I don’t want to alarm you, but WVU just went 4-2 playing the third-easiest schedule in Division I-A.

And guess what? It only gets more vexing for West Virginia from here: The Muntaineers have the eighth-toughest schedule remaining, at a collective 26-9.

Four of the six opponents left are formerly or currently ranked: 4-3 Auburn (20th last week and once as high as 9th), 5-1 Connecticut (once 24th), 5-1 Cincinnati (which received a vote this week and, remember, lost only to fourth-ranked Oklahoma), 3-2 Louisville, No. 23 and 4-1 Pitt, No. 19 and 5-1 South Florida (as high as 10th before losing to Pitt). Although, by the NCAA’s mad math, those upcoming foes are only a combined 24-7. Still, it’s the toughest road belonging to any major-college team outside the Big XII, Southeastern Conference and (at least this will make for Wild Wonderful smiles) Rich Rodriguez’s employer.

(Furious I didn’t come up with Muntaineers) Also of note in that piece is WVU’s upcoming series with LSU.

If the deal comes off as expected — and ESPN has been involved as a go-between and interested telecast partner, as was the case with West Virginia’s 2008 and ’09 Colorado series — the Mountaineers would visit imposing Tiger Stadium in 2010 and get a return game at Mountaineer Field the next season.

That would mean six SEC non-conference games in as many years for WVU — Mississippi State in 2006 and ’07, Auburn this year and next (at Auburn), and the LSU dates. West Virginia also upset Georgia in the Sugar Bowl to cap the 2005 season.