West Virginia Football: Consider This Weekend's Matchup with LSU an Audition

With the rumor-filled and ever-changing college athletic landscape that we have today, it is easy to forget that nothing has changed with the Big East this season. The schedule is 100 percent completely unaffected for 2011. However, one can only wonder and imagine where our Mountaineers will end up next season or later. Go ahead and name them, the SEC, ACC a new revamped Big East / Big 12 merger or maybe after all that we should just go ahead and become an independent like Notre Dame!

But back on a more realistic note, I feel that we can improve our position on whatever bargaining table or negotiations that we will find ourselves in if we have a good showing this weekend against No. 2 LSU. Even if we get blown out by LSU we are still the most consistent team in the Big East over the past decade and would be the best team for any conference to consider for membership from the Big East. Look it up, WVU has not finished worse than tied for second in the conference since Rich Rodriguez's first season as head coach in 2001. The Mountaineers have two BCS bowl wins in the last five seasons over Georgia and Oklahoma; they have more wins than anybody else in the country without a national title with a record of 694-454-45. 

A victory over the Bayou Bengals this coming Saturday would propel WVU into the top 10 in the AP poll and maybe even the coach's poll. Add that on top of defeating an LSU team that is no doubt poised for a national title run, making everyone in the country take notice and say "Why aren't we going after West Virginia as a member?" I have heard a lot of people questioning if West Virginia can compete in a conference like the SEC. All I have to say is win this Saturday and we can compete anywhere we pretty well please.    

Last season the game was decided by six points with a 20-14 loss to the Tigers. Had it not been for a Patrick Peterson punt return for a touchdown WVU would have came away with an upset victory .

"College GameDay" will be in Morgantown this Saturday for the first time, giving the Mountaineers a national stage to audition and "plead its case" on the field. If anybody can make it up there be sure to get some TV time and represent WVU the best you can.

Let me know what you think and LET'S GO!