By Mitch Vingle
Sports Editor..wvgazette.com newspaper
Yes, I drank the gold and blue Kool-Aid last year. Predicted West Virginia?s football team to go undefeated during the regular season. Instead, the Mountaineers finished 11-2. The crystal (ball) wasn?t clear.
But in the words of Animal House?s Bluto, was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Heck no!
?Cause when the goin? gets tough . . . the tough get goin?!
And predicting. Without fear.
Even Boon and Otter could tell you that this WVU team is set up for a bowl. A big bowl. Every magazine on every newsstand tells you so. I?m telling you so. If the Mountaineers fall flat on their faces, they still go 9-3. They?re that talented.
But how high can they go? The crystal ball, you?ll be happy to hear, has cleared. It?s gazing time.
Cue Bluto. Who?s with me? Let?s go!
# Sept. 1, Western Michigan ? Yes, WVU is opening against the MAC?s Daddy. Bill Cubit has done a nice job in Kalamazoo. The Broncos have nice support, beat Virginia last season and gave Florida State fits. I could continue throwing bouquets WMU?s way if you wish. But the bottom line: Without QB Ryan Cubit, who was lost to graduation, the Broncos have no chance. Not on WVU?s opening day. Not with the Mountaineers? speed. WEST VIRGINIA, 39-13.
# Sept. 8, at Marshall ? As I wrote on Friday, Marshall?s improved passing game might, at times, ding WVU?s secondary, which was more than porous last season. Also, MU?s fans will be sky high for the game. But the Thundering Herd won?t be able to contain Steve Slaton, Pat White, Owen Schmitt, Darius Reynaud, Noel Devine, Jock Sanders, etc., etc., for long. In the end, WVU runs away with it. WEST VIRGINIA, 45-20.
# Sept. 13, at Maryland ? Could WVU suffer a letdown for Maryland after Marshall? Sounds odd, but perhaps when you consider all the hoopla that will surround the Frontyard Brawl. Consider also the game is but five days after Marshall. The hunch from here is the Terrapin defense will give WVU?s offense trouble. And, regardless of rumbles, Terps coach Ralph Friedgen is sharp. Don?t be surprised, though, if the Mountaineer secondary ? Ellis Lankster? ? steps up here. Maryland?s QB situation was unsettled as of this week. WEST VIRGINIA, 24-21.
# Sept. 22, East Carolina ? Finally, West Virginia?s secondary doesn?t have to worry about wide receiver Aundrae Allison and QB James Pinkney. Defensively, ECU will be solid. The Pirate program, in fact, is on the way up. But if the Mountaineers get past Maryland, they?ll be ready to roll. And roll they will against Skip Holtz and company. WEST VIRGINIA, 48-17.
# Sept. 28, at South Florida ? I know, I know. Many are pointing to this game as a stinker for the Mountaineers. There?s fine QB Matt Grothe. There?s wonderful coach Jim Leavitt. Some tough wideouts and cornerbacks. But WVU will have the proverbial chip on its shoulder after last year?s home loss. And don?t forget: Rich Rodriguez stole two of the Bulls? coaches. That should help, don?tcha think? WEST VIRGINIA, 30-20.
# Oct. 6, at Syracuse ? If you?ve ever been to a Syracuse game in the Carrier Dome, you know it?s always a bit scary for the visitor at kickoff. There?s always a weird feel in the air. Then again, maybe that?s what?s being pumped into the ballooned dome. SU coach Greg Robinson needs to recruit better. WEST VIRGINIA, 42-13.
# Oct. 20, Mississippi State ? Over the last half of last season, Mississippi State was respectable. The Bulldogs beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa and lost to Georgia, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Kentucky by just 19 points. So Sylvester Croom?s program has a pulse. Unfortunately for him, West Virginia?s offense has more heart-stopping offensive threats than his defense can handle. WEST VIRGINIA, 50-17.
# Oct. 27, at Rutgers ? I don?t believe for one second that Rutgers is better than WVU. I think the Scarlet Knights will struggle more than people foresee offensively because fullback Brian Leonard, a flat-out stud, and tight end Clark Harris are gone. Standout tailback Ray Rice will not rack up as many yards this season as he did last ? unless it all comes against Howard. That said, I foresee the Mountaineers stumbling on a cold, late October night in Piscataway, N.J. RUTGERS, 28-27.
# Nov. 8, Louisville ? Mark these words: Rutgers may beat WVU, but the Knights will not win the Big East. They will lose to Louisville and at least one other team. But the Mountaineers will not lose to Louisville. Not at home. Just like WVU has more talent than RU, Louisville has more than West Virginia. But at 7:45 p.m. on a Thursday night in Morgantown, the Mountaineer ground game will be more effective than the passing game of U of L quarterback Brian Brohm, perhaps the next No. 1 NFL draft pick. The rowdy fans in Morgantown won?t allow it to be any other way. WEST VIRGINIA, 35-28.
# Nov. 17, at Cincinnati ? There?s bound to be another Mountaineer letdown after beating Louisville. And there aren?t many ?down?? towns that rival Cincy. It doesn?t get more ?down?? than Nippert Stadium. But don?t look for an upset. The feeling is the Bearcats will be in the midst of a downturn. New coach Brian Kelly will simply be doing all he can to keep the ship afloat. WEST VIRGINIA, 48-16.
# Nov. 24, Connecticut ? By this time, Rutgers will have stumbled and the Big East title will be within West Virginia?s grasp. Connecticut, with a whopping six seniors on its two-deep, won?t provide any kind of challenge. At all. WEST VIRGINIA, 56-13.
# Dec. 1, Pittsburgh ? The setup couldn?t be better for West Virginia fans. Although it will be cold, the Mountaineers? Big East coronation will come against archrival Pittsburgh in Morgantown. The loss of receiver Derek Kinder hurt the Panthers. So did that of Elijah Fields. But that may not compare to the sting of WVU?s celebration after the game. Expect a Mountaineer victory lap. WEST VIRGINIA, 40-28.
Final record: 11-1, BCS bowl.
Sports Editor..wvgazette.com newspaper
Yes, I drank the gold and blue Kool-Aid last year. Predicted West Virginia?s football team to go undefeated during the regular season. Instead, the Mountaineers finished 11-2. The crystal (ball) wasn?t clear.
But in the words of Animal House?s Bluto, was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Heck no!
?Cause when the goin? gets tough . . . the tough get goin?!
And predicting. Without fear.
Even Boon and Otter could tell you that this WVU team is set up for a bowl. A big bowl. Every magazine on every newsstand tells you so. I?m telling you so. If the Mountaineers fall flat on their faces, they still go 9-3. They?re that talented.
But how high can they go? The crystal ball, you?ll be happy to hear, has cleared. It?s gazing time.
Cue Bluto. Who?s with me? Let?s go!
# Sept. 1, Western Michigan ? Yes, WVU is opening against the MAC?s Daddy. Bill Cubit has done a nice job in Kalamazoo. The Broncos have nice support, beat Virginia last season and gave Florida State fits. I could continue throwing bouquets WMU?s way if you wish. But the bottom line: Without QB Ryan Cubit, who was lost to graduation, the Broncos have no chance. Not on WVU?s opening day. Not with the Mountaineers? speed. WEST VIRGINIA, 39-13.
# Sept. 8, at Marshall ? As I wrote on Friday, Marshall?s improved passing game might, at times, ding WVU?s secondary, which was more than porous last season. Also, MU?s fans will be sky high for the game. But the Thundering Herd won?t be able to contain Steve Slaton, Pat White, Owen Schmitt, Darius Reynaud, Noel Devine, Jock Sanders, etc., etc., for long. In the end, WVU runs away with it. WEST VIRGINIA, 45-20.
# Sept. 13, at Maryland ? Could WVU suffer a letdown for Maryland after Marshall? Sounds odd, but perhaps when you consider all the hoopla that will surround the Frontyard Brawl. Consider also the game is but five days after Marshall. The hunch from here is the Terrapin defense will give WVU?s offense trouble. And, regardless of rumbles, Terps coach Ralph Friedgen is sharp. Don?t be surprised, though, if the Mountaineer secondary ? Ellis Lankster? ? steps up here. Maryland?s QB situation was unsettled as of this week. WEST VIRGINIA, 24-21.
# Sept. 22, East Carolina ? Finally, West Virginia?s secondary doesn?t have to worry about wide receiver Aundrae Allison and QB James Pinkney. Defensively, ECU will be solid. The Pirate program, in fact, is on the way up. But if the Mountaineers get past Maryland, they?ll be ready to roll. And roll they will against Skip Holtz and company. WEST VIRGINIA, 48-17.
# Sept. 28, at South Florida ? I know, I know. Many are pointing to this game as a stinker for the Mountaineers. There?s fine QB Matt Grothe. There?s wonderful coach Jim Leavitt. Some tough wideouts and cornerbacks. But WVU will have the proverbial chip on its shoulder after last year?s home loss. And don?t forget: Rich Rodriguez stole two of the Bulls? coaches. That should help, don?tcha think? WEST VIRGINIA, 30-20.
# Oct. 6, at Syracuse ? If you?ve ever been to a Syracuse game in the Carrier Dome, you know it?s always a bit scary for the visitor at kickoff. There?s always a weird feel in the air. Then again, maybe that?s what?s being pumped into the ballooned dome. SU coach Greg Robinson needs to recruit better. WEST VIRGINIA, 42-13.
# Oct. 20, Mississippi State ? Over the last half of last season, Mississippi State was respectable. The Bulldogs beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa and lost to Georgia, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Kentucky by just 19 points. So Sylvester Croom?s program has a pulse. Unfortunately for him, West Virginia?s offense has more heart-stopping offensive threats than his defense can handle. WEST VIRGINIA, 50-17.
# Oct. 27, at Rutgers ? I don?t believe for one second that Rutgers is better than WVU. I think the Scarlet Knights will struggle more than people foresee offensively because fullback Brian Leonard, a flat-out stud, and tight end Clark Harris are gone. Standout tailback Ray Rice will not rack up as many yards this season as he did last ? unless it all comes against Howard. That said, I foresee the Mountaineers stumbling on a cold, late October night in Piscataway, N.J. RUTGERS, 28-27.
# Nov. 8, Louisville ? Mark these words: Rutgers may beat WVU, but the Knights will not win the Big East. They will lose to Louisville and at least one other team. But the Mountaineers will not lose to Louisville. Not at home. Just like WVU has more talent than RU, Louisville has more than West Virginia. But at 7:45 p.m. on a Thursday night in Morgantown, the Mountaineer ground game will be more effective than the passing game of U of L quarterback Brian Brohm, perhaps the next No. 1 NFL draft pick. The rowdy fans in Morgantown won?t allow it to be any other way. WEST VIRGINIA, 35-28.
# Nov. 17, at Cincinnati ? There?s bound to be another Mountaineer letdown after beating Louisville. And there aren?t many ?down?? towns that rival Cincy. It doesn?t get more ?down?? than Nippert Stadium. But don?t look for an upset. The feeling is the Bearcats will be in the midst of a downturn. New coach Brian Kelly will simply be doing all he can to keep the ship afloat. WEST VIRGINIA, 48-16.
# Nov. 24, Connecticut ? By this time, Rutgers will have stumbled and the Big East title will be within West Virginia?s grasp. Connecticut, with a whopping six seniors on its two-deep, won?t provide any kind of challenge. At all. WEST VIRGINIA, 56-13.
# Dec. 1, Pittsburgh ? The setup couldn?t be better for West Virginia fans. Although it will be cold, the Mountaineers? Big East coronation will come against archrival Pittsburgh in Morgantown. The loss of receiver Derek Kinder hurt the Panthers. So did that of Elijah Fields. But that may not compare to the sting of WVU?s celebration after the game. Expect a Mountaineer victory lap. WEST VIRGINIA, 40-28.
Final record: 11-1, BCS bowl.
