Early Departures A Big Setback To West Virginia

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

Football:

Early departures a big setback to WVU | The Exponent Telegram
All of a sudden West Virginia heads toward the 2016 football season not being looked upon as a dark-horse contender as it might have been a month ago, but instead as a team caught up in another rebuilding process under a coach who remains on a hot seat.

WVU safety Funderburk dismissed after indecent exposure arrest at hotel | WV MetroNews
West Virginia’s football program dismissed safety DaeJuan Funderburk after a New Year’s Day incident in which the redshirt freshman allegedly exposed himself to a member of the hotel’s cleaning crew and inappropriately touched the woman.

Dillon Invited To Play in Senior Bowl | WVU Athletics
The Reese’s Senior Bowl has announced that West Virginia University senior safety KJ Dillon has been invited to participate in its prestigious game on Saturday, Jan. 30, at 1:30 p.m., at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.

Basketball:

WVU succeeds with ‘replaceable parts’ | Charleston Gazette-Mail
West Virginia closed the regular season last year with back-to-back games against Oklahoma State and Kansas and did so without perhaps their two most valuable players.

WVU-Marshall not dead yet, but may need a buzzer-beater | WV MetroNews
Hopes for a 2016 Capital Classic aren’t dead, at least not from the Marshall side, which wants to continue the series and publicly stated so again Thursday.

Basketball:

Buchanan to Attend MAC Hermann Trophy Ceremony | WVU Athletics
The 2016 Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy will be presented to the top male and female collegiate soccer players in the nation at the Hermann Trophy Award Banquet on Friday, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m. ET, at the Downtown Clubhouse, in St. Louis, Missouri.

Around The Big XII:

Fearless forecasts: Big 12 predictions under review | ESPN
Now that the Big 12 season is a wrap, it's time for a little accountability.

Doug Meacham, Sonny Cumbie are happy to stay at TCU | ESPN
If there were ever an offseason to make the jump, you’d think this was it. But you might not think like Doug Meacham and Sonny Cumbie do.

Around The NCAA:

Appreciating Dabo Swinney, the coach who'll make you believe you can beat Alabama | SBNation
The Clemson head coach's goofy smile, constant celebration and relentless sincerity hide a brilliant leader.

You can't beat Bama unless you break about 6 big plays. Is Clemson explosive enough? | SBNation
The Tigers are as good as anybody at gaining small chunks, but the teams that have beaten Nick Saban over the years have pulled off big-gainers.

Jacksonville State nearly beat Auburn and earned the No. 1 FCS seed. Now a potentially tougher test awaits | SBNation
All eyes are on North Dakota State's quest for a fifth national title, but not the No. 1 team the Bison will have to beat to get there.

Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. (17) West Virginia Mountaineers
Saturday at 1:00PM on ESPNU from Morgantown. The Mountaineers look to remain unbeaten in Big 12 play with two huge games looming next week.

Today's Miss Throwdown is a former girlfriend on Johnny F'n Football, and Miss COED 2014. CLICK HERE for Lauren Hanley's Instagram and CLICK HERE a photo gallery.