The Shotgun/Throwdown (11/1/18): November Will Make or Break this Football Season for WVU

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

Football

Tom Bragg: November stretch will determine fate of WVU football season | Tom Bragg | wvgazettemail.com
It seemed like a no-brainer when the 2018 West Virginia football schedule was released that November would make or break these Mountaineers, but here we are at the start of the month.

Grier, West Virginia set for Top 25 Big 12 matchup at Texas | FOX Sports
Will Grier and the Mountaineers will face a hostile Texas crowd in Grier's only trip to Austin, Texas, on Saturday when West Virginia plays the Longhorns. Both teams share first place in the Big 12 with Oklahoma.

United Bank Playbook: Texas Preview - West Virginia Athletics
The formula for success against Texas is simple for the Mountaineers. They need to figure out ways to run the football against a tough Longhorn defense.

WV MetroNews – Is Texas back? Not quite yet, West Virginia is aiming to prove
Texas keeps stumbling whenever it appears ready to rejoin the nation's elite programs which is a trend West Virginia looks to continue.

Basketball

Carey Wants to See Defensive Intensity Turned Up - West Virginia Athletics
Success for the Mountaineer women's basketball team will be reliant on the talented backcourt the team has this year.

West Virginia Athletics

WVU Enters Top-25, Piatczyc Named Player of the Week - West Virginia Athletics
As the West Virginia men's soccer team enters the national rankings for the first time this year, senior midfielder Joey Piatczyc was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Week for the fourth time this season.

2018-19 Preseason Notebook - West Virginia Athletics
There is a certain level of excitement around the Mountaineer wrestling team this season, and a lot of it has to do with first-year coach Tim Flynn.

Dixon Earns Big 12 Recognition - West Virginia Athletics
Sophomore David Dixon of the Mountaineer men's swimming and diving team has been named the Big 12 Men's Swimmer of the Week.

Flynn’s Inaugural Season Begins on Thursday - West Virginia Athletics
In its first season under coach Tim Flynn, the West Virginia wrestling team opens the season with a Big 12 match against Northern Colorado tonight at the WVU Coliseum.

MAC Championship Times Set, Tickets on Sale - West Virginia Athletics
Times have been set, and tickets are on sale, for the 2018 Mid-American Conference Men's Soccer Championship, hosted by West Virginia University at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium, in Morgantown.

WVU Suffers a Four-Set Loss to KU - West Virginia Athletics
The West Virginia volleyball team suffered a 3-1 loss to Big 12 foe Kansas at home last night.

Mountaineers in the Pros: Week Eight - West Virginia Athletics
In this week's report, Karl Joseph returns to action, Wendell Smallwood catches a touchdown pass and seven Mountaineers lead their NFL teams to wins in Week 8.

Around the Big 12

College Sports: 5 takeaways from the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season: Why the Big 12 needs a lot of help | SportsDay
It looks like the Big 12's College Football Playoff hopes are limited to the two one-loss teams, Oklahoma and West Virginia.

Big 12 fines Baylor $2 million for sexual assault scandal
Baylor was fined $2 million by the Big 12 for doing damage to the conference with its sexual assault scandal.

Around the NCAA

Bowl projections, freshly updated after the first Playoff rankings - SBNation.com
Here are picks for all 40 bowl games, including the College Football Playoff.

Craziest College Football Playoff scenarios that could still happen - SBNation.com
Let’s find the craziest College Football Playoff scenarios that could still happen.

Maryland fires DJ Durkin one day after reinstating him - Testudo Times
DJ Durkin returned to the Maryland football team Tuesday, but his tenure ended on Wednesday.

5 reasons Georgia vs. Kentucky could be really, really fun - SBNation.com
Kentucky, which have commonly been known as a basketball school, is essentially hosting the SEC East football championship.

Can Cowboys, Eagles, and other disappointing NFL teams make playoffs? - SBNation.com
Rough starts have not faded for the Eagles, Jaguars, Titans, Cowboys, and Falcons. Will these rough starts come to an end or will they continue throughout the season?

MLB free agency 2018: Ranking the 50 best MLB free agents - SBNation.com
Bryce Harper or Manny Machado? Does Clayton Kershaw opt out? This year’s free agent crop sure comes with a lot of loaded questions.

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