Could Revenge Be Baylor's Motive When West Virginia Visits Waco?

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information, sophomoric humor and daily distractions.

Football:

Revenge could play a role when Mountaineers visit Baylor | The Exponent Telegram
Baylor coach Art Briles says revenge is not a motivating factor for his No. 2 Bears when they host West Virginia at noon Saturday in Waco, Texas.

Pump the brakes on labeling Baylor college football’s best team | WV MetroNews
Tony Gibson says Baylor is playing like the No. 1 team in the nation. A West Virginia sportswriter and 12 other AP pollsters even voted the Bears such. They may as well congratulate Daytona for having a beach.

Baylor getting used to rarified air | Charleston Gazette-Mail
Baylor’s offense is doing things no one else can do and no one else has done before. The Bears lead the country with 725 yards and 64.2 points per game, and their 321 points in five games are the most since college football first used a classifications system in 1937.

Seider explains going with Shell over Smallwood in OT | WV MetroNews
Running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider is ready to squash questions about West Virginia’s failed overtime series Saturday night and why top rusher Wendell Smallwood was absent for all but one play.

Smallwood status uncertain heading into WVU's game at No. 2 Baylor | Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Wendell Smallwood is the first West Virginia player with three consecutive 100-yard rushing games since Noel Devine in 2010. He's been the Mountaineers' lone constant on offense.

Harper's faith helps him pull through | The Exponent Telegram
In football, unlike in life, having your knees on the ground is a sin. The whistle blows and play stops, the referee ruling you down. To Jarrod Harper, getting upon his knees is anything but a sin. The man who has replaced Karl Joseph at bandit safety for West Virginia is a deeply religious Catholic who uses it to guide him through life and through the football wars.

West Virginia Athletics:

No. 2 West Virginia reaches highest-ever ranking | The Daily Athenaeum
Just two weeks after rising to the highest ranking in program history, the West Virginia women’s soccer team did it again, moving up to No. 2 in the TopDrawerSoccer.com poll this week. The ranking comes after a definitive win over then-No. 13 Texas Tech.

Merriam’s Fireworks Propel WVU to Win over PSU | WVU Athletics
Senior Jamie Merriam scored two early goals as the West Virginia University men’s soccer team defeated Penn State, 3-0, on Tuesday evening at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.

Young talent emerges on WVU diving squads | The Daily Athenaeum
For the West Virginia men’s and women’s diving teams, talent from underclassmen on the springboard played a major factor in the Mountaineers’ season-opening meet last week in the WVU Natatorium.

Around The Big 12:

Can Oklahoma State keep leaning on 2 QBs to prop up running game? | ESPN
For the biggest play of the game Saturday at West Virginia, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy took starting quarterback Mason Rudolph out and put backup J.W. Walsh in. On fourth-and-1 in overtime, Walsh took the snap from the shotgun, cut off a trap block from the right guard and dove into the end zone. The score ultimately lifted Oklahoma State to the dramatic road win.

QB Patrick Mahomes' ability to extend plays aiding already potent Texas Tech offense | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Patrick Mahomes ability to extend plays is playing a key role in Texas Tech's offense.

Texas Mascot Bevo XIV Is Hanging Up The Horns | Land Grant Gauntlet
As the Longhorn fans went wild, players took turns taking pictures with the Golden Hat, and head coach Charlie Strong was hoisted into the air, one thing was notably absent from Texas’ celebration on the sideline, beloved mascot Bevo XIV.

Fans send get well wishes to Texas mascot Bevo XIV on his retirement | ESPN
He’s been to BCS bowls and presidential inaugurations. Now, Bevo XIV gets to enjoy retirement. The University of Texas announced Tuesday that the Longhorns’ mascot would be retiring after being diagnosed with Bovine Leukemia Virus.

Around The NCAA:

College football has more undefeated teams than normal. This weekend should fix that. | SBNation
There are 16 remaining undefeated teams in FBS. Week 7, with games like Florida-LSU, Texas A&M-Alabama, Michigan-Michigan State, and Northwestern-Iowa, should tamp that number down a bit.

The College Football Playoff isn't starting today, but if it did, here's your 4 | SBNation
Actually, it is. The College Football Playoff is starting today. Better suit up!

Here are 8 candidates for the USC coaching vacancy. But which USC? Either! | SBNation
Steve Spurrier is retiring at South Carolina, and Steve Sarkisian is fired at Southern California. The fans of those schools sometimes argue on the Internet about which is the real USC.

Waylp, bye: Steve Spurrier up and left | SBNation
Most coaches get fired. Some retire. The man who won at three schools where he wasn't supposed to win is just gone.

PODCAST AIN'T PLAYED NOBODY, Episode 8: Would you rather coach Maryland or South Carolina? | SBNation
In the eighth installment of PAPN, Bill and Godfrey discuss Florida without Will Grier, the death of Clemsoning, Western Kentucky's life after Bobby Petrino, and the Maryland job vs. the South Carolina job.

Mountaineers in the Pros Update: Week 6 | WVU Athletics
Adam Jones had another solid performance, while a pair of rookies made their NFL regular-season debuts in this week’s Mountaineers in the Pros Update.

West Virginia is 0-2 in weeks when their game has been picked on Easy Call. Let's see if the Curse of Rubenstein continues

Everyone loves a good football movie with a message and...HEY IT'S RUDY!

Today's Miss Throwdown is a fitness guru, and this month's Playboy Playmate of the Month. Click HERE for Ana Cheri's Instagram.