Playing football in the Big East is not the SEC—I’ll give you that. However, the Mountaineers’ second-half schedule will be tough.
Auburn visits, Connecticut is ready for an ambush at Storrs, Cincinnati rides into Morgantown with confidence, Louisville is lurking in Papa John’s, Pittsburgh wants more and is capable of getting it at Heinz this year, and the South Florida game may challenge all the conference championship games for that weekend’s best.
Oct. 23 (Thursday night): Auburn in Morgantown
To all of you SEC homers, take solace: Auburn has me more than concerned.
Their defense has the speed and ability at linebacker to contest Pat White and Noel Devine.
They return nine to a new passing offense that Tommy Tuberville tried out in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Clemson, with success to the tune of 26 of 43 for 233 yards.
They have the ringer of ringers with new defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads, who just so happens to be the Paul Rhoads who engineered the Pittsburgh defense stoppage of the Mountaineers last year.
Above all, it’s that passing game against the neophyte Mountaineer D-backs. Although talented behind the linebackers, WVU is green in the open field.
The 2006 Mountaineers had a similar situation and gave up too many yards to Marshall (the sign from the wicked football gods), then got absolutely manhandled by pass-happy Louisville. Inexperienced d-backs have burned me once...
As well, Tuberville, according to our friend Phil Steele, is 12-7 off a bye, 24-15 away, and an amazing 6-1 on Thursday night.
This game is a TOSS-UP and is Auburn’s to lose unless the WVU defensive backfield can get it together.
Time to lighten things up with fun facts to know and tell.
1 comments Last one added 10 months ago — Leave a Comment
Justin Hokanson 10 months ago
I don't know what it is about the Big East, but they seem to schedule all their big games at the end of the season. All the best teams play each other at the end of the season like a playoff. Makes for an entertaining November.
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