If you are WVU or a fan of WVU, here is all you need to worry yourself with the next several weeks: The number 2. You need to win your remaining two games to remain stuck on two Big East losses. You need to hope Cincinnati isn’t on the level with it’s No. 2 quarterback. You need two teams to lose again.

We’re here today because everything changed in about two seconds two days ago. Zach Collaros had a brain cramp and, perhaps empowered by a belief he could do anything on third-and-12 against WVU’s defense, wandered back around his own goal line on a play that started at the Cincinnati 15-yard line.

Bruce Irvin and Najee Goode pounced and Irvin knocked the ball loose and into the end zone, where Julian Miller recovered for a touchdown and a 17-7 lead. That was exactly what the Mountaineers needed. And when they needed it, too. On the same play, Collaros fractured his ankle and will miss the rest of the regular season, which, as sad as it is for a competitor like that who went out trying to make something happen, opens things up for WVU and for Louisville and for Rutgers and for Pitt the rest of the season.

It was a shocking day for WVU, which won and, in the eyes of some, positioned itself as a favorite again, despite 32 yards rushing on 32 attempts, five sacks, 14 penalties, bad punts, two more missed field goals and mediocre success on third down on offense. Here’s how kooky things were: WVU couldn’t run, couldn’t protect the quarterback and couldn’t stay on the field on third down and WVU had 36 minutes of possession.

It makes little sense and while the Mountaineers weren’t particularly proud of their performance, they were happy enough to win and take a week off to witness more of the unexpected. Get this: If Cincinnati loses at Rutgers Saturday and Louisville loses at UConn, WVU can beat Pitt the day after Thanksgiving (Update: 7 p.m. on ESPN) and be in first place and then playing eight days later at USF later for the BCS bid.

Where it began, I can’t begin to knowin’, but then I know it’s growin’ strong. Was in the spring, then spring became the summer. Who’da believed you’d come along ? Hands, touchin’ hands, reachin’ out, textin’ me, textin’ you. My edits are in [brackets].

10:52:
Actually pretty excited about this one today.

10:59:
Don’t get me wrong. We’re [finished]. But, for once, we have nothing to lose in a Big East game.

12:09:
Inauspicious!

12:10:
Great. The first [football] play.

12:10:
Sheesh. The band wasn’t even seated before Cincinnati D requested Yackety Sacks. Nice start!

12:12:
Didn’t take long to get into one of those 3rd and longs that Dana was trying to avoid

12:12:
Insufficient!

12:13:
I’m glad I can’t see this [freakshow]

12:14:
Way to set the tone at the start of the game, boys!

12:15:
Michael “Yackety Sax” Molinari

12:16:
Well Isiah just Pead all over the D. Yackety [Funk]

12:16:
Might not be enough beer in the world for this game

12:16:
Instantaneous!

12:20:
What possesses commentators to spend the entire time between plays debating whether it was a lateral or forward pass when the pitch/pass was caught?

12:21:
“Who gives a [shoe], it’s gone?”

12:21:
Watching this game with my parents. As soon as they showed the injured player, all three of us jokingly started booing

12:23:
Inspiring!

12:24:
Steadmania

12:24:
If STEDMAN weren’t a Mountaineer, WVU would surely have a losing record.

12:24:
Well that play was tasty enough to put on a cracker.

12:27:
WVU kickoff goes into EZ. Surely this is illegal.

12:28:
Ineffectual!

12:33:
What happened to josh francis?

12:34:
How did the punters make the travel team?

12:35:
Kick the FG, butch!

12:36:
Pat Miller thinks tackling is overrated

12:37:
[Juan Carlos]. Lucky.

12:38:
How many more feet do we have left to shoot??

12:40:
They are trying to kill me. This is the ugliest game I’ve never seen.

12:41:
Inexcuseable!

12:43:
Killed him earlier so I gotta give my boy YS Molinari some props on that punt from the end zone

12:54:
I’m sure you’re thrilled that the headline to your story is wrong. Says trying to avoid third straight Big East loss.

12:57:
This color commentator is awful. “A rare errant throw from Collaros” Dude threw 14 INTs last year!

12:58:
Hand to the face…when 10 yards just isn’t enough

1:07:
I’ll say it. Tavon runs OOB to avoid hits.

1:19:
MVP of the game is Bruce Irvin’s right arm.

1:20:
Injurious!  Hope Zack is OK.

1:20:
Cincy about to bring in backup qb named Munchie!

1:22:
I don’t know if this kid is any good but there’s no way we’re losing to a [fledgling] quarterback named munchie

1:23:
I have a lot of respect for Zach Collaros, disappointing for that kid

1:24:
“Munchie”?

1:25:
Tandy munches on an INT. Legaux mounties!

1:25:
Hell of a play by Kevin Tandy

1:28:
Well, I’d say the personal fouls have shown there is some cockiness now

1:28:
Andrew Buie sighting…AND HE DIDN’T FUMBLE!!!

1:45:
Gotta be kidding me, Molinari.

1:58:
Missed safety on the Alston run, then punt from EZ somehow isn’t blkd, then Collaros’s fumble and knee explosion, then game becomes punting contest.

1:58:
Alright, I told myself before kick I’m officially out on this season, and I’d just go through the motions.

1:59:
But with that turn of events, plus injury, plus Louisville is losing, in the words of Michael Corleone: Just when I think I’m out…

2:24:
Stop holding on so long!

2:26:
Fall on the damn ball and that’s ours

2:28:
Awesome. We make [foremost] Munchie look like Cam [fanciful] Newton

2:28:
Not Eain Smith’s best day.

2:29:
Wvu is the worst team in the usa when it comes to capitalizing on opportunities.

2:31:
I LOVE Pat Miller!!

2:37:
Ruh Roh Scooby

2:43:
They’re only rushing 3 and destroying our O line

2:46:
Today the offense is not playing up to defense’s effort

2:53:
Longest game ever

2:54:
This game has lasted longer than Dan Dakich’s WVU head coaching tenure

2:56:
Welcome to your weekly installment of “Adventures in Officiating!”

2:56:
4th quarter due to overlap with Bengals pregame at this rate

2:57:
Marinatto wants to make 3 more announcements before aggressively announcing what down it is

2:57:
Indefensibly bad officiating.

2:58:
This ref from the Cincinnati sideline is wearing me out. Butch is in his ear and he’s been in Butch’s pocket all day

3:03:
21 years of excellence in officiating – The Big East

3:05:
OK State winning 66-6 and I have to watch this “national game” on my [fabulous] laptop?

3:07:
Incapable!

3:10:
I can safely assume that #33 is no relation to Ronde Barber

3:13:
Everything’s coming up Milhouse!

3:22:
Holgs really showed a lot of passion and enthusiasm after that long, character building, momentum grabbing drive (not really)

3:28:
Breaking news – a review.  We will have film at 11:00 – IF the game is over by then

3:40:
Ok now stick it in the [far] endzone and end this game

3:44:
I’ve got the first question for the postgame presser: “Uh, yes, Dana, what the hell were you thinking on that field goal attempt?”

3:45:
I thought of many options on that play but trying a field goal was not one of them.

3:46:
WHY DOES PAT MILLER STILL PLAY

3:47:
When in doubt, go at Pat Miller

3:48:
If Munchie wins, we riot.

3:50:
I couldn’t be more upset with dana’s lack of aggressiveness on that last drive. Called plays like jeff Mullen, then decided to kick like Stewart

3:52:
Thanks for attending Kick Suckfest ’11. Run time 3:51.

3:54:
WVU sucks… And because of that: A win’s a win!

3:54:
I miss the three-hour RichRod games. The four-hour Holgorsen games are not that fun.

3:54:
Well, I’ll be [glad].

3:54
HOLY [SAINT] SPECIAL TEAMS DID SOMETHING RIGHT!

3:56:
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times,  don’t sleep on our special tea–huh?

3:58:
Was the other shoe stuck in Butch Jones’s [poterior]?

4:12:
Maybe I’m wrong but I think there is now zero chance any BE team is ranked going into the bowls.

4:44:
Eain Smith redeemed with blocked kick.