The Shotgun/Throwdown (11/8/18): Mountaineers Reach the Top 10 of the College Football Playoff Rankings

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

Football

WV MetroNews – West Virginia climbs into Top 10 of CFP rankings, jumping Ohio State
West Virginia got a big boost after its dramatic win at Texas, climbing into the College Football Playoff Top 10 for the first time ever.

Grier Named Davey O'Brien Award Semifinalist - West Virginia Athletics
Mountaineer quarterback Will Grier today has been named as a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award for the second straight year.

Grier Named Maxwell Award National Offensive Player of the Week - West Virginia Athletics
West Virginia redshirt senior quarterback and Heisman Trophy contender Will Grier has been named the National Offensive Player of the Week by the Maxwell Football Club.

United Bank Playbook: TCU Preview - West Virginia Athletics
The concern many WVU fans had when the Mountaineers joined the Big 12 nearly a decade ago was about the football rivalries they were losing. Eight years later, it looks like there could be a rivalry brewing in Austin, Texas, now that West Virginia turned the Texas Longhorns upside down following last Saturday's 42-41 victory. There could be another rivalry forming with TCU as well.

WV MetroNews – WVU notebook: Will Grier scoffs at Tom Herman’s taunting accusation
Will Grier laughs off Tom Herman's taunting accusation; Kelby Wickline basks in unforgettable moment; plus more on the Mountaineer running backs.

West Virginia Mountaineers moonshine, a college football tradition at tailgates
The potent homemade whiskey has been a tradition through generations and a favorite of visiting fans. It's also illegal, but it doesn't seem that anyone cares.

WV MetroNews – West Virginia to finally have all linebackers healthy against TCU
Defensive coordinator Tony Gibson said linebackers Quondarius Qualls and Brendan Ferns will make their season debuts against TCU.

WV MetroNews – ‘Sweet Spot’ podcast: Are Mountaineers in play for CFP berth?
West Virginia sits atop the Big 12, the offensive line suddenly looks fierce, and Will Grier has mastered the clutch-time jump-pass. Could it all mean the stars are aligning for a College Football Playoff berth?

Tom Bragg: Winding path leads tight end Trevon Wesco to vital role for WVU | Tom Bragg | wvgazettemail.com
If you have paid attention to West Virginia football coach Dana Holgorsen’s press conferences in recent weeks, you might have noticed a trend. When Holgorsen gets the chance, he can’t say enough good things about the way redshirt senior tight end/fullback Trevon Wesco has been playing.

Haskins' recent performances add to WVU offense
The use of the tight end position was one of the most intriguing talking points around the West Virginia football program leading up to the season, and fans have especially seen that the last two weeks.

WVU football: Mountaineers face stern test this week from TCU defense | WVU Gameday | wvgazettemail.com
It is no secret that when the West Virginia offense is humming, the passing game is among the best, if not the best, in the country.

West Virginia's Will Grier and the Decision That Transformed His Career | Bleacher Report | Latest News, Videos and Highlights
We begin with chaos theory, and if you don't have the time or inclination to wade through complex mathematics and interdisciplinary philosophy, let West Virginia quarterback Will Grier explain it.

Basketball

WVU's Bob Huggins on the Marty Smith show | WVSports.com
Bob Huggins joins "Marty Smith's America...The Podcast" to discuss life in West Virginia and what it means to coach the Mountaineers.

WV MetroNews – Naomi Davenport’s triple-double nice distraction from Gondrezick’s leave
Naomi Davenport became the first West Virginia women’s basketball player since 1987 to record a triple-double, while Tynice Martin added a double-double in the Mountaineers' 78-37 victory against Coppin State.

West Virginia Athletics

Piatczyc Honored Again, WVU Moves Up in Polls - West Virginia Athletics
As the West Virginia men's soccer team moves up in the national rankings, senior midfielder Joey Piatczyc was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Week for the fifth time this season.

Mountaineers Return to Top 10 - West Virginia Athletics
For the first time this season, the Mountaineer women's soccer team is nationally ranked in the top 10, as WVU move up six spots to #8 in this week's United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women's National Poll.

Seven Earn Academic All-Big 12 Honors - West Virginia Athletics
Seven members of the WVU cross country team were named to the Academic All-Big 12 Women's Cross Country First Team.

Mountaineers in the Pros: Week Nine - West Virginia Athletics
In this week's report, Quinton Spain returns to action and Keith Tandy shines on special teams.

Around the Big 12

Kansas basketball built a juggernaut that’s totally different from last year’s Final Four team - SBNation.com
The Jayhawks showed a new look at the Champions Classic.

45 Kansas head coaching candidates, based exclusively on who the AD followed on Twitter - SBNation.com
In the wake of firing David Beaty, Kansas is the first Power 5 team officially in the market for a new coach, other than Maryland.

Around the NCAA

Heisman Forecast: Is trophy history unfolding before our eyes? | FOX Sports
Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa in position to challenge voting record that has seemed unreachable.

New College Football Playoff rankings: 5 winners and 3 losers - SBNation.com
The Playoff committee releases its second top 25 of 2018, with a new team in the top four.

2007 college football: Empires Map guide to the wildest season ever - SBNation.com
Relive the greatest, weirdest season in history as college football teams battle for control of territory.

College basketball opening night 2018: Everything we learned on Tuesday - SBNation.com
College basketball is back, and night one of the season was loaded with takeaways.

Georgia vs. Alabama 2018: 4 things Dawgs should do now to prepare - SBNation.com
The Bulldogs' remaining games against Auburn, UMass, and Georgia Tech need to be growth opportunities.

Maryland scandal fallout continues to topple university leaders - SBNation.com
The head coach is gone, and so are key figures above him.

2019 NFL draft: Top quarterbacks to watch late in CFB season | SI.com
Is your NFL team’s season circling the drain? Spend your weekends scrutinizing these draft-eligible QBs as their seasons heat up.

Drew Brees is having his best season ever, a review - SBNation.com
Drew Brees is smashing NFL records this season and cementing his legacy as an all-time great.

The 4 most fireable coaches in the NFL right now - SBNation.com
Four coaches made a real good case for losing their jobs in Week 9.

NBA’s 1st live All-Star Draft could play out in these 5 dramatic ways - SBNation.com
The NBA is televising the All-Star Draft! We might get the spicy content we wanted so badly last season.

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