The Mostest Definingest Game Of The Season

by Dr. Charley West on Aug 6, 2008 9:33 AM EDT in 2008 Is Almost Here

Contrary to popular belief (see: SEC fans), there are a lot of tough games on this year's schedule. The Big East has transformed itself into a deep conference where no game is an automatic win (exception: any Greg Robinson coached team). But beyond the conference slate, WVU faces two very tough non-conference tests: Colorado and Auburn (maybe three, if you count ECU...but I'm not).

Most of the focus has been given to the Auburn game. It's easy to see why: two marquee national powers doing battle in the middle of October on national television. Plus it's the holy-fucking-shit SEC, a conference so strong it's trying to replace the NFC (please, please, note the sense of sarcasm). But maybe Auburn isn't the game we should be most worried about.

Which brings me to....

The Colorado fricken' Buffaloes. Yes, Colorado, a program that has won a combined eight games in the past two years.

Colorado has a lot of things going for it this year -- and especially on Thursday, September 18th.

One, it improved from 2 wins in 2006 to 6 wins and a bowl appearance in 2007. Dan Hawkins has really started to build some momentum in Boulder, which was certainly tough to do after the Gary Barnett fiasco.

Two, they signed arguably the #1 running back in the country, Darrell Scott, last year. Scott should see the field immediately and certainly, in the third game of the season, should have his feet wet enough to contribute significantly.

And third, it's a Thursday night, which apparently is during the week. It's tough to travel 2,000 miles, through two time zones, to play a team on their home field in primetime on ESPN. Erin Andrews will even be there, which could be terribly distracting (though, probably more so for a Colorado program coming off a recruiting/stripper scandal).

So, a tough game. Though, even with all that said, we're still probably at least a touchdown favorite in Boulder. But with a new coach and the first significant road game of the HCBS campaign (again, ECU be damned), it's still a question mark.

Win that one, and the sky's the limit for this season. Lose it? The sky might be falling.

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Comments

You paint a pretty tough picture Charley…you’re right though, this game will definately show what we have this year. I for one am especially looking forward to the post game interview between EA and the future Heisman Trophy winner.

by 2000Grad on Aug 6, 2008 10:06 AM EDT reply actions

Darrell Scott?

Kidding.

by Charley West on Aug 6, 2008 10:07 AM EDT reply actions

Thank you for, once again, putting the SEC fans in their place. I’m trapped down here and if I didn’t read WBGV I would think that only the SEC and Climpsin existed.

Please note about Colorado: some of their less focused players might be suiting up for an intramural team rather than the Buffaloes. WVU fraternities beware.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S3RbRifTSk

by Barksdale on Aug 6, 2008 10:17 AM EDT reply actions

Everything you metioned will set-up well in the Buffs favor. Except one thing! They absolutely can not match our team speed. We can only beat ourselves (turnovers: see our last 4 loses). No one has straight up beat us since VT in 2005, and one could argue the Vaughn Rivers punt return fumble inside the 20 with 2 minutes to go in the first half changed the momentum of that game.

So I repeat: WVU is the only team that can beat WVU………………………………………………………………….

by Nasti Nati on Aug 6, 2008 4:16 PM EDT reply actions