The Shotgun/Throwdown: Tuesday (11/1/11) Edition

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's nationally recognized best place for sports links, information, sophomoric humor and daily distractions.  We're being brought to you today by Black Butte XXI, as requested by Oregon Mountaineer in memory of his drinking abstinence during his wife's pregnancy.

Today we have more news on the imminent move for WVU to the Big 12, including the lawsuit WVU filed against the Big East and Marinatto's response.  And again, there is a football game this week to prepare for as Louisville comes to Morgantown.

What You May Have Missed:

Gold And Blue Now: Tuesday - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Tony Caridi and Hoppy Kercheval breakdown WVU's lawsuit against the Big East Conference, Kyle Wiggs stops by for the Big East report and a few Mountaineers are recognized by the conference

In Need Of New Home - BGN
The West Virginia men’s soccer team has a home for this season.  Beyond that, it’s up in the air.

VSR: Miller Named Student-Athlete of the Week - MSNsportsNET.Com
This week's Varsity Sports Report

Realignment:

WVU Lawsuit pdf - ESPN

Marinatto's Statement in Response to the WVU Lawsuit - Big East Coast Bias

ESPNU Campus Connection: WVU Big 12 reaction - YouTube
West Virginia senior, Kelsey Pape takes us around Morgantown to get reaction to the big move for the Mountaineers to the Big 12

Big 12 Realignment: What's In Store If West Virginia Heads West? - SBNation.com
It appears that another program is about to leave the car crash that is the football portion of the Big East.  What awaits West Virginia in the Big 12, and what happens to the other Big East remnants?

WVU’s diligent decision - Parkersburg News and Sentinel
Marinatto, as well as his predecessor, Mike Tranghese, has no one to blame for this mess than the leadership (the lack thereof) of the Big East.

Why the WVU Big East lawsuit is a mistake - Courier-Journal
Discovery

A West Virginia Mountaineers' Guide to Tailgating in the Big 12 - WVU Pros

College shuffle yields basketball winners, losers - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
The ongoing saga of conference realignment has been driven by the big-money world of college football.  Huggins knows that.  But its ramifications on college basketball are undeniable.

News of Note:

Coaches: No added pressure in WVU-UL - Times West Virginian
"To me, regardless who you play, it’s all about routine and preparation," he said.  "They know what to expect.  Our job as coaches is to keep them accountable on the field and off the field."

Louisville Coach Charlie Strong Speaks on Big East Call - WVillustrated

Defense is U of L’s strength - Charleston Gazette
In eight games this season, no team has scored more than three touchdowns against the Cardinals.  Six of the eight have scored two or fewer.

Casteel puzzled by WVU defense - Charleston Daily Mail
What puzzles him most is the same players seem just as capable of playing the way they did after halftime.

For one half at least, WVU put it all together - Charleston Gazette
Simply winning the game and overcoming its own foibles was what mattered most.

Alston played like a captain - Register-Herald
"He played well and he played hard," Holgorsen said.  "He was the fastest guy on the football field, but I think the conditions set him up.  Where it slowed everyone else down, it sped him up for whatever reason.  He played well."

Around the League (and Beyond):

Is ESPN the force behind realignment? – USA Today
The network says no, but concerns are rising about its role in college sports

Big East considers Temple, Memphis as seventh invited school - NY Post
More proof that the BB schools are wielding the power still

If Big East can stay together, riches await - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"They're the last ones on the market with a conference football package and you have multiple buyers — that always leads to nice outcomes," Bevilacqua said in a recent interview.

Rick Bozich | West Virginia is a rivalry to savor - Courier-Journal

Brown will carry load for Pitt with Graham out - PPG

Surprising University of Cincinnati focused on winning Big East - Cincinnati Enquirer

Offensive Lineman Tony Kibler Arrested - Voodoo Five

Rutgers gears up to stop South Florida QB B.J. Daniels - Star-Ledger

Syracuse Orange have to regroup again - Wall Street Journal

UConn Football Coach Paul Pasqualoni Concerned Only With Getting Huskies Ready - Hartford Courant

The Forde-Yard Dash: Pat joins the Yahoo! party - Rivals.com
The dash returns on it's new Yahoo! home

What's On Tap:

Big 12 Digital Network - Big12Sports.com
Watch today's 2:30 pm Big 12 welcome, live here

Football: Six Day Window For Cincinnati - MSNsportsNET.Com
ESPN will exercise its option for a six-day window to announce the network (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2) and game time for West Virginia’s Nov. 12 BIG EAST Conference football game at Cincinnati

Video of Interest:

Host Tony Caridi and analyst Jed Drenning review West Virginia's 41-31 victory over the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers, update this week's Varsity Sports Report, and look ahead to the football team's conference match-up with the Louisville Cardinals this Saturday

Video of (Dis)Interest:

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is one of the greatest supermodels ever.  Here's today's gallery of Brazilian Gisele Bundchen.

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