Interesting foreword to tonight’s game: WVU’s entire team wore Bob Huggins Cardigans for the Mountaineer Mantrip. Such solidarity surely impressed the postseason folks at the game this evening. (The Medal of Honor Bowl is an all-star game, in case you’re curious.)

With Kansas State going all Kansas State late in the season and today walloping Texas Tech, the Wildcats and their fervent fan base must be appealing to both. And then there’s WVU, which can really help itself, in so many ways, by beating Texas. Order of finish, or that the Wildcats beat the Mountaineers, doesn’t really matter. It’s about matchups and momentum.

Then again, it would behoove WVU to make itself eligible and that’s one step closer with a win tonight. Then again, the Mountaineers have Kansas and Iowa State next and, whew, those teams are really something this season.

Sounds like WVU will be about as close to full strength as it can be at this stage of the season. Dontrill Hyman is supposed to play and supposedly did things in practice this week, and that’s important because he can play the run and he can make sure the Mountaineers have big lines to go against the run. WVU would rather not use Noble Nwachukwu against the run and would prefer to have Kyle Rose and Will Clarke on the ends together as opposed to backing up one another.

And finally, Texas heard and talked a lot this week about the trip to Morgantown, the atmosphere at Mountaineer Field and the weather. For the love of all things holy, it’s, like 53 degrees outside and I’ve been colder in Texas I promise you … but many of the Longhorns decided to go topless for their pregame routine. No one who works for or who covers UT and who was available for a quick quiz has seem them do that before.

Macho, macho men!

The fully clothed Mountaineers have gold lids atop blue jerseys and pants.

I’m wearing a clever navy blue sweater (sadly, not argyle) and a red Jacobs & Roberts tie and I’m ready to blog.