OPENING THOUGHTS
Okay, the team took a bit of a blow last week. Early defensive miscues and a couple of bad turnovers cost the Mountaineers the game, despite Justin Crawford having himself one heck of a night.
It’s over, it’s done with. It’s time to move on.
So let’s go to Iowa and do that.
Before I continue, I just want to dust this off and put it on the table...
It’s the RIOT BOWL!! Time to get ready to watch what is, by far, the best rivalry on TV on Saturday.
{To see the origins of the Riot Bowl click HERE}
So grab some beer, load up on leftovers and sit in front of the tube and enjoy the game!
Also, some housekeeping things. I’m getting rid of the ‘What Needs to Happen’ sections. WVU isn’t winning the Big 12 or making the playoff and it’s time to just enjoy the rest of the season. I’ll also be adding bowl projections at the end to see where the sports media believes the Mountaineers will go.
WHEN/WHERE
Date: Saturday, November 26th
Kickoff Time: 3:30 PM ET/2:30 PM CT
Where: Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, IA
Tickets: General Public (WVU sections are 15, 16, H & J)
WATCH/LISTEN
TV: FS1
Streaming Video: FoxSportsGO (or the FoxSportsGO app for smartphones)
Radio: WZST Variety 101 (100.9 FM in Morgantown) and the Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG (Radio Affiliates)
Streaming Audio: Locate the Mountaineers Sports Network from IMG on TuneIn Radio (or the TuneIn app for smartphones)
Satellite Radio: Sirius ??; XM ??
THREADS
West Virginia:
No throwback helmets, just the flying WV
Iowa State:
ODDS
Spread: West Virginia by 7 (According to OddsShark)
O/U: 57.5-58
Bill C:
Spread (Home) | S&P+ Projection | Margin | Win Prob. | S&P Pick (ATS) | F/+ Projection | F/+ Pick (ATS) |
+7 | West Virginia (35.0-28.4) | 6.5 | 64.7% | Iowa State | West Virginia by 8.2 | West Virginia |
WEATHER FORECAST
Mainly sunny, high of 55. As the game goes on, the temp should cool to the mid 30s, but it will remain clear.
THE ENEMY
Where are they from? Ames, Iowa
Series History: WVU leads the series 3-1
Last Time: West Virginia 30, Iowa State 6
SB Nation Blog: Wide Right & Natty Lite
Record: 3-8 (2-6 Big 12)
Head Coach: Matt Campbell
KEYS TO THE GAME
- Move on from Oklahoma. The Mountaineers had trouble moving on back in 2014 after a loss at home to TCU on network television. This could happen again in Ames. Iowa State is on a little bit of a role and they have NOTHING to lose.
- Focus in on Jacob Park. He took over at QB for the Cyclones during their game against Kansas State. This guy is a dynamo. His completion percentage has been in the upper 70s during his last two games. Keep an eye on him, he’ll be a name that many Big 12 defensive coordinators will be talking about the next couple of years as he fits into Matt Campbell’s offensive scheme pretty well.
- Allen Lazard, great wideout. Lazard has had 5 games receiving for more than 100 yards. Enough said.
HOW AFRAID SHOULD WE BE (ON A SCALE OF 1-10)?
Five. Iowa State is rolling and I think Matt Campbell will turn the Cyclones into a Big 12 contender over the next couple of seasons. I’m just about as afraid of Iowa State as I would be if there was a war against the Amish.
PREDICTION THAT WILL BE WRONG
WVU will beat Iowa State, probably closer than most of us would like. Enjoy this game while you can, because with the way Iowa State has played, I don’t think we will be able to pencil this game in as a win anymore.
West Virginia 38, Iowa State 24
BOWL PROJECTIONS
Here is what the experts think:
Website | Bowl | Opponent |
247 Sports | Russell Athletic Bowl | North Carolina |
Athlon Sports | Russell Athletic Bowl | North Carolina |
Bleacher Report | Russell Athletic Bowl | Florida State |
Campus Insiders | Russell Athletic Bowl | Miami |
CBS Sports | Alamo Bowl | Colorado |
College Football News | Russell Athletic Bowl | North Carolina |
ESPN (Big 12/ACC Blogs) | Russell Athletic Bowl | Virginia Tech |
ESPN (McMurphy) | Russell Athletic Bowl | Virginia Tech |
ESPN (Schlabach) | Russell Athletic Bowl | Virginia Tech |
Fox Sports | Russell Athletic Bowl | Miami |
NBC Sports | Russell Athletic Bowl | Florida State |
SB Nation | Russell Athletic Bowl | Florida State |
Sports Illustrated | Alamo Bowl | Utah |
Sporting News | Russell Athletic Bowl | Virginia Tech |
USA Today | Russell Athletic Bowl | Virginia Tech |