Two wins in the final three games gets WVU in a bowl, thanks in large part to the gracious hosts at TCU Saturday.

The Big 12 had nine of its 10 teams eligible for a bowl last season. It’s looking like six or seven this season, and that’s no guarantee. The Mountaineers seem fated to either the Texas Bowl Dec. 27 in Houston or ye olde Pinstripe Bowl Dec. 28. It can go either way, really, but WVU can’t get into anything above that and there’s no feasible scenario that ends with the Big 12 needing more bowl spots than its conference already receives, as was the case last season.

Kansas State is 4-4 overall and plays at Texas Tech Saturday, plays host to TCU and Oklahoma and closes at Kansas. WVU, as you know, gets Texas at home, goes to Kansas and plays host to Iowa State. Are there two wins in there for both K-State and WVU? It looks like it, but let’s not trust these teams to stay on the rails.

If K-State and WVU both have six wins, at least, it could go either way for both of them. If you picked  purely on standings and head-to-head results, you could project K-State getting the nod for the Texas Bowl, but logic doesn’t always have a seat at the table when it comes to bowls, unless you consider it logical not to send the Mountaineers to the Pinstripe for a second straight season. I think that has to matter.

Neither team would be particularly jazzed about being dispatched to the Bronx, though. The Mountaineers were nonplussed with their experience last season — they thought the people who ran the bowl were fine, but that’s about it — while the Wildcats played in the debut debacle in 2010 four days after a historically bad blizzard. There will be a lot of lobbying to get into the Texas Bowl.

But I repeat, let’s not guarantee anyone anything. Neither team is what you’d want to call reliable, though both have played better of late. Then again, K-State’s rolling against WVU and Iowa State while the Mountaineers were fortunate to win Saturday.

Not to brag, but this is from Saturday’s game post:

Simply put, a bad team loses this game. These are two underachieving teams affected by the move to the Big 12, whether you want to admit it or not, and issues with depth, injuries and quarterback play. The game is winnable for both sides, but the team that doesn’t win it will be the team that can’t win it. I don’t know if that makes any sense, but when these teams are in this spot at this point of the season, one side is good enough for a day to win and one is not. The latter usually makes its case by doing the things that have led it to this point, while the former finds a way to play above its level and/or make the most of the other team’s misgivings.

Nailed it. Credit to the motley Mountaineers and what they did with their passing game as well as the changes they made on the fly on defense. Come get money with me if you curious to see how it feels to be with T.F.G.D. My edits are in [brackets].

 

11:33:
The sweatervest is getting a lot of looks inside this Starbucks.

1:08:
I just bought a pair of cowboy boots.

1:15:
New goal in life is to adopt a retired greyhound!!!!!! I’ll tell you later.

2:48:
I’m still not in. This is ridiculous. I paid $30 to park.

3:31:
The WVU fans make up about 40% of the crowd. There is seriously NO ONE here at kickoff. And the weather is perfect!

3:34:
YAH LINEBACKER WHO’S NAME I CANT PRONOUNCE!!

3:37:
3rd and goal and the pass goes to the guy on the 3 yard line. Unreal

3:38
More amazing: Trickett staring down receiver short of the end zone on third and goal or that there was a guy blanketing Clay?

3:39:
Didn’t know TCU played on a British Open fairway.

3:39:
Heads up on Tuesday’s G&B. Sims had one dude between him and the end zone with 10 yards to make him miss.

3:50:
DeFo has to be pissed that Patterson’s smedium tee and visor out-bro’s him

3:51:
If Luck leaves Monday, Dana should be gone before breakfast Tuesday

4:06:
Who do u want perlo or icky

4:09:
Only we can make one of the worst offenses in the nation look like the second coming of 1986 Miami, Fl

4:10:
If you thought WVU’s defense was any good, every TCU fan in this stadium is shocked that their offense is doing anything positive.

4:19:
So… We suck.

4:22:
Screw this. I think I want to be a fan of the Horny Toads.

4:23:
Espnu commenter Dan Hawkins saw Holgo and said, whew finallya coach with a lower IQ in the Big 12 than me

4:27:
I am shocked, but not surprised. I’m frustrated but becoming apathetic. I’m angry, but laughing.

4:36:
Play action!

4:36:
I want to give Charles Sims a hug and say I’m sorry you have to deal with this [situation].

4:37:
NICE drive! That Sims TD should hold us at 24-10

4:39:
Poor D. Even when the offense is clicking, it’s still 3 & out.

4:43:
Thanks, officials. [Dorks].

4:53:
Icky banks?!? Wow

4:54:
These blitzes are ridiculous. They cause no pressure. They take guys out of an already outmanned secondary.

5:02:
Open receiver. Not perfect throw.

5:06:
Mike Valenti’s thoughts on Clint Trickett: “GET. OUT. OF. MY. SCHOOL.”

5:25:
What are the chances we actually come out with momentum this half

5:30:
Stick draw, how I missed you so

5:39:
Our defense is like those little buzzing men that we never knew where they were going to go on that electric football game we played as kids. But if the

5:39:
ball simply hit them the interception counted

5:48:
Thank you Southwest.

5:59:
Dont want to see Trickett the rest of the season

6:02:
Better be 14 out of quarter change

6:10:
Now is where our defense falls apart, no?

6:14:
Just throw one up in the end zone. God clearly has money on us.

6:18:
FYI–They just showed Patterson trying to wipe his face away with the towel after that WVU FG.

6:21
I am [straining] my pants right now.

6:34:
It feels over, but we know it’s not over.

6:38:
The clock cant run fast enough

6:40:
Like I said … Not over.

6:41:
Darwinian

6:44:
And I had no idea Paul Teutul was our trainer

6:46:
It’s not over until I say it is.
-A

6:55:
It’s not over, but I want to cry.

6:57:
I cant watch

6:59:
What good is sitting alone in your room? Come hear the music play. Life is a Cabaret ol chum. Come to the Cabaret.

7:00:
I didn’t think we could give one away any more than last year against TCU, but I think we’re about to.

7:01:
At least we are screwing up Pitt fans (all 3 of them) watching their game.

7:04:
If he makes this I’m killing myself.

7:04
Where is “62yd fg in ot” on your special teams bingo card?

7:05:
Had the leg.

7:08:
For a guy his size, you’d think Spain would be familiar with pancakes.

7:09:
That’s not a hold that’s a pancake

7:11
Overall a great game for special teams, but let’s not dismiss Dana kicking FG on third down because, you know, special teams

7:11:
Wow. Dana and _eForest just had a moment.

7:15:
The best part was switching to the pitt game as they were giving up a td

7:19:
Those white helmets will look great with pinstripes.

8:21:
An unfamiliar companion on the flight home: Hope.