Welcome to the post that needs gets no introduction. We’re live from the press box at Nippert Stadium with WVU officials mingling and well aware of what’s at stake tonight. Kickoff is 80 minutes away, so why waste time on Saturday doing something that should have been done Friday. Onto the feedback!

As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, you’re doing most of the work.

Paul says:

Is there any doubt that if everything breaks West Virginia’s way, Ohio State will still jump ahead of it and play in the national championship game?

There is absolutely (I would type that word in caps if I had no shame) no way that Kansas vs. West Virginia would ever be allowed to be the national championship game. If that did happen, then you can bet there will be a playoff system (where Ohio State, USC, Texas, and Florida State receive automatic bids and the other 120 teams play for an at large spot) next year.

Forgive the oxymoron, but this is a well-founded conspiracy. Imagine a scenario in which LSU loses somewhere along the line, Kansas beats Missouri and Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game and WVU wins out against ranked Cincinnati and UConn and still-dressing Pitt. The Jayhawks would be in the title game and the Mountaineers would seem to be most deserving of the other spot. Yet there might be a pandemic panic among the purists with votes who see The Ohio State at 10-1 and Big Ten champs and instinctively vote them into the mix. I mean, it’s very possible.

 Dan Hamrick says:

Yeah, right! I am in awe of technology that doesn’t even support Apple’s products — perhaps the only web site online that doesn’t support Mac products. It makes it brazen to call it “all-access.” In addition, the reviews you get from people who have used your service are awful.

Not my service, of course…right? Dan? Anyhow, I did some investigating and it appears WVU’s pay-per-view thingy is not without its drawbacks and Dan has touched upon one. The other problem appears to be in name because …

Erinn says:

Call me crazy, but I think this should be a free option to fans. It’s most likely going to be filmed whether or not a pay-per-view option exists. Why charge for it?

Oh wait …

I forgot. We’re talking about WVU here.

Just thought of what I need for Christmas…

Homer says:

Need I remark that Rodriguez’s public persona and people skills reveal he probably was unfamiliar with DiClerico and Hammock during his time on campus?

Yes, you absolutely needed to, Homer. However, say what you will about Rodriguez, but he knows how to play the game — and he’s played it pretty well, yes? Also, you need to bookmark that bad boy because it’s going to be relevant sooner rather than later. The first domino is going to fall very soon and it won’t take long until someone wants to outfit Rodriguez in wristbands of another color. Doesn’t mean he’s leaving — allow me to make that perfectly clear — but that his name will be bandied early and often. Get to know the contract so you may separate fact and fiction.

Jeff says:

“I said as long as he can run fast, that’s OK. If he’s loopy and slow, then we’ll bench him.”

Good to know Rodriguez cares about his players.

A reference to what I think was a tongue-in-cheek comment Rodriguez made earlier this week, though I was very surprised to hear it.

John says:

“I’m not a legal expert, but pleas typically don’t go to people with no knowledge of an investigation. The fact this comes so soon after Jones leaned he wouldn’t be reinstated by the NFL last week seems very peculiar, yes?”

Mike . . I have to disagree with you on that one. If Pacman learned one thing on the street it was how to survive. Maybe now he is beginning to understand how to translate that deeply rooted impulse into the mainstream society way of doing things.

I am not a Pacman fan. But he may have finally woken up. . . at least a little bit.

Good point, John, and let’s hope this is true. I’d like to point out that in wrestling the action taken by Pacman would be called a face turn.  

JX says:

i hate hate hate hate hate hate HATE the gold on gold.

I enjoy a good uni-related curveball every now and then (look at the throwbacks Cal wore last weekend, for example. Beautiful stuff there)…but the gold on gold has GOT to go.

Horrible stuff.

I’m very interested to see when those things come back. This is just me, but I think the players were … OK … with the look. The blue-on-gold had beter reviews. 

Philip says:

i like the idea of all the gold — it looked great on tv from the aerial shot of the stadium. but i’m with jx. there’s no menace in it — a la the peeps — blue on gold means serious bidness.

Yes, the peeps. That’s very clever, I must admit.

Glen says:

The Gold Rush is on, and we’re not stoping till we
leave the Oklahoma Sooners Wagon in the dust, when we beat them in NC game.

Everyone, meet the other side of the coin! 

Before we close here, I feel the need to add that with 35 minutes left before kickoff WVU was huddling and jumping around in the home end zone and the Cincinnati fans started chanting “Overrated.” Before I could check the NCAA record book for “Earliest Overrated Chant,” I saw someone, presumably from the University of Cincinnati, go over to the student section to say something. I, of course, found that to be very funny.

I’m leaving you today with the post and subsequent thoughts on the late Yup-Yup man.