A quick note about what’s next. No. 14 West Virginia is just a few days away from a game it’s had circled for a long time.

“It’s nothing about the other team,” defensive coordinator Tony Gibson said. “It’s 100 percent about us. It was to see where we were going to be on Dec. 3, 2016, to see where we’re at as a program.”

After that? Win or lose, the Mountaineers are off to a bowl, and a win or loss might not matter. Here are the likely scenarios:

• Alamo Bowl: Oklahoma makes the College Football Playoff, Oklahoma State goes to the Sugar Bowl, WVU goes to the Alamo and plays a Pac-12 team, like USC. I don’t know how Oklahoma gets in, though. Get ready for this comedy: The Big 12 missed the inaugural CFP in 2014 because it didn’t have a championship game — or something like that. Now the Big 12 has decided to restore the title game, and it’s quite possible the SEC and Big Ten championship games won’t mean a thing Saturday. You think about that. I understand Alabama is in the final four regardless of the outcome. No qualms with that. But it seems Ohio State is in as well, and it’s not in the Big Ten title game. Penn State, which handed the Buckeyes their only loss but lost to Pitt (more on them in a minute) and Michigan, needs to win against Wisconsin and needs some help to get into the final four. Wisconsin, which lost to Michigan and Ohio State, needs to beat Penn State and get a little more help. I’m not saying it’s the wrong outcome, but it’s going to be topical and it ought to call into question the value and/or necessity of the championship game format. I’ll also repeat for the zillionth time that the CFP screwed up majorly by having two years of runway and never establishing any uniformity with regard to non-conference play requirements, the number of conference games and a league championship game.
• Russell Athletic Bowl: Oklahoma or Oklahoma State goes to the Sugar as the Big 12 champ because the league won’t have a CFP team. The other goes to the Alamo. The Russell Athletic scoops up WVU. Opponents? Well, if Clemson loses to Virginia Tech in the ACC title game, the Hokies go to the Orange and, man, wouldn’t Orlando like Clemson and wouldn’t the Tigers like a chance to tidy up 70-33? That’s a long shot, though. Say Clemson wins and makes the CFP. The Orange could pick anyone and would likely choose between Louisville and Florida State. The other could be in the Russell Athletic, and the bowl wouldn’t complain about getting Lamar Jackson or a Florida team. I don’t think it’ll happen, but I wouldn’t discount horse trading and a chance to get the Backyard Brawl revived ahead of schedule. Pitt’s a hot name right now. I suspect Virginia Tech and/or WVU might push back against any possibility those two play in the Russell Athletic because they open the season against one another next fall, and though the bowl doesn’t care about that, it would be hard for the organizers to look past the other possible matchups.
• I think that’s it. I don’t see a WVU loss and a Kansas State win changing any of the above, and a Kansas State v. Texas A&M matchup in the Texas Bowl will be popular.

I just closed my eyes and swung. Left me crouching in a blaze and fall. All you ever did was text me. Yeah, you text me. My edits are in [brackets].

1:38:
Bad feeling about a blow out in Ames

1:08:
Sitting here watching Michigan/oh st and oh st has a linebacker named jerome baker…bet he gets drug treated all the time haha

3:31:
Why did I just learn there is a player for Michigan named Taco?

3:49:
Technical difficulties. Just got here. I see we’re already [shoddy]

3:52:
So White & Wonderful!!

3:53:
That pass to white was a bullet.

4:02:
Finally, a useful review! [bravo]!

4:04:
Ooh…Shelton…did he get the touchdown?

4:05:
Knowing these Big 12 officials…probably not. Sigh. But I need Shelton to get up!

4:06:
Be a shame to overturn such a great effort play.

4:06:
i’ll take it

4:07:
Play stands and Gibson does too, shakily.

4:08:
nice blocking

4:09:
RZ!

4:09:
Did we find #41 in Waterloo?

4:11:
(In my best Ian Darke voice) What about that?! It’s Alex Brooks! It’s Alex Brooks!

4:12:
it’s alive

4:12:
Well…[saga].

4:13:
what a [fan] fest, 3rd side of the ball

4:15:
Light that redshirt on fire

4:16:
Who the [ferret] is Pettiway?

4:17:
Bad Skyler is in the building. Bad O-line in the building. Smh.

4:17:
well, the petteway redshirt: burn that bastard!

4:22:
13!

4:23:
death by a thousand paper cuts

4:23:
Lord…no run defense. Bad read…blitz was the wrong call on that one.

4:24:
13 got picked

4:26:
ISU has a bigger crowd for us than we had for OU

4:27:
Justin Arendt last week versus this week is a classic example of why the NFL puts a lot of stock in height, weight, and 40 times.

4:28:
I feel like there’s multiple high school stadiums in Texas bigger than Iowa St’s stadium…

4:28:
WVU needs all the early points it can get because Skyler Howard is going to be absolutely awful in the second half.

4:34:
Tyler saved a TD. for now

4:36:
Skyler is [average] when it comes to dumping the ball off.

4:37:
jesus [forgot] special teams

4:38:
Arndt gets drilled right in the head on that blindside block during the Ryen punt return. Not targeting, apparently.

4:49:
kitchen [framed] sink time for ISU.

4:51:
Great. The one game Ka’Raun can’t be covered and he rolls an ankle.

4:53:
I think we are going to lose.

4:53:
Well, Marcus simms doesn’t want us to lose.

4:54:
SIMS!

4:54:
Marcus Simms? Never heard of him.

4:55:
Who are these guys? No. Really. I’ve never heard of some of them.

4:55:
Now if D gets it’s [stuff] together.

4:58:
Ask Dana about kickoffs…

5:03:
had ‘im. dang it.

5:04:
They’re carrying off bodies after every play

5:06:
They actually have a guy named Good Jones? cool!

5:11:
Iowa State coaches get beaten down by life with each year they’re there. Their coach will look a little more grizzled each year.

5:14:
Over/Under for try-hard-to-be-clever texts about our special teams … counting this one: 18.

5:14:
kid can turn a corner.

5:18:
Special teams!

5:19:
Might have to increase that over/under.

5:20:
Is it possible that Joe DeForrest really was an amazing special teams coach?

5:26:
Christian Brown has been on his game today! Had to make up for acting a fool last week.

5:27:
Forward pass. Overturn it. JUST LET A GAME END IN LESS THAN THREE HOURS!!!

5:28:
Helmet removal reveals ISU QB is a hipster.

5:29:
If overturned, intentional grounding?

5:30:
That quarterback is a genius. He intentionally grounded it but made it close enough to a lateral that the refs somehow missed the intentional grounding call.

5:30:
Jennings learned how to fair catch in game 11

5:30:
State of Iowa is known for potatoes. I christen ISU “Spud Pitt”.

5:30:
Up 5. 55 seconds left. Literally no clue how Dana will play this one.

5:32:
Glad to see the WVU student section reppin’ in Ames.

5:32:
Nice clock management!

5:33:
i’m not a coach

5:34:
Eat manure, Spud Pitt.

5:39:
We look like a team playing for the seventh time in seven Saturdays. Will we have enough bodies left to finish?

5:56:
ASK. DANA. ABOUT. KICKOFFS.

5:58:
Marvin Gross sort of appears and then magically disappears…he’s all Harry Potter with it.

5:59:
Holgs is good at Xs & Os I really think his offense works. But HC is about discipline, preparation and management. His skills there are awful. Therefore

5:59:
he shouldn’t be our HC. Discipline is most important for 18-22 y/o

6:00:
Well… neither of the commentators know the rule with respect to touchbacks.

6:00:
These refs have no idea what they’re doing

6:01:
woo-hoo!

6:01:
Some nice throws

6:01:
Shelton’s quick!

6:02:
Shelton showboating.

6:03:
Maybe I’m wrong, but Geno Smith probably would’ve won a Heisman on this Mountaineer team.

6:05:
What sorcery did Dana unsheath to get Shelton 1 on 1 with a backpedaling safety?

6:12:
Damn…J. Harper with the drill!

6:14:
Keep trading 7 for 3

6:17:
Wellman wide open…again…Skyler doesn’t even look to him…again

6:17:
Skyler doesn’t read Good and Bad. Check down to Wellman, [Denzel]!!

6:25:
I’ve thought about my Geno tweet and decided it was very incorrect and I’d appreciate it if you don’t post it.

6:27:
I’m not in favor of ever rehiring Rich Rod. Having said that … the games would be a lot shorter with his offense.

6:27:
13!

6:32:
So… I just looked up Will Grier and he’s only 6’1” … Is anyone else concerned about that?

6:35:
It’s time that start talking about the possibility that we have a really good offensive line.

6:37:
Let’s hold this 35-19 lead better then we did the last one

6:39:
Park is as due for an INT as I am for an IRS audit.

6:40:
After watching that play, is it possible that Arendt was simply trying to set up Dede Westbrook for a fumble last week?

6:41:
13!

6:43:
I, for one, welcome our burnt redshirt overlord….

6:47:
shelton😎

6:48:
For real, Cotton Amoya is a safety right?

6:48:
Paul Rhoads would never let that happen. Twice.

6:50:
Remember when Iowa state was the talk of the big 12….let’s go

6:55:
At least WVU played very poorly in the one game it was least likely to win. Every other Big 12 team had had an awful loss at some point during the season.

6:58:
We have a tight end? WHY WASN’T I TOLD?!

6:58:
Apocalypse coming WVU gets TD TE catch

6:58:
“Don’t throw it to Stonehands!”

6:59:
Wesco…isn’t that a subsidiary of WesBanco?

7:00:
Congrats on the wesco TD. Emotional moment for you, I’m sure.

7:11:
8 for 13!

7:12:
42 to 19…feels like last week only we’re winning….and it isn’t snowing…and I’m at home…with my wine glass. So…nothing like last week, actually. Ha!

7:12:
chugs!

7:12:
Pettaway is no joke!

7:13:
A conference named Big 12 with 10 teams should have a #13 as its defensive player of the year.

7:13:
Okay Dana take Pettaway out now. We need him healthy.

7:15:
WVU is solidly the third-best team in the Big 12, and I’d like to see us take a swing at OU and OK St in a clean game. Lots what ifs in those two Ls…

7:15:
…but those what ifs explain why we’re the third-best team in the Big 12. Funny how that works, right?

7:19:
Have the announcers never heard of Will Grier? They seem to think Chug will be our QB next season.

7:32:
I bet we could count on 1 hand (w/ fingers left over) the amount of people who truly believed this was a 9 win team.

7:33:
9 wins, 10 wins, 11 wins…doesn’t matter. It’s never going to be good e out for the most vocal Anti-HCDH folk. Shame.