Now that Coach Rod’s contract extension has been taken care of, all the Mountaineers have to do is not become lazier than Stuart Scott’s eye this summer.  I am expecting nothing less than an undefeated regular season.  Just take a look at the schedule.
Sep 2      Marshall
Sep 9      Eastern Washington
Sep 14    Maryland
Sep 23    at East Carolina
Oct 7      at Mississippi State
Oct 14    Syracuse
Oct 20    at Connecticut
Nov 2     at Louisville
Nov 11   Cincinnati
Nov 16   at Pitt
Nov 25   USF
Dec 2    Rutgers 

The only concern I have on this schedule, besides the obvious make-or-break Louisville game, is that we are not playing PITT on Thanksgiving this year.  I mean sure, trouncing USF on national television could turn out to be fun but I was really getting used to the Backyard Brawl as my favorite turkey day television.  The only reason I could think of is that PITT wants as many students as possible at Heinz field for the game to try and motivate Palko to throw the ball to his teammates and not our defensive backs.  I know that I stayed in Morgantown for the game last year, I guess PITT fans think family is more important than football, pansies. 

Allright, here's the breakdown...

Marshall.  Yeah, yeah so they’re in the same state as WVU.  While in-state rivalries can be fun, we are going to clobber them.  The Thundering Turd, no matter how pumped they might get to play a school who they all wanted a scholarship offer from, will not stand a chance.  I think we score early and often against a team that just cannot match up with our athleticism. Marshall’s hopes for an upset, and possibly a few couches go up in flames. 

Eastern Washington.  Who? Eastern Washington? I guess they have a football team.  This years Wofford will give us a chance to see how our third stringers can play.  Eastern Washington…somebody’s athletic director has a good sense of humor. 

Maryland.  Maryland’s football program has been going downhill faster than Ralph Friedgen on skis.  They don’t have any good quarterbacks and the only guy they could throw to, absolute manimal Vernon Davis, left early for the League.  Ever since WVU traitor Scott McBrien left, and took Coach Rod’s playbook with him, Maryland has not been able to find an answer for us.  Maybe they should try out Friedgen at left tackle. 

ECU.  This yearly joke always gets trampled over.  Their defense made Kay Jay Harris look like Jim Brown.  It will almost be funny to see Pat White and Steve Slaton run circles around anybody who attempts getting within 10 feet of them, if they even get that close.  This should be a good way to start things out on the road. 

Mississippi Sate.  Possessing what might be the worst uniform in college football can’t help the self-esteem of this perennial SEC cellar dweller.  I wonder if Sylvester Croom realizes that we get better recruits from Mississippi then he does.  I can see our offense really messing with the Bulldogs; I mean we saw what happened to a good SEC defense in the Sugar Bowl. 

Syracuse.  Wow, what happened to the ‘Cuse?  We tried to let them win last year and they still couldn’t do a thing.  Given their quarterback’s habit of throwing the ball 15 feet over his receiver’s head’s they don’t stand a chance.  This game will be a walk in the park as our defense feasts on the Orange, buh dum bum. 

Connecticut.  Ever realize that, aside from the Patriots, there are no good football teams in New England?  Oh well, we get to go up to the land of yacht clubs to dominate a team that has only been D1 for a couple or years.  Again, I see our speed overwhelming a team that simply will not be able to keep up with us. 

Louisville.  This is our only chance to lose.  Michael Bush is an absolute bruiser of a running back and Brian Brohm is one of the best QB’s in the country.  Last year’s overtime thriller really set the table for this rematch.  It would be fun to see Steve Slaton go for six touchdowns again.  Louisville lost Elvis Dumerville, arguably their only good defensive player and Brohm is recovering from ACL surgery.  This game has all the makings of a great one.  I wish it was in Morgantown. 

Cincinnati.  The Bearcats are really bad.  I mean it’s almost pathetic.  We have a zero percent chance of losing this game.  Last year I actually thought that we were playing Cincy’s JV football team. 

Pitt.  It was almost amazing how washed up Palko got in one season.  He’s still a tough guy, but he’s also a little too arrogant for the amount of interceptions he throws.  Palko’s main target, WR Greg Lee decided it would be a good idea to leave early for the NFL.  Apparently the NFL disagreed and he went undrafted.  What’s the deal with Dave Wannstedt anyway?  The tannest man in Pittsburgh, you’re not in Miami anymore buddy.  Wannstedt seems incompetent to me, maybe I just really dislike his mustache.  I expect the Panthers to be an improved team but so are we. 

USF.  They surprised some people last season, but all of their impact players graduated.  They are going to be another Big East bottom feeder.  But then again, who else besides us and Louisville won’t be? 

Rutgers.  The Scarlet Knights from Jersey!  Why is it that whenever I think of Jersey, chivalry and guys on horses with swords never cross my mind?  I guess their AD eats at Medieval Times a lot.  Rutgers has a really good fullback, and seems to be improving.  Still, they don’t pose a threat to us on our home turf.  Owen Schmitt will have an opportunity to prove himself as the best fullback in the league.  

So there you have it, one big joke of a schedule.   If we can go to Louisville and come up with a win we will be sitting pretty.  Can anybody say National Championship?  There is going to be a lot of buzz and hype around us, and a lot of critics questioning the weak schedule.  But I seem to remember that same criticism going into the Sugar Bowl.