So, Saturday’s going to be weird. West Virginia has its senior day, which will be emotional as usual and because of Karl Joseph and a class full of players who’ve endured a lot in four or five years. The Mountaineers will also play a team with a lame duck coach.

As expected, Paul Rhoads was fired Sunday, but he’s going to coach at Mountaineer Field. That’s weird as hell, man. Coaches announce their retirement and “announce their retirement” and finish the season, but I can’t remember something like this. But I’m beat, too, because I traveled all day Sunday, so maybe I’m missing something. Am I missing something?

Anyhow, I’m not sure the crowd will know what to do about that. He’s a villain, to be sure, because of his role in 13-9, but he’s done and still coaching the team like something out of a Disney movie, and that’s hard to hate, no? Great guy, too. Popular among his players, fans and media. Never in trouble. Never embarrassing Always one of my favorites to talk to, someone even common fans rooted for.

Remember this?

That’s the sort of thing that made it so hard for Iowa State to make this move and why Rhoads is being allowed to do what he’ll do Saturday. He’ll have a job somewhere soon, because he’s a very good defensive coach, but you better believe the Cyclones will have something up their sleeve for the finale. They had nothing to play for … until the coach got fired? Weird, but why shouldn’t that be the case in this odd season?

WVU could use the win to keep the arrow pointing up and to further solidify its season. It would make sense, too, in a season that hasn’t made a ton of sense across the country. But when you see the Big 12’s top teams knocking one another off the shelf, and you see the Mountaineers feature better players, coaching and execution than their recent opposition, you probably develop a different perspective for the season.

And that brings me to today’s texts. Subdued! Needed brackets once, which was normal in September and the furthest from normal last month. Kansas was just terrible, but not in the fun terrible sort of way. The Jayhawks weren’t feisty for a half or a quarter and didn’t submit a bunch of follies. It was like competently bad — not insulting, not laughable, but not threatening in the least, either.

Maybe Iowa State storms into town and changes all that. Maybe not. When the pain cuts you deep, when the night keeps you from sleeping, just look and you will see that I will text your remedy.

9:48:
Worst thing about away gamedays is I always find myself listening to Dale Wolfley on the radio.

11:41:
Injured right hand for Howard? That’s like Stevie Wonder with cataracts

12:08:
3 and out, Smallwood never touching the ball, Baldinger mocking us

12:10:
Who in THE hell was that????? Uh…Smallwood please! That’s why we had a quick 3 and out! Why can’t Dana EVER just stick to what works??????? #AlreadyFrustrated!

12:10:
Dana’s hair is full McCracken after that first series

12:10:
Chestnut, baby!!!! Yassss!

12:13:
Go back to Wellman? That was embarrassingly easy. Holy [sieve].

12:18:
“I said, Daddy, if there’s a pick six, would that be Chestnut?”

12:19:
Chicky check, microphone check 1…

12:19:
If we lose this game, nuke mo-town

12:20:
How did they hang with TCU even without Boykin?

12:29:
Looks like WVU has shown the last few weeks (and so far today) that it has better players across the board than several Big 12 programs. Now, it needs stars.

12:31:
Rochelle Shell. How have none of us thought of that before?

12:32:
KU: even we can make Howard and Shell look like Ricky Williams

12:33:
Nuts & shells all day

12:36:
fast start?

12:36:
This game reminds me of Point Pleasant vs Huntington from last night. Big Blacks!

12:37:
This feels like the old days playing in November at Rutgers or Temple, dominating in an empty stadium, thinking of turkey

12:40:
I guess it’s not a surprise that Huntington High’s Elijah Wellman fumbled the ball based on what I saw last night. I’d appreciate it if you could insert

12:40:
this text to the time that happened so it looks like I came up with it faster. Big Blacks!

12:42:
I want 100.

12:42:
something softer than melted butter?

12:43:
End zone, meet Smallwood

12:44:
SMALLWOOD!!! finally.

12:44:
Kansas wishes it was Maryland.

12:47:
Just imagine when WVU is going with the wind!

12:47:
So this is what it’s like to breathe while watching the Mountaineers.

12:50:
Howard into the wind = wounded duck

12:50:
Wind 1, Howard 0.

12:50:
Quack quack quack

12:51:
Dana is like an alcoholic but for passing. Can’t help himself. Will lose to chase the passing dragon.

12:52:
O’toole looked jealous of the hang time on that pass

12:53:
Kansas should’ve hired Jack Kevorkian instead of this Beaty fellow

12:53:
Feels like Piscataway in November.

12:54:
I like to imagine that ball arcing thru the wind, humming “Sailing” by Christopher Cross to itself.

12:54:
Skyler’s element. All star vrs lesser competition

12:57
Are we playing KU or the Lolipop Guild?

12:59:
Deep balls are Dana’s Mexican brown

1:00:
Game, meet lackluster.

1:07:
There is a guy in a commercial for the Cyclone Rake who looks like an Older Geoff Coyle.

1:07:
All I can figure is that Dana is a Colgate guy.

1:09:
#sieve

1:11:
Skyler dominating the JVs. er I mean JHawks

1:12:
Wow…Kansas is making us look brilliant!

1:12:
Skyler throwing all his best passes today

1:12:
Go for 100. Please, god, go for 100. All in the name of Charlie Weis

1:12:
how come we never get to play a beat up TCU?

1:15:
No one at this game. Fairweather fans in Kansas.

1:27:
Returning a kickoff against us is like running into a tree shredder.

1:29:
end of half clock management?

1:31:
only drama – when will D lose interest?

1:33:
That’s gonna leave a mark. I hope Shelton didn’t eat a big breakfast.

1:33:
Gibson’s pregame meal will be returning to action shortly even if he won’t

1:37:
Gibson killed across middle; Howard accessory to murder.

1:37:
KU crowd reminds one of Pitt.

1:38:
Kansas calls time out to prolong the agony

1:40:
Gibby dresses like that suburban white kid who is going to spend all weekend mixing a rap tape on Soundcloud.

2:08:
Dammit Skyler overthrew Durante

2:08:
This snoozefest is pretty fun to watch.

2:09:
Smallwood running like Gayle Sayers against this pathetic Kansas defense

2:18:
and there goes the first down drama

2:20:
Commentator just said the KU player has two injured groins. Two!

2:20:
cat tired of playing with mouse

2:23:
Games like this affect my ability to get in space and fire off texts. I can’t break contain….

2:23:
shut out drama still alive

2:24:
Crest time?

2:25:
I’d rather ride with Dann to Morgantown than sit out in the freezing cold to watch this game.

2:25:
It’s cold. It’s a blowout. None of the other team’s fans care. The atmosphere is downright Big East-like.

2:26:
Think Beaty wants to start over? Does he wanna be a baby?

2:27:
Jayhawk WR shaken up in a end zone. Must be a Rumph shaker.

2:27:
What if we find out that Crest is the new Paul Millard? #ThingsYouPonderInABlowout

2:27:
Charlie Weiss should have to watch KU gamrs as a condition of payment.

2:32:
Jayhawks uni’s look….weird. Even in a world of Oregon & Maryland this just looks…no.

2:34:
went for the punt block = actual WVU punt return

2:38:
Root Sports MIGHT wanna check the sensitivity of those parabolics. Shell just had some, um, words for that DB…

2:40:
90 sec left in the 3rd…WVU out rushing Kanas by 370 yard. THREE. HUNDRED. SEVENTY.

2:40:
Crest know bounce passes count as incomplete?

2:40:
preseason anyone predict Crest to Sills?

2:41:
Good grief Crest looks awful

2:55:
O’Toole the Dominator

2:56:
#flipthefield

3:09:
Kelly LeBrock was great in Millweard Science

3:09:
Bernie Kosar and Vince Young both think Crest has a great throwing motion. Fact.

3:14:
I want 50, damnit.

3:22:
I hear it’s cold in Kansas. I just mowed my WV lawn. #65°