WV Sports

The Big 12 guide to WVU's home turf - Big 12 Blog - ESPN

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 08:58:20 -0500

The Big 12 guide to WVU's home turf - Big 12 Blog - ESPN:

This is a great view of what WVU Fans think of Morgantown. Interesting comments indeed.

Big 12 fans will be flooding new territory very soon, and the most exotic locale is Morgantown, West Virginia. I [Ubben]asked the Mountaineer faithful to give a few recommendations, and they flooded my mailbag with responses. Here’s what they had to say:

2012 Big 12 Football Schedule Preview (by Big12Conference)

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:08:20 -0500

2012 Big 12 Football Schedule Preview (by Big12Conference)

The Beginners' Guide to Big 12 Fans - Wide Right & Natty Lite

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:12:24 -0500

The Beginners' Guide to Big 12 Fans - Wide Right & Natty Lite:

Now that West Virginia is officially a member of the Big 12, we thought it would be nice to give them a rundown of what they can expect of their new conference’s fan bases. Our new friends at TCU could probably give this a read as well, if they’re not baked out of their minds - even then, there’s a lot of colorful pictures.

Alma Mater Weekend - Volvo's Biggest Fan of the Big East contest

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:55:58 -0500

The most awesome thing about being in Volvo’s Biggest Fan of the Big East contest is that every contestant got an all expense paid trip to their Alma Mater for a basketball home game. The best part of this trip is that we were given a Volvo S60 to use as our roadtrip vehicle. SCORE!

So I picked the Louisville home game (Feb. 11, 2012) as the game I would attend for the contest. I picked up my fully loaded R-Design Volvo S60 Thursday and all I can say about that car is WOW. Check it out:

So yeah, a sweet ride eh? Well I was all excited to take this car down 79 South to Morgantown then this happened:

I had to make an adult decision to not chance it in this weather and left the car in Pittsburgh. :(

It sucked but on the first and last day I had the Volvo S60 I really got to experience how nice this car is. The safety features are sick. Cameras in the front and back, blind spot sensors, parking distance senors, warnings if you’re drifting lanes, you name it this car had it. Those were the perks that really set these ares apart IMHO. Oh, besides the fact that this model has a 325 HP engine that is insanely fast… that was nice too!

So we make the snowy trip down to Morgantown Saturday morning. The game was at noon. Dropped off the baby and headed to the Coliseum. It was a cold and bitter day but nothing was going to stop us.

The tickets provided by the Big East and Volvo were sweet! Check it out:

It really was a great game, well till it ended. WVU was in total control of this game from the start. Then Truck Bryant started missing, then The Turk fouled out. Then the refs screwed us over on a couple of bad calls. Then with seconds left a horrible pass pretty much sealed the deal and we lost by 3. Sigh. Bad ending to an other wise great trip!

I would like to thank Volvo and the Big East for setting us up for a great weekend trip back to WVU and Morgantown. I always appreciate being back at my Alma Mater.

Headlinin’: West Virginia claims FSU’s schedule as its latest victim en route to the Big 12 | Dr. Saturday - Yahoo! Sports

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:19:56 -0500

Headlinin’: West Virginia claims FSU’s schedule as its latest victim en route to the Big 12 | Dr. Saturday - Yahoo! Sports:

WVU abruptly called off a Sept. 8 game at Florida State over the weekend, almost certainly to accommodate a Big 12 conference game on that date instead. The cancelation will cost West Virginia a $350,000 escape, and possibly more if FSU can’t scrounge up a comparable replacement on short notice.

Volvo's Biggest Fan in the Big East Challenge #6: Game Watchin'

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:28:16 -0500

The 6th challenge as been announced and this one is a good one:

What are your favorite places to watch your team when you can’t be at the game?

Full disclosure. I live in Pittsburgh. Don’t hold that against me. Anyway, when a game rolls around and I can’t hop in my future Volvo S60 and head south 73.7 miles down to Morgantown I have to go into WVU Alumni Watch Party mode.

Where the Alumni goes, we all go… Mullen’s!

When I first moved to Pittsburgh back in 2003 the pickens were slim when it came to finding a safe and friendly WVU bar to watch the game. Back in the day the Pittsburgh Alumni Association would meet at a place called HighTops. They would rent out the upstairs party room and we would throw down over a sea of yinzer PITT fans in the main bar below. It was nice because it was a place WVU fans could gather and watch WVU kick some arse. The bar has changed ownership and is now called Mullen’s Bar and Grill but is still a great place to catch a WVU game.

The place to watch Bowl Games > REDBEARDS!

Back in 2006 WVU went to the BCS Sugar Bowl. We played Georgia and won. I honestly didn’t think we had much of a chance in that game, so I quietly walked into my neighborhood haunt Redbeards alone to peacefully watch the game. Well we ended up winning that fantastic game.

In 2010, WVU found itself in the BCS Fiesta Bowl. Well after watching the Sugar Bowl at Redbeards, I had to see if the magic was still there. And wha-da-ya-know… another WIN for WVU.

When we went to the Orange Bowl this year, there was no doubt in my mind where I had to watch this BCS Bowl game. Redbeards is 3 for 3!

The best thing about Redbeards is that it’s owned by a huge Pittsburgh Sports fan. He’s a great guy and I’m sure loves the business, but at the same time I’m sure he hates it when us Mounties take over the bar, because now, that’s where I take all my friends and family to watch WVU Football!

Saving the best for last: PREGAME!

Pregame is OFFICIALLY Pittsburgh WVU Bar. Located in the Southside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, this old steel mill bar turned WVU hotspot has taken the Burgh by storm over the past 2 years!

It is here at Pregame I witnessed WVU go to the Final Four while sipping on Das Boot! Nothing is more EPIC than that, just ask a PITT fan.. oh wait, Pregame wasn’t around in 1941!

WVU is #7 in the "Way To Early Preseason Rankings" on ESPN!!!

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:44:59 -0500

7. West Virginia Mountaineers: WVU fans finally saw a glimpse of how explosive coach Dana Holgorsen’s spread offense can be in the Mountaineers’ 70-33 rout of Clemson in the Discover Orange Bowl. Holgorsen’s first season has to be considered a roaring success after a 10-3 finish, but the Mountaineers might have just scratched the surface with his high-powered offense. Quarterback Geno Smith is coming back for his senior season in 2012, along with eight other offensive starters, including leading rusher Dustin Garrison and top receivers Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey. The Mountaineers will have to replace four starters on defense and might lose coordinator Jeff Casteel, who is considering taking a job on Rich Rodriguez’s staff at Arizona. West Virginia’s schedule for 2012 is undetermined because it’s trying to leave the Big East for the Big 12, a decision that might be finalized in court.

2011 NCAA College Football Polls FINAL RANKINGS

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:59:05 -0500

2011 NCAA College Football Polls FINAL RANKINGS:

So the final rankings are in.

WVU finishes #17 in the AP Top 25.

and lands WVU finished at the #18 spot in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

I personally think this is still proof that WVU gets no respect in the Coaches Poll. Why? Because VT is ahead of us. Clemson beat VT twice. Game 1 was 23-3 and Game 2 Clemson beat them 38-10 (ACC CHAMP GAME!)

NUFF SAID!

Georgetown Hoyas vs. West Virginia Mountaineers - Recap - January 07, 2012 - ESPN

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:06:11 -0500

Georgetown Hoyas vs. West Virginia Mountaineers - Recap - January 07, 2012 - ESPN:

Ah YEAH! Let’s GOOOO Mountaineers! I think the Orange Bowl beat down has inspired the Bball team. Good recovery after the Seton Hall debacle!

Pimp My Volvo S60 - or - Biggest Fan of the Big East Challenge #4

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 19:13:37 -0500

The 4th Challenge from the Volvo and Big East folks who are running the Biggest Fan of the Big East contest have asked us to customize a Volvo S60 to be the most bad ass fan car around.

When I win my Volvo S60, here’s what I plan on doing to it!

First.. slap on a set of these so everyone in the slow lane can see me coming in their review mirrors:

Of course I’ll have these in all 4 windows:

No self respecting car is totally pimped out until you have a pair of these hanging off the mirror:

Of course the best part of all of these accessories is that they are easy to remove and don’t ruin the pure beauty of the Volvo S60, although I could totally see mine look like this… the old Gold n’ Blue is shining through!

BREAKING RUMOR: This just in! I’m hearing from a reliable...

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 18:34:50 -0500

BREAKING RUMOR:

This just in! I’m hearing from a reliable unnamed source that Garrison dislocated his elbow and possibly broke his hand today.

I hope this source is horribly wrong and this really just a shitty rumor!

Pitt coach Graham quits for Arizona State job

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:08:41 -0500

Pitt coach Graham quits for Arizona State job:

Trust me I HATE PITT.. but this Todd Graham guy is a scum bag. It’s the 2nd school in a row he’s bolted from after only 1 year.

I was actually hoping he would stay at sPITT so they would suck for the next 3 or 4 years, but now they have an opportunity to find a better coach (and maybe a QB?)

Which team will win the Discover Orange Bowl? - Sportsnation - ESPN

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:54:47 -0500

Which team will win the Discover Orange Bowl? - Sportsnation - ESPN:

This looks familiar eh? ESPN’s SportsNation asking the country who will win the Bowl game. Every year we get stomped in these polls and every year we prove them wrong! Time to show em again!

At the time of this posting the country is picking Clemson to beat WVU 74% to 26%.

Top 5 Morgantown "MUST DO'S" - Volvo's Biggest Fan of the Big East - Challenge #2

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 23:41:00 -0500

So the second challenge in the “Volvo’s Biggest Fan in the Big East” contest is ON! This one is hard. Not because I don’t know what to write about, but because I can only list 5 things.

Well, after days and days of pondering the challenge “Pick 5 things that you have to do when you return to you’re Alma Mater, WVU” Here are my TOP 5 in the order of how I think you should do them. It’s really more of a guided tour so enjoy!

When you first roll into Morgantown in your naughty Volvo S60, the first thing you see is the WVU Coliseum. Its iconic clam shell shape can be seen for miles and it’s the home of Huggin’s Mountaineers. This is where you should park to start your tour of Mo-town.

#5 - Ride the PRT

After parking your sweet Volvo S60, head up to the WVU College of Creative Arts where you can catch the infamous PRT (Personal Rapid Transit). Everyone will tell you that you haven’t really been to Morgantown until you ride the PRT, and they’re right. The PRT is a unique and easy-to-use transportation solution for WVU students, faculty, staff, and the Morgantown community and it will take you straight to the promised land, otherwise known as WVU’s Downtown Campus. Make sure you get off at the Beechurst Avenue stop to head into campus.

#4 - Stroll through Campus and The Mountainlair

Now you’re in the heart of the WVU campus and downtown Morgantown! Take a leisurely stroll through campus and take advantage of the many photo ops in Woodburn Circle. After that you MUST tour The Mountainlair. “The Lair” is in the WVU Student Union Building and it’s the center of the life and culture of WVU. Inside you’ll find food, a bowling alley and my personal favorite spot to grab a drink between classes, The Side Pocket Pub (I used to have my work study job there. hahaha). After a cold one, head up to the back of The Lair and check out the Plaza where College Game Day broadcast this year in week 4.

#3 - Grab a soda at The Den

By now you’ve worked up a thirst and you want to shop and grab something to quench your thirst. You have to stop in at THE DEN. The Den is part convenient store, part head shop, part music store, part gift shop and it’s been serving WVU students, especially freshmen in the dorms, for years. Back in the day it was the best place to buy used CD’s… remember those? Anyway, they have big ass 42oz fountain sodas for a buck (they were .42 in ‘93) Get one just for the experience!

#2 - Bar hop down High St.

After sucking down the soda it’s time for the good stuff, BEER, and it’s time to hand over the keys to the Volvo S60. (no drinking and driving!) High St. is the main business district street in Morgantown. Start at the corner of High St. and Wiley St. and just head south. You’ll hit about 20+ bars just on High St. alone. Some of the don’t-miss highlights - The SportsPage, Gibbies, BW3, and The Met Billiard Parlor.

#1 - Grab a beer with Huggins at the Morgantown Brew Pub

Now that you’ve experienced High St, time to go down by the river to the Morgantown Brewing Company, home of the best craft beer in West Virginia.They have great food and amazing beers, including: Coal City Stout, Kettle Bottom Brown Ale and Zack Morgans Pale Ale, plus some great seasonal selections.

The Brew Pub is great and best of all it’s right next to the PRT so you can get back to the Coliseum for the big game then to your hotel for a nice rest before hoping back into your Volvo S60 for the sad drive home.

West Virginia Mountaineers, Clemson Tigers to meet in Orange Bowl - ESPN

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 22:38:21 -0500

West Virginia Mountaineers, Clemson Tigers to meet in Orange Bowl - ESPN

Big East bowl picture - Big East Blog - ESPN

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 23:35:59 -0500

Big East bowl picture - Big East Blog - ESPN:

With the close of the regular season, the Big East bowl picture is a lot clearer than it was a week ago. But it has not been set in stone just yet.

West Virginia, Louisville and Cincinnati all finish as Big East co-champions. West Virginia is the likely Big East representative in the BCS as the highest-ranked team in the BCS standings. We do need to wait for the final standings to be revealed Sunday night for complete confirmation, but it is almost a lock for the Mountaineers to make a BCS game for the first time since the 2007 season.

The Orange Bowl is the most likely destination, but the Houston loss has thrown much into flux. The Orange Bowl has the last choice among all the bowls picking this season. So stay tuned. Only five Big East teams are bowl eligible — the first time that has happened since the 2007 season as well. The AutoZone Liberty Bowl is in play because the SEC won’t fill all its bowl slots. The Champs Sports Bowl is most likely going to tab Notre Dame.

So this is where the Big East teams will most likely end up. Official announcements are set for Sunday.

BCS: West Virginia

Belk Bowl, Dec. 27: Louisville

AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Dec. 31: Cincinnati

New Era Pinstripe Bowl, Dec. 30: Rutgers

BBVA Compass Bowl, Jan. 7: Pitt

Jones becoming a force

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:48:23 -0500

Jones becoming a force:

Doesn’t it look like a different, much more comfortable Kevin Jones running around out there on the floor this year?

It certainly does to me. Jones scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds last night against an Akron front line that is probably the best he’s faced so far this year. The Zips boasted a legitimate shot blocker in 7-foot Zeke Marshall and a 6-foot-8 forward in Nikola Cvetinovic who played on the Serbian National Team in last summer’s World University Games…..

Continue Reading here

BCS Scenarios for West Virginia, Cincinnati and Louisville

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 11:57:37 -0500

BCS Scenarios for West Virginia, Cincinnati and Louisville:

About Butch Jones and his state of mind Saturday … « WVU Sports with Mike Casazza

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:43:24 -0500

About Butch Jones and his state of mind Saturday … « WVU Sports with Mike Casazza:

Afraid the Cards might be uninspired WHEN WVU wins Thursday night? Think again and read this awesome article about why Butch Jones and the Louisville Cardinals will want to WIN no matter what WVU does on Thursday. WHEW!

This article is a little head spinning but it all makes sense. Jones is not only playing for a better bowl, respect, and a share of the Big East title, he’s playing for CHA-CHING! We all understand what kind of a motivator that is:

"Discover Orange Bowl January 4, 2012 Miami Gardens, FL, 8:00 pm ESPN ACC No. 1 vs. BCS at-large..."

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:12:00 -0500

“Discover Orange Bowl January 4, 2012 Miami Gardens, FL, 8:00 pm ESPN ACC No. 1 vs. BCS at-large Projection: Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia”

- Oklahoma State - if the Cowboys lose to Oklahoma - will be here.

Discover Orange Bowl
January 4, 2012 Miami Gardens, FL, 8:00 pm ESPN
ACC No. 1 vs. BCS at-large
Projection: Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia
Buy Orange Tickets

Rationale: There’s a mess at the top for the Big East championship, but West Virginia has the best

Scout.com: Bowl Projections