West Virginia Mountaineers Bail out Big East Again

Once again, the WVU Mountaineers (10-3, 5-2) helped keep the Big East's reputation as a quality BCS conference in tact.  The Mountaineers proved the Big East's best can take on the ACC's best, chew them up and spit them out.

In last night's Orange Bowl, WVU broke an all-time single bowl game scoring record and scorched the Clemson Tigers, 70-33.

The Mountaineers struggled this season; they had to win their last three games just to claim a share of the Big East Title with Louisville and Cincinnati.

Last night's winning margin of 37 was 22 more points than WVU's points scored/points allowed differencial for their entire Big East season.  This year they outscored their Big East opponents by a total of 15 points.

The low point in the Mountaineers' season was a shocking 49-23 upset at Syracuse.

But towards the end of the year they really put it together.  It just took some time for the players to grasp first-year coach Dana Holgorsen's new offense.

After last night's record-breaking performance no one can say that WVU isn't one of the best teams in the country.  No one can say that they don't have one of the most potent offenses in the country.

Back in September, the nation's No. 1 team LSU (13-0) did all they could to keep the Mountaineer offense in check.  If they played again it would be hard to imagine LSU, or anyone else putting up enough points to outscore them.

In the season's final Coaches Poll it's likely the Mountaineers could jump into the Top 20.  Fellow Big East member Cincinnati has a good chance of finishing right behind.

So while preseason pollsters have been quick to write off the Big East as the only BCS conference without a team ranked in the Top 25, 2011 may not be such a bad year for the conference.

It started with the 2006 Sugar Bowl

When Miami and Virginia Tech pulled out of the Big East after the 2003 season, the conference took a lot of criticism for its perceived weak quality of football.  After the 2005 season there was talk of taking away its automatic BCS bid.

That was the year WVU upset the heavily favored SEC Champion Georgia Bulldogs 38-35 in the Sugar Bowl.

The win helped quiet down the critics.

The following season (2007) WVU started 11-0 and was the front-runner to make it to the BCS Championship game.  In its last regular-season game Pittsburgh pulled off a huge upset in the Back Yard Brawl and beat the Mountaineers 13-9.  Hopes for the BCS Championship game were dashed.

The critics started again.  They claimed WVU wasn't that good, but played in a weak conference.  They said it would have been an embarrassment if the Mountaineers made it to the BCS Championship Game.

That year the Mountaineers had to settle for a meeting with Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.

This was also the season when head coach Rich Rodriguez left for Michigan and Bill Stewart, in his first game as head coach, would lead the team into the Fiesta Bowl as a heavy underdog.

The odds makers felt the letdown after the Pitt loss, and the coaching change made the game against Oklahoma too difficult.

Bottom line:  WVU 48 Oklahoma 28.

The win once again quieted the critics of the Big East.

Last night WVU came through again, this time in historic fashion.

The clash with the Big East

Most fans are aware of the disagreement between WVU and the Big East.  Simply put, the Mountaineers want out now and the Big East wants them to wait 27 months.  Both parties have filed suits in separate courts.

If there was ever a reason for the Big East to back off and make it easier for the Mountaineers to make the transition to the Big 12, it's the debt of gratitude the conference owes them for single-handedly keeping the Big East alive.

WVU has been the one shining star that has consistently played outstanding football since the departure of Miami and Virginia Tech.

Since 2005 they have had three 11-win seasons and have won 70 games while losing 20.

But it's the three consecutive BCS wins, games in which they've been measured against the best of the best, that make them one of the best teams in country.

And it's made them the team that's kept the Big East alive.