MORGANTOWN - That West Virginia's football season to date has not turned out quite as anyone had hoped is a given. Through eight games, the Mountaineers have lost twice, both of them perfectly winnable games.
MORGANTOWN - That West Virginia's football season to date has not turned out quite as anyone had hoped is a given. Through eight games, the Mountaineers have lost twice, both of them perfectly winnable games.
It is frustrating and annoying to the team, its coaches and its fans. National rankings have come and gone. Enthusiasm, at least among the fan base, is so-so. It has not yet reached the point where looking forward to basketball season is all that is left, but throw in another loss or two and it will likely come to that.
Here's the thing, though: Beginning with today's noon game against Louisville (3-5, 0-3 Big East) at Mountaineer Field, West Virginia (6-2, 2-1) is in no worse shape than when it began the season inasmuch as its primary goal is concerned.
Win the remaining four games and the Mountaineers win the Big East championship and earn a BCS bowl berth. It's as simple as that.
"I looked each at every one of these young men in the eye and told them the truth,'' West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said. "I didn't harp, I didn't dwell. They're grown young men. I told them the truth. Tell them what's to be expected and let's go to work.''
In a one-game-at-a-time world, it is far too early to be looking at the big picture. But just for clarity's sake, here is the Big East race in a nutshell: Cincinnati and Pitt are 4-0 in the league, West Virginia 2-1 and everyone else has at least two losses. The Bearcats and Panthers are nationally ranked and the Mountaineers are just outside the Top 25.
In the four weeks following this one, all three of those leaders face each other. West Virginia is at Cincinnati next Friday night and home to Pitt two weeks later. Cincinnati and Pitt play the final day of the season, Dec. 5.
For the Mountaineers, it's simple: win all four games (the finale is Dec. 5 at Rutgers) and finish 6-1 in the Big East. That would hand Cincinnati and Pitt one loss, then WVU wins a share of the league title and head-to-head tiebreaker with the Cincinnati-Pitt winner for the BCS bowl berth.
MORGANTOWN - That West Virginia's football season to date has not turned out quite as anyone had hoped is a given. Through eight games, the Mountaineers have lost twice, both of them perfectly winnable games.
It is frustrating and annoying to the team, its coaches and its fans. National rankings have come and gone. Enthusiasm, at least among the fan base, is so-so. It has not yet reached the point where looking forward to basketball season is all that is left, but throw in another loss or two and it will likely come to that.
Here's the thing, though: Beginning with today's noon game against Louisville (3-5, 0-3 Big East) at Mountaineer Field, West Virginia (6-2, 2-1) is in no worse shape than when it began the season inasmuch as its primary goal is concerned.
Win the remaining four games and the Mountaineers win the Big East championship and earn a BCS bowl berth. It's as simple as that.
"I looked each at every one of these young men in the eye and told them the truth,'' West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said. "I didn't harp, I didn't dwell. They're grown young men. I told them the truth. Tell them what's to be expected and let's go to work.''
In a one-game-at-a-time world, it is far too early to be looking at the big picture. But just for clarity's sake, here is the Big East race in a nutshell: Cincinnati and Pitt are 4-0 in the league, West Virginia 2-1 and everyone else has at least two losses. The Bearcats and Panthers are nationally ranked and the Mountaineers are just outside the Top 25.
In the four weeks following this one, all three of those leaders face each other. West Virginia is at Cincinnati next Friday night and home to Pitt two weeks later. Cincinnati and Pitt play the final day of the season, Dec. 5.
For the Mountaineers, it's simple: win all four games (the finale is Dec. 5 at Rutgers) and finish 6-1 in the Big East. That would hand Cincinnati and Pitt one loss, then WVU wins a share of the league title and head-to-head tiebreaker with the Cincinnati-Pitt winner for the BCS bowl berth.
Of course, that presumes four wins in the final four games, and if there are any more performances like the six-turnover nightmare at Auburn or a lethargic 30-19 loss at South Florida last weekend, the whole thing becomes moot.
Which is why Stewart is stressing a simple work ethic beginning with today's game with Louisville.
"All my life I've been in tough situations. You just jut your jaw, bow your back, you shut your mouth and go to play as hard as you can play,'' he said. "If you do that in life - be it in your daily walk, your job, your marriage or whatever phase of your life - you'll be OK.''
It all starts with Louisville, the least difficult of the remaining four games. The Cardinals are ravaged by injuries in their secondary, have two quarterbacks struggling to get healthy and a third who is a walk-on. They also have, by all indications, perhaps a lame duck coach in Steve Kragthorpe. The Cardinals haven't won in Morgantown since 1990.
"Their receivers are skilled players. Their special teams worry me to death. They catch the ball and away they go. They are good, fast and they are still Louisville,'' Stewart said. "If our players don' understand that then shame on them, shamed on or staff and shame on me for not conveying that enough.''
Reach Dave Hickman at 304-348-1734 or dphickm...@aol.com.
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South Florida ripped us on the big plays which our defense isn't supposed to give up and Cinncy is much better than that. 3 to 1 we lose. Roll the dice and still have a chance to win.