WVU Football: Moutaineers End 2008 with Double-Shot of Revenge

“Revenge is a dish best served cold.”
— ancient Klingon saying

And it is very cold in Morgantown in late November and early December.

The remainder of WVU’s football schedule came out today and for vengeance-seeking Mountaineer fans, the only way it could have broken better was for Michigan to have joined the Big East and scheduled their 2008 opener at Mountaineer Field.

Absent that, WVU fans will have to settle for these final two games of the season: Friday, Nov. 28, at Pitt and Saturday, Dec. 6, home against South Florida.

Perfect. The team that ruined WVU’s 2007 season the first time and the team that ruined WVU’s 2007 season for good.

Need we remind the WVU faithful, the Mountaineers were 4-0 and ranked No. 5 heading into the Sept. 28, 2007 game versus South Florida in Tampa. As stoked as the Bulls were, as full as Raymond James Stadium was, as bad a matchup South Florida’s defense was against the WVU offense, stubbornly run by the former head football coach and former offensive coordinator Calvin Magee, WVU had no chance to win. They plummeted to No. 13 following the 21-13 loss.

But the resilient Mountaineers went on a six-game winning streak and entered the season and home finale against archrival Pitt at No. 2 in one poll and No. 1 in another. We shall not speak of what happened that night, but offer only this: Pitt’s got it coming, but good.

So, flash forward to Thanksgiving 2008. The Mountaineers are 10-0, having ridden the arm and legs of Pat White, the Roomba-like running of Noel Devine and true freshman RB Terence Kerns, as DL Tevita Finau becomes a sack-monster in the baffling 3-3-501(c)3-23 defense of Jeff Casteel.

The next day, the Mountaineers head up I-79 and terminate the Panthers. With extreme prejudice. In a bizarre sideline “accident,” the Wannstache is plowed over by a runaway Finau with a fumble recovery, putting the formerly gimpy Pitt head coach back on crutches. WVU wins by those four touchdowns this time.

Then, a week later, as the Mountaineers rise into the Top Three, South Florida comes to Morgantown just as a cold front hits. The South Florida Bulls experience serious shrinkage in the cold weather and Pat White—in the final home game of his glorious Mountaineer career—oblivious to the elements, duplicates his stellar performance in the sub-zero 2005 victory over Pitt. WVU rolls.

How's that for drama? How's that for prime-time programming? 

When the BCS poll comes out Sunday night, the 12-0 Mountaineers will be ranked No. 1 or No. 2 and the 2007 dream, deferred for a year, will be accomplished.

With the sweet taste of revenue still fresh on fans’ tongues.