual, were produced when players provided a visual image of their costly game-day equipment.

Item by item, Curtis Keyes, Ian O'Connor, Dennis Thornton and Brandon Souder removed helmets, jerseys and pads while graduate assistant Scott Wilks announced the corresponding price.

And with each piece of clothing that came off the women got more tense. Some even started reaching in their wallets to find spare one dollar bills. Until finally they couldn't take it any more!

"We want Dick! We want Dick!"

Realizing that things were getting out of hand, the Marshall NCAA compliance director leapt up on the stage and insisted on calm, and had the house music turned off. Quickly, several women grabbed the director and locked him in a broom closet. On her way back to her seat Louise Morris stopped to proclaim, "I'm 63 years old. This might be my last chance to see some real man-beef! You think I'm going to let some pencil-necked geek get between me and the goods?"

Quickly after, all media were forcibly removed from the conference room, and the loud thump of house music could be heard as the door slammed shut behind us.

Friends of Coal Bowl Trophy

I don't like it even if it had a WV background

Mind you, I've only seen the picture of the "Governor's Trophy", and I don't think I would feel anything but a little dumber for reading any puff piece article about the trophy. Looking at the trophy, I would say one of the "Friends" little eight year old daughter came up with the design. I can only hope that Dan Mozes jumps up and down on the trophy once WV secures a blowout victory. Sorry Dan, I was just thinking that a really big guy that is well known around the country should do the honors, and you were the first one that came to mind.

Just so everyone knows, Mountainlair likes coal miners. Coal companies? Not so much.

For the Spanish Speaking Mountaineers

Checking the site meter, I came across this version of the Mountainlair , and although I know the chances of any Spanish speaking Mountaineer fans being out there is pretty slim, I thought I would offer it up. My personal favorite is the comment link: "comprarme 0 cervezas y contarme una historia!"

Give us your drunk, your principal screwing, your...oh hell, put a helmet on and get in there!

Marshall, being the risk takers that they are have accepted former Tennessee Tight End Joseph Lee Smith to attend and play football for the university. Lee was kicked off the UT team for DUI.

Smith had also been in the middle of a Knox County Schools investigation that involved Powell High assistant principal Kimberly Kallenberg, who was suspended amid allegations she had a sexual relationship with a student athlete and tampered with students' grades.

When questioned about the sex scandal, Lee said...

I! Never! Had! Sexual! Relations! With! That! Woman!

Here are some other Marshall transfer hopefuls:

John Mark Karr: Small, but has "deceptive" speed, and could make a good possession receiver.

Charles Manson: Also possesses "deceptive" speed, and just crazy enough to go across the middle!


Paul "Pee Wee" Rubins: Sometimes you just need someone to bring the kids into the game.

Roundtable Roundup

The House Rock Built has a roundup of some of his favorite answers from the first roundtable discussion up on his site.

If it was a competition, Hey Jenny Slater won hands down.

The Hawkeye fan over at The Bemusement Park who left Georgia off his preseason ballot entirely. He better find someone to start his car for him in the morning. But everyone else is safe for the time being. -heyjennyslater

I guess I'd probably go down to Miami in June or July of 1944 and leave a big box of extra-strength condoms on the bedside table of the Rev. J. Graham Spurrier. -heyjennyslater

Nine Days and Counting

Wes Lyons in the mix

Wes Lyons

Something I'm rooting for this year is for Wes Lyons to get some experience in some meaningful games . From the Blue Gold News, At 6'7", most people would expect Lyons was recruited because he is such a big target, and has an advantage in jump ball situations, but the first thing about the Woodland Hills wideout that caught the coach's eye was his blocking skills. That shouldn't really surprise anyone. The first thing wide receivers have to prove to get on the field is that they can block. How would you like to be a 5-9 DB trying to see around him on the goal line?

As of right now, he is still trying to work his way into the two-deep rotation. Hopefully by the time we get to the games that count, he will have worked his way in.

There are a lot of reasons to get him in the rotation, but freeing up a spot to get Jason Colson back at running back is a reason that sticks out to me. I would love for Jason to get back on the field as a running back, and have a chance to make a difference. For sticking around and being loyal to the team, he deserves that chance.

Jason Colson

Not so sure this is a good idea

I've said before that I would like to see WV fans treat our visitors with respect when they visit Morgantown. The catch to that is not everyone listens to me. Probably about 100 people or so visit this site on a daily basis, and not all are WV fans.

So, how good of an idea is it for Marshall fans to march together to the stadium? That really all depends on the Marshall fans. I'm just going to go ahead and tell you that if you want respect, you have to give it. If you think you are going to march through Morgantown to show up Mountaineer fans, you really need to reconsider.

Mike Kirtner is president of Huntington-based media group Kindred Communications, which owns a Huntington radio station that is among the sponsors for the event.

"Marshall will be a guest in Morgantown, and everyone should treat their guests appropriately," Kirtner said. "I think Morgantown will embrace us."

Somehow, those words sound kind of hollow coming from him. How bout this, Mike? You keep an eye on your people, and we'll keep an eye on ours. And as an added bonus, we'll give you a police escort.

Becky Lofstead, director of WVU News and Information Services, said the two schools are working closely with public safety officials to ensure the event is free of incidents. Lofstead said campus police, Morgantown police and state police would be scattered along the route. The school will also provide campus police officer and a Morgantown police officer for assistance at the tailgate.

Not to worry Marshall fans, we've got our best man on it!

Now that everyone feels safe, let's get this damn thing going already!

Some Things Still Unresolved

With a little more than 10 days left before the opening game with Marshall, a few positions are still not resolved. From Mickey Furfari, Beckley Register-Herald:

The number 2 quarterback position is still up in the air. I've been expecting that Jarrett Brown would be named the backup quarterback since the season ending surgery for Adam Bednarik was announced, but Nate Sowers continues to make the most of his opportunities. Of the two Nate is probably the better runner, and Jarrett is probably the better passer. Coach Rod has made no secret of the fact that they will play whoever has the hot hand, and it might be that this position won't be resolved all year. Rather, it could be 1A and 1B all year long.

Tito Gonzales continues to receive high praises from the coaching staff as the most improved player on the team, and is locked in a battle with Rayshawn Bolden for a starting wide receiver position.

Here is a nice piece on Jason Colson from the Charleston Daily Mail. He continues to bounce back and forth between running back and wide receiver. While it has probably not helped him to get on the field anymore than if he was just at one position, he has provided much needed depth at both positions. When his time at WVU is finished, I hope people remember him for sticking it out, and putting the team ahead of himself.

Lastly, WV has emerged from training camp without too many injuries. There are several players that are among the walking wounded, but nothing to this point is too serious. Doug Slovanic is probably the most seriously injured with a high ankle sprain that could keep him out for the next two weeks.

We're #3!

WVU was behind only Texas and Penn St. in the Princeton Review's Top Ten Party Schools for 2006. If there was one school that had more success in Football and Basketball than WVU, then they should most definitely be showing their pride, and that school is Texas.

BYU is most sober

Around the Sphere

Outside of "Nutt chooses Dick over Johnson", or however it was said, this article from SMQ has the best headline of the year!

"KOETTER CUTS KELLER, CALLS KID CARPENTER'S CARD IN COLLECTIVE QUARTERBACK COUP"

Well said!

Dammit, if Bruce Feldman from ESPN isn't the coolest guy in the universe! He has been doing a ton of interviews with bloggers over the past couple months. He has also done several podcasts with Orson over at EDSBS. This week he did Q&A's with Peter over at Burnt Orange Nation, and he did one with Matt over at My Opinion on Sports. And yes, he had to defend his choice of WVU a bit. That's really fine with me. Most of the people that question come from schools that have been winning 10 games a year since I was born, or before. WV hasn't shown that they can do it year in and year out, yet.

Lastly, Paul over at Georgia Sports Blog has done a cool thing working with Georgia fans out of the country and fans serving in the wars. I've been following the "Dawgs Abroad" series he has been doing, and am just a little pissed at myself for not offering up sooner.

I'm certainly up for doing something with any Mountaineer fans serving, or just out of the country. You know where to find me.

Couple News Items

Before I get into that, what did she just say to Governor Blanco? If it was an athlete that got drunk, or a GM that just got caught with a 13 year old boy, I could understand grilling the person. However, you don't pull a governor on national TV and ask why Mississippi is farther ahead in the clean up process. Is that what we tuned in to hear? That state is still in bad shape. Let's try to rally the troops, not kick them in the teeth!

Now for something a little farther north, but still below the Mason-Dixon Line:

Jake Finger is projected to be the starting right tackle this year. Judging from this article from the Charleston Daily Mail, he's a lot more.

"He has been very consistent from an assignment standpoint," WVU Coach Rich Rodriguez said of Figner, a Big East Academic All-Star whose major is biochemistry and whose postgraduate plans include medical school or pharmaceutical research.

There are still some question marks on the offensive line as Stanchek has moved out from guard to tackle on the left side. Nothing that can't be fixed. And as a sophomore, it's good to know that Jake is going to be around for a while.

From the Charleston Gazette-True freshman JT Thomas is looking to see some playing time this year at linebacker. I find this a little odd, only that WV is very solid at linebacker. That should speak to the ability of JT. There are plenty of other positions that I would not be surprised to see a true freshman get some playing time at, but linebacker wasn't one of them. So JT is doing something right.

Lastly, it has occurred to me that I have not really been banging a gong everytime someone ranks us as world beaters. It's nice to see, and only programs that are not used to being ranked this high in the preseason can understand what it means to WV fans. However, I think it is something that gets more than enough coverage elsewhere.

Some gong bangers think we're number one!

Current and former Marshall players arrested

Chralie Tynes, Dionte Wilson, and Geremy Rodamer were arrested this morning. Rodamer was the only active player of the three. Apparently it was a misdemeanor, so any chances of taking the Fulmer Team Cup are probably minimal.
We give credit for the late push. That never say die attitude is respectable. We'll post more as details become available.

08/21/06 Update From WTCR:

Marshall Head Football Coach Mark Snyder will be awaiting word from Huntington Police on the circumstances of the arrest of a key defensive player Saturday night. Records from the Western Regional Jail in Barboursville show Junior Defensive Back Geremy Rodamer was arrested on an unspecified misdemeanor charge. Rodamer is a 5-10, 202 pound junior from Morgantown who is slated to face his hometown team, WVU, on September second. The Herd wrapped up its pre-sesaon drills Saturday with an open scrimmage. Regular drills resume on Monday. The Marshall football program has been plagued with arrests of numerous current and former players in the past few years, including current starting quarterback Bernie Morris and tailback Ahmad Bradshaw.

Early Crackpipe Predictions: The East Carolina Edition

Since it's been quite a while since I did one of these, here are the links to previous Crackpipe Predictions: Marshall, Eastern Washington, and Maryland.

Arrrrrr! At first glance, this looks to be a team that is still rebuilding. They return 7 starters on offense, and 6 on defense. But they lose 26 lettermen from last years 5-6 team. Last years game in Morgantown started great for the Gold and Blue, but ended up being a lot closer than most of us would like, at 20-15. This year, the game could possibly be at Erickson Stadium in Charlotte, which is an all too short drive for Mountaineer fans. West Virginia has won the last 4 games with East Carolina by a margin of 161-62.

Offense: The Pirates return senior quarterback James Pinkney (222-366, 2773 yds., 14 td-8 int.). They also return their top three rushers and most of the production from the receiver position. The biggest question mark of this offense will be the line. While 4 out of 5 projected starters are 300lbs +, experience could be a factor. They were only able to rush for 3.8 yards per carry in 2005 (1.9 vs. WV). Only 2 starters return from last year.

Defense: The defensive line returns most of the starters from last year. Keep an eye on DE Marcus Hands (6-5, 270). The big question mark will be at linebacker for ECU with only two returning with any starting experience. The DB's should be good to solid with the return of most of their starters from last year.

After Marshall, this is the second team WV will face that is going into their second year with a new coach. Teams under second year coaches almost always perform better than the previous year, simply because they are more accustomed to the schemes being run. While nothing really jumps out at me about this team, they have a good number of quality athletes, and the game is on the road, and they might have some confidence after last years game. WV will have 10 days to prepare for this game before an open date on the schedule, while ECU will have a week to prepare, and also have a week off after this game. Outside of last years game, WV has been able to dominate ECU, and barring any lapse in focus, I expect WV to come away with a comfortable 20-25 point win. However, as I said in a recent interview, this could be a trap game if WV doesn't come to play. This is one of the games that WV needs to go out and prove that they belong in the top 10. They need to jump out early, and not hold anything back (god I sound like Dan Fouts).

Go To Sleep

I love PCU!

Nelson and John Kruk

Not necessarily one conscious thought, but not enough of either to justify a post. Normally, I wouldn't want to post this late on a party night, but tonight is amateur night in Parkersburg. It's homecoming, and tonight's headliner, Nelson had to cancel...

Matthew Nelson developed a severe case of laryngitis after the duo played a show in the rain Tuesday in Charlotte, N.C., said Obi Steinman, band manager. The group is composed of Matthew and his brother, Gunnar, who are the sons of the late Ricky Nelson.

Damn, I was really looking forward to seeing this. No, seriously! I would love to go down there and see if anyone is singing along with them. Or better yet, have an old tour t-shirt on! Four words, "Don't-be-that- guy!"

I knew John Kruk was from WV, but not born in my hometown of Charleston. He's most recognized as being from Keyser, in the eastern panhandle. Well, he's known for the mullet and a case of beer to exchange numbers with a teammate. Anyhow, Kruk was interviewed on Sports Bloggers Live yesterday. It's worth listening to, as well as the rest of the podcast.

Burke Responds

Mike Burke of the Cumberland Times-News re-visits an article he wrote last week, I think. To his credit, he notes problems with both set's of fans, as noted by the title of his article, "Yes, the shoe fits, and both feet wear it." I feel obliged to respect his perspective, being that he is a Maryland grad. The thing about this is that I have never really felt a hatred for Maryland, other than those blowouts in the early part of this decade. And that had a lot more to do with loosing than anything else. The games have generally been competitive over the years. I just always thought of it as the best OOC game on our schedule that seemed to work well for both programs.

Was I a little harsh with all the middle fingers? Yes. Would I do it again? Probably. Hopefully what I didn't do was encourage fans to use excessive language or violence on our guest when they come to Morgantown. Save it for the game folks.

This is a series that we need to get back on our schedule. This is the last year for the series that I know of. Hopefully we can work something out. Whoever we replace them with will not be as good a fit as Maryland.

Quickly

Lord, strike me dead if I ever do anything as stupid as this:

Finally, Rodriguez would like to ask a few bozos out there for a favor: please stop emailing kicker Pat McAfee. The sophomore has apparently been getting notes chastising him for being injured or out of shape.

"I don’t understand why some of our fans would email our kids," asked the dumbfounded head coach. "They shouldn’t do that to those guys. Our kids are working hard. A bunch of fans were emailing Pat McAfee. He asked me what advice I had and I told him to do what I do: don’t read them. That solves that problem."

Roundtable 1

Being part of the BlogPoll has many requirements, if you want to call them that. I like to think of them more as fun homework assignments. One of which is the roundtable discussions. This first of this football season is brought to us The House Rock Built.

1. What's the biggest ripoff in this preseason poll? Either pick a team that's offensively over or underrated, or you can rag on a particular voter's bad pick (hey, we're all adults here, we can handle it).

Since I've seen it said more than a few times, including on The House Rock Built, this question should be referred to as the "I'll have what he's having" question. I've already said that I think Boston College should be on there, so that's my too low pick. I have to say that Ohio St. getting 20 first place votes is about 19 too many. They might very well be the best team, but I think there is going to be a drop off in leadership rather than a drop off in talent on defense that is going to hurt. But, that offense will be fun to watch!

2. What should a preseason poll measure? Specifically, should it be a predictor of end-of-season standing (meaning that a team's schedule should be taken into account when determining a ranking), or should it merely be a barometer of talent/hype/expectations?

I really tried to not consider the schedule when I did my poll. Probably why my ranking of WV was lower than the average. Particularly in the case of Auburn and Ohio St. Auburn's schedule probably couldn't line up any better than it is this year. I'm sure an SEC schedule is never easy, but most of the big boys are coming to Auburn this year. And Ohio St. going down to Texas in week two is going to be murder on them. However, if you want to truly rank a team, the schedule can't factor in. Execution, how a team reacts in certain situations, and in this case, previous performance has to factor in. Also, I lean on experience. Hype gets generated from a team's last game. I can't wait to get this first game started, and get the Sugar Bowl out of everyone's minds. WV is certainly getting a ton of hype from that. So, if you can erase the bowl game from your mind and look at how a team did during the season should be a good indicator to follow.

3. What is your biggest stretch in your preseason ballot? That is to say, which team has the best chance of making you look like an idiot for overrating them?

Miami could be that team. I think if we all looked deep we could admit that Miami is partially there because of reputation. I'm not knocking them, but I don't think anyone would question it. With all the new coaches they have things could be tough starting out. They certainly fell apart on a few occasions last year. Other than that, I'm pretty confident with my poll.

4. What do you see as the biggest flaw in the polling system (both wire service and blogpolling)? Is polling an integral part of the great game of college football, or is it an outdated system that needs to be replaced? If you say the latter, enlighten us with your new plan.

I think the biggest flaw with any polling system is that regional coverage distracts us from seeing everything.

Someday lord, someday!

Humans hold grudges, and computers have no soul. So, I think it will always be flawed. House is right though, all the talk about it is what is fun. A little grey area never hurt anyone.

5. You're Scott Bakula, and you have the opportunity to "Quantum Leap" back in time and change any single moment in your team's history. It can be a play on the field, a hiring decision, or your school's founders deciding to build the campus in Northern Indiana, of all godforsaken places. What do you do?

Recent memory would be the muffed punt toward the end of the first half against VT last year. Also, the blocked punt against Miami in '96 sucked. How do you not call that a forward lateral? I don't know, one play shouldn't and probably doesn't decide the game. I think for all time downers, it would have to be Major Harris screwing up his hip in the '89 Fiesta Bowl. That was a really good team, but without Major at 100%, it was hard to watch. ND was pretty good too.

News Things

Josh Jenkins is ready to commit to WVU. At 6'5" and 285 going into his Junior year, he still has a lot of room to grow. There is a ton of time between now and February 2008, but I think he has a chance to be good, and I'm glad he's looking to WVU.

This bit from the Parkersburg News and Sentinal:

"I told coach Mac (assistant Mark McCullough) the other day that if WVU offers me on Sept. 1, that I'd probably take a close look at it and then commit," explained the lineman.

"It (WVU) is just a great place to be," said Jenkins. "They treat you good up there and they have a great football program. "Plus, it's close enough that my mom, family and friends can come up and watch me play." Should Jenkins carry through with his plans to become a Mountaineer following his senior year, he would become the third member of his family to play football on the Division I level.

In other news, three true freshman are expected to get to play this year according to this article from Mitch Vingle of the Charleston Gazette.

"We'’ll know more after the scrimmage Saturday, but the DBs have the best chance,’" Rodriguez said. "Boogie Allen and Guesly Dervil are right now ahead of the other true freshmen. Them and walk-on Max Anderson, just because of the need for fullbacks and special teams players."

One can certainly bank on Allen playing this season. And there are two reasons. First, the Mountaineers have little choice. They are in dire need of reserve cornerbacks.

The thing that strikes me as being odd is that this team was so young last year. It could just be that everyone is thin somewhere, and WV has immediate needs at backup positions in the secondary. I feel pretty confident in the guys that will be starting and I'm looking forward to what the backups can do.


Mike Burke of the Cumberland Times-News is planning on staying home this year for the game. I seriously hope nothing like what he describes happens this year, but for using the Appalachian slur, Jaspers, you sir, get one of these...

Is there a couch in there somewhere?

Oh heck, why not a few more

My first concert at 7 years old was Johnny Cash. Somehow I feel blessed at the moment.

Tenacious D is with me on this! Sort of.


An lastly, here's one from Frank Zappa to you Mike

BlogPoll Time

Brian has the preseason BlogPoll up @ MGOblog. I have WVU at 10, but the average is 8. So, what do I know anyway? Close enough for Government work. I don't have too much to complain about with that poll. I think BC is better than that, though. We'll see. I would have thought that Tennessee would have been higher. Enjoy.

Death, Taxes, and MSNSportsnet.net

I thought for sure that the Mountaineer Sports Network would never change their format. Actually, they did make a change recently, and I couldn't be happier. For one, they moved the video screen away from the upper right hand corner. And while it may not actually be a larger viewing area, it sure does look a lot better away from the corner. There's probably less than five of you that know why I brought that up, so I won't bother to try to find the post to link to. They like their Coca~Cola. That's for sure. Still now stop and play buttons (use right-click over the video).

Watching the video of Coach Rod, he didn't seem to happy at all for the first two minutes, but he does relax after that. It's understandable with all the players that are sore, and can't practice. There is also a great interview with QB Coach Bill Stewart on the two backup qb's. That's the first time I can remember seeing him interviewed. We like coach Stewart.

Overall, I have to give a thumbs up for the new look. Now, I guess it's Death, Taxes, and Chief Wahoo McDaniel kicking ass!

Wind out of your sails

Sometimes it's good to see how the rest of the country views your chances of going undefeated. Everytime I pick up Phil Steele's pre-season mag, I find something new to get mad about. A look at his top 25 fullbacks show's that Owen Schmitt isn't on there? There are some great fullback's on there, but that just has to be based on rushing stats. I guess weather we like it or not, WV isn't on everyone's radar during the season. And the smaller stories on the team can get lost. Maybe it's because it was his first year with the team. Who knows? Maybe there is some cool aid being consumed.

There are certainly plenty of people around the country that feel we shouldn't have a shot at the title with our schedule. I can see where they are coming from. If I was a SEC fan, I would have a hard time believing we were playing on the same level of competition. For my part of the argument, it's probably best to let the season play itself out. You can see signs of life from some of the Big East teams. It would be nice to see a decent OOC record for the Big East this year.

Here's a look at it week by week against BCS opponents.

Week 1

Rutgers @ UNC
Syracuse @ Wake Forest
Virginia @ Pitt
Kentucky @ Louisville

Week 2

Illinois @ Rutgers
Iowa @ Syracuse

Week 3

Maryland @ WVU
Wake Forest @ UConn
Syracuse @ Illinois
Cincinnati @ Ohio St.
Michigan St. @ Pitt
Miami @ Louisville

Week 4

Cincinnati @ Va. Tech
UConn @ Indiana
USF @ Kansas
Louisville @ Kansas St.

Week 5

WVU @ Miss. St.

Week 6

USF @ UNC

Everything after that is conference games. So yeah, that doesn't look too scary. Not too many top teams from BCS conferences on there. Louisville, Pitt, and Syracuse probably have the toughest OOC schedules. And yes, I will be rooting for you!

Owen Schmitt

I'm a cheap bastard! Well, it's true. Perhaps when a little more dough starts coming my way, I'll get ESPN Insider. It would probably be worth it just to read Bruce Feldman. Speaking of which, he has a piece up on Owen Schmitt that looks to be pretty good. Anything that talks about...

He also has become a genuine folk hero around West Virginia with fans, who have snatched up his No. 35 jersey and T-shirts that scream "How Do You Like That Schmitt!"

It's great for Owen to get some recognition! He really came from nowhere to take the starting fullback position last year. Definitely one of the kids that developed right after highschool. I guess everyone got their first look at Owen at last years spring game. The thing about him is that he isn't getting the ball 20-30 times a game, probably closer to 5 times a game. But when he does get it, it is always something great! Being that he is probably the third or fourth option on offense he isn't too high on the threat board of opposing teams. When he doesn't have the ball, he is a fullback's fullback!He can be a devastating lead blocker.

Anyhow, he's #8 and #6 on here. Hope you like Queen, I do. Stick around for #1. I don't know who that guy was for UConn, but Pat White hits him so hard, it changes his last name on the back of his jersey! Credit to Psycho, enjoy.

Streaming Radio

For the life of me, I just can not understand why all radio stations don't stream their programming over the internet. I wanted to listen to the Statewide Sportsline to get some real time news on WVU, but you have to pay a price to listen to it over the internet. So, I had to walk all the way over to the other side of the house to get a portable radio and bring it back to listen to while I blogged.

Now I know that some old white men will tell you how not making someone pay to listen to their programming over the internet hurts the bottom line. But I always thought that the purpose of radio was to reach as many people as possible. Anyone with half a brain would hook up with some national advertising. Am I wrong in presuming that every college football team in America has a daily radio talk show? I didn't think I was wrong about that. Now, a national advertising agency could work a few companies to advertise their product over streaming world wide radio. Each radio station could get paid to run these advertisements to make up for not making people pay. Now, who comes to mind as the ideal advertiser for something like this? Gosh, you know most of these radio stations already carry ESPN radio anyway. So they should already have access to the 30 second pieces that ESPN uses. Who else? Oh yeah, 95-99% male audience, Erectile Dysfunction ads would be like gold!

We give it to you, so you can give it to her.

Did I just make someone rich? Send us a check. You know, a little something for the effort.

High Praise for Newbies

Chances are that most of you remember what it was like to go through two-a-days in high school. It was the two weeks of the year that I dreaded more than anything, but it's what got you in shape to play a full season. The things I should remember, like every touchdown, every pass I caught, or every pancake block I delivered are distant memories. But, I can tell you without hesitation every time I puked during two-a-days. With that in mind, I can't help but laugh every time I read an article involving Coach Rod these days. He would have made a great drill instructor in another life.
From the Beckley Register Herald:

"We need to sharpen the steel a little bit," coach Rich Rodriguez said as West Virginia University heads into the final week of preseason football practice.

"We haven't even grinded them yet. We need a hard, hard week of practice where the weather is hot. The players have to push themselves through it."

Did your parents have any children that lived maggot?

In other non-sadistic news, Coach Rodrugez is giving a lot of praise to walk-on fullback Maxwell Anderson. From the same article:

Meantime, the headman said he views freshman Maxwell Anderson, an invited walk-on, as a player in the mold of junior fullback Owen Schmitt, the holdover starter.

"He'’s a great young man," he said. "I'’m excited for him. There'’s no question he'’s going to be able to help our football team."

For those of you that don't know, Rodriguez keeps Owen Schmitts facemask that he broke in the first half of last year in his office as a memento. Hopefully that explains how impressive you have to be to be compared to Schmitt. I don't know that he holds on to any other such trophy's.

Then there's Ed Collington, a reserve tailback looking to work his way into the rotation. From the Charleston Gazette:

"He'’s a little bigger than Steve, and he runs strong, ’" West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez said. "He'’s just learning, but heÂ's picked it up fast. There'’s no question he figures in our plans."

For a team that has such high expectations, there are certainly quesiton marks at the skill postitions. But, it would seem that the pieces are falling into place at the right time. Last year at this time, the big concern was at the wide receiver and quarterback positions. That turned out ok, didn't it? Sure, you can never count on the same thing happening twice, but I have a feeling that the production won't drop off too much when the startes take a break.

I don't have a link for it right off, but freshman DB Guesly Dervil is turning some heads, and could work his way into the rotation. The former Illinois recruit is making some people take notice. When he did not qualify at Illinois, he decided to take a year off and get his grades in order, as well as working on his speed. In honor of Orson Swindel @ EDSBS,

Name retracted has to be kicking himself over the loss of that one!

Brandon Myles

There's an article up on MSN about Brandon Myles. The non-qualifier that made the most of his opportunity. For every good story we come across, there seem to be about 10 bad ones that follow it up. With the Big East moving away from accepting non-qualifiers, stories like this will be fewer and fewer. I can't say that I disagree with the Big East. Your chances of keeping the student-athletes you recruit is much better if you do not accept non-qualifiers. It also will help with the prestige of the conference.

But this is now, and Brandon should be praised for his accomplishment!

"Brandon is a great story. Not all non-qualifiers make it, but we have had great success with them throughout the years at West Virginia. Brandon is a true story about a guy that worked hard and believed in himself," Rodriquez said.

I'm happy for Brandon. He's been a star on and off the field for WVU!

Pre-Season Top 25

I originally was going to put Auburn at No. 1, but considering they suspended two potential starting linebackers for the first 3 games, I have to believe this will hurt them considerably in game 3 vs. LSU. I don't think it is enough that they won't have a chance to play for the national title, but it could have an effect on the defensive unity past the 3rd game. Other off field issues lead me to believe this team will under achieve.

1. Texas-If Mack Brown can tweak the offense to suit the new quarterback as he did with VY, this should be another undefeated season for Texas. They seem to be loaded at every other position on offense and defense.

2. Ohio St.-Offensively, they should be able to outscore 90% of the teams on their schedule. The defense on the other hand is a source for concern after loosing 9 starters from last year. They won't have time to settle in with an almost sure loss in week 2 at Texas. However, the rest of the schedule looks favorable. If they can win at Iowa, they should be able to position themselves for a shot at a national title.

3. Southern Cal.-There's a lot of new talent on this team as well. The key word there is talent. Pete Carroll has been recruiting like a mad man. Besides an opening game at Arkansas, they shouldn't be tested again until November. The offensive and defensive line play should be enough to get them through until the new faces can gel.

4. LSU-The only real question with this team is who will start at quarterback. The last image of this team is a 40-3 stomping of Miami. Sure, Miami didn't have their head in the game, but even when they are average, no one beats Miami by 37 points. I expect one loss somewhere along the line. Possibly at Florida or Tennessee.

5. Notre Dame-Line play on both sides of the ball has to be better this year, and I expect it to be. There are a lot of names associated with this ND team, but the ones that will matter will be on the line of scrimmage. Skill players should once again be lights out.

6. Florida-The greatest improvement a team makes is usually between year one and year two. I expect that to be the case for Florida. The defense should be awesome again, and the offense should show vast improvement after receiving pointers from Coach Rod.

7. Auburn-As I stated above, I think all the pieces are there, but I have to question how they will perform as a team, with so many off the field issues.

8. Iowa-14 returning starters makes this an interesting team. They really have a two game schedule. Home vs. Ohio St., and a road game at Michigan. Both lines are experienced and talented. They have a proven winners in Drew Tate at quarterback, and Albert Young at running back. I won't be surprised to see them in a BCS game this year.

9. Miami-Miami doesn't handle embarrassment very well. I expect them to be motivated to prove themselves after last years Peach Bowl. Quarterback play should be improved, and there is no question as to the talent on this team.

10. West Virginia-I think this is a pretty fair placement for this team. It wouldn't be impossible to go undefeated, but I would expect this team to have at least one loss if it was playing in one of the power conferences. That being said, they have a great chance to go undefeated. I believe they have the talent to be placed in the top 10.

11. Cal-Is this the year they overtake USC? Could be. They don't have the sexy reputation of USC, but they have the talent to hang with anyone in the country.

12. Georgia- Damn if the SEC isn't deepest conference in college football. I believe this will be a slight rebuilding year, but because of the heart they showed in the Sugar Bowl to come back I have a hard time counting them out.

13. Louisville- Of course I put them at 13 in the hopes of somehow jinxing them. They go into the season with one of the most explosive offenses in the country. They have the knowledge that the back up quarterback can run the offense very well, even with cotton stuffed up his nose. For the sake of the conference, they need to beat Miami in the worst way. Unlike Phil Steele, I have some questions about the defense. Those should be answered by November 2nd.

14. Tennessee- I believe that last year was last year. There is too much tradition and talent for this team to do anything less than 9 wins. If they are able to get some consistent production from the quarterback position, they could challenge for an SEC title.

15. Florida State-With as much talent as they have, I can only point to the coaching staff as to the reason they are not in the top 5. How much longer will Bowden allow his son to run this offense? Another poor year could signal the end to both of their careers.

16. Virginia Tech- This is a solid team up and down. It's another team with only a question mark at quarterback. The ACC should be much improved this year. VT might be one year away from a conference championship.

17. Penn. St.- No Michael Robinson running the offense is the big reason I have them down so far. Several freshman played a big role on this team last year. Unusual for Joe Pa. Unless they can find a quarterback, I expect an 8-4 season.

18. Michigan-I'm not sure what to think of Michigan. They have experience coming back at several key positions. 14 starters return, along with 48 letterman. But with the teams I have already put ahead of them, they could be looking at an 8 win season.

19. TCU- The skill players are almost the same as last year. If they can get past Utah on the road, they could be looking at an undefeated season. Will it be enough to move them into the BCS picture?

20. Alabama-This team would be scary if it had as good an offense as it does defense. They are going to need to outscore their opponents to win some close games. I just didn't see that last year. I saw a quarterback running for his life, and a field goal kicker getting more Tang than an astronaut for some of the field goals he hit last year. I just don't think they are going to score enough to make a run for the SEC title.

21. Clemson-Expectations are high for Clemson this year. I think they have one of the best backs in the country in James Davis. The lack of a proven quarterback will keep them from competing with the best of the ACC.

22. Oklahoma- The loss of Bomar surely hurts, but the loss of the offensive lineman that was his roommate and partner in crime, so to speak, probably hurts even more. The offensive line didn't look all that good to me last year, and I think they will need every lineman they have before it is all said and done.

23. Boston College-This is probably too low for BC, but they are going to have to string a few wins together against the elite of the ACC to get over the hump.

24. Fresno St.-Respect the goatee! I think a lot of Pat Hill and the program he is building at Fresno St. They should be good enough to stay in the top 25 most of the year.

25. Texas Tech- Why not? When their quarterback is hot, they can score with anyone. How the defense holds up will be the question.

Ok, bring it on. Tell me where I'm wrong. Tell me where I'm right.