High school football in the North East isn't as good as Texas or Florida. WVU recruits probably grew up playing ball where after the first 2 or 3 weeks it turned into ground and pound in crappy weather ( it'll be 30 degrees and rain tonight). If WVU was in the ACC or SEC they'd start getting more kids from the south again.

Details of UT/Nike $250 million contract include cash up front, Kevin Durant line of apparel
http://www.hookem.com/2015/10/30/details...f-apparel/

It is not coaching that is the problem. How many recruits look at the geography of where West Virginia is at to the rest of the Big 12? It would be a turn off since many of the player's family don't have the money to travel.

WVU will be fine. This is a program that won 3 BCS Bowls in the post ACC Raid of the Big East. State school, tradition, passionate fan base, etc. They will be alright

Gary Patterson stayed and Rich Rodriguez left...it's that simple

(10-31-2015 06:36 AM)Jackson1011 Wrote:  Gary Patterson stayed and Rich Rodriguez left...it's that simple

Yes, in college football, coaching matters so much. Alabama was nothing for 10 years before Saban arrived. LSU was nothing for 30 years before Saban arrived. Notre Dame hasn't won a major bowl in over 20 years since Lou Holtz left. Oklahoma was irrelevant for 10 years, between Switzer and Stoops. Nebraska hasn't been anything since Osbourne left.

Florida became an embarrassment very quickly under Muschamp, now with a new coach they are much better, with essentially the same players.

Even the most elite programs struggle to win without a good coach.

As a fan of West Virginia...when they aren't playing my beloved Herd...I absolutely want them to do well in football. I was worried when they joined the Big XII, not because I didn't think they were of equal caliber to any team in the league on a year-to-year basis, they are. But the geography is a killer. They are competing against a Texas-centric group of schools, and as others have posted that's not all that attractive to East Coast/Southeast football recruits and fans.

I've always believed they belonged in the ACC, and still do, although I now know that isn't going to happen. It seems to me that the only answer for WVU is to add four teams ...yes, I think Big XIV is the answer...creating a more Eastern Division. I certainly would agree with a BYU add and think it's a no-brainer. But 3 "east of the Mississippi" schools are absolutely necessary for recruits and fans to feel more "at home" with this league. Personally, I would add Cincinnati and Memphis in a heartbeat. Their geography is right, and the seem to fit the bill. The 4th team is a bit harder to add, but personally I would choose from Houston...yeah I know they are east Texas, but they have a more Eastern outlook, I believe, as a school.

Then divisions of:
West: Texas, Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, BYU
East: Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Memphis, Cincinnati, WVU, Houston

I do believe WVU could thrive in such an environment

(10-31-2015 06:47 AM)Cnelson203 Wrote:  As a fan of West Virginia...when they aren't playing my beloved Herd...I absolutely want them to do well in football. I was worried when they joined the Big XII, not because I didn't think they were of equal caliber to any team in the league on a year-to-year basis, they are. But the geography is a killer. They are competing against a Texas-centric group of schools, and as others have posted that's not all that attractive to East Coast/Southeast football recruits and fans.

I've always believed they belonged in the ACC, and still do, although I now know that isn't going to happen. It seems to me that the only answer for WVU is to add four teams ...yes, I think Big XIV is the answer...creating a more Eastern Division. I certainly would agree with a BYU add and think it's a no-brainer. But 3 "east of the Mississippi" schools are absolutely necessary for recruits and fans to feel more "at home" with this league. Personally, I would add Cincinnati and Memphis in a heartbeat. Their geography is right, and the seem to fit the bill. The 4th team is a bit harder to add, but personally I would choose from Houston...yeah I know they are east Texas, but they have a more Eastern outlook, I believe, as a school.

Then divisions of:
West: Texas, Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, BYU
East: Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Memphis, Cincinnati, WVU, Houston

I do believe WVU could thrive in such an environment

Maybe so, but something tells me the rest of the Big "12" isn't going to add 4 more teams just to make WVU feel more "at home" in the league.

(10-31-2015 06:49 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(10-31-2015 06:47 AM)Cnelson203 Wrote:  As a fan of West Virginia...when they aren't playing my beloved Herd...I absolutely want them to do well in football. I was worried when they joined the Big XII, not because I didn't think they were of equal caliber to any team in the league on a year-to-year basis, they are. But the geography is a killer. They are competing against a Texas-centric group of schools, and as others have posted that's not all that attractive to East Coast/Southeast football recruits and fans.

I've always believed they belonged in the ACC, and still do, although I now know that isn't going to happen. It seems to me that the only answer for WVU is to add four teams ...yes, I think Big XIV is the answer...creating a more Eastern Division. I certainly would agree with a BYU add and think it's a no-brainer. But 3 "east of the Mississippi" schools are absolutely necessary for recruits and fans to feel more "at home" with this league. Personally, I would add Cincinnati and Memphis in a heartbeat. Their geography is right, and the seem to fit the bill. The 4th team is a bit harder to add, but personally I would choose from Houston...yeah I know they are east Texas, but they have a more Eastern outlook, I believe, as a school.

Then divisions of:
West: Texas, Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, BYU
East: Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Memphis, Cincinnati, WVU, Houston

I do believe WVU could thrive in such an environment

Maybe so, but something tells me the rest of the Big "12" isn't going to add 4 more teams just to make WVU feel more "at home" in the league.

Quick fix (wouldn't happen though), B1G trade the Big12 Nebraska for WVU or Notre Dame full ACC with WVU.

Because WVU is an eastern island in a Texas-centric conference of 5 states...? Who did not see this coming?

Big (Actually) 12 (Now)

West

Okie
Okie Lite
U of Austin
Tekno
Waco State Penitentiary
The TCU

East

Basketball school in KS
Football school in KS
whirly birds
West *&^%$#@ Virginia
Basketball school in TN
Ohio City School no one can spell correctly.

Profit

(10-31-2015 08:12 AM)polkhigh Wrote:  

(10-31-2015 06:49 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(10-31-2015 06:47 AM)Cnelson203 Wrote:  As a fan of West Virginia...when they aren't playing my beloved Herd...I absolutely want them to do well in football. I was worried when they joined the Big XII, not because I didn't think they were of equal caliber to any team in the league on a year-to-year basis, they are. But the geography is a killer. They are competing against a Texas-centric group of schools, and as others have posted that's not all that attractive to East Coast/Southeast football recruits and fans.

I've always believed they belonged in the ACC, and still do, although I now know that isn't going to happen. It seems to me that the only answer for WVU is to add four teams ...yes, I think Big XIV is the answer...creating a more Eastern Division. I certainly would agree with a BYU add and think it's a no-brainer. But 3 "east of the Mississippi" schools are absolutely necessary for recruits and fans to feel more "at home" with this league. Personally, I would add Cincinnati and Memphis in a heartbeat. Their geography is right, and the seem to fit the bill. The 4th team is a bit harder to add, but personally I would choose from Houston...yeah I know they are east Texas, but they have a more Eastern outlook, I believe, as a school.

Then divisions of:
West: Texas, Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, BYU
East: Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Memphis, Cincinnati, WVU, Houston

I do believe WVU could thrive in such an environment

Maybe so, but something tells me the rest of the Big "12" isn't going to add 4 more teams just to make WVU feel more "at home" in the league.

Quick fix (wouldn't happen though), B1G trade the Big12 Nebraska for WVU or Notre Dame full ACC with WVU.

Turn off the X-BOX.

(10-31-2015 12:20 PM)HarmonOliphantOberlanderDevine Wrote:  

(10-31-2015 08:12 AM)polkhigh Wrote:  

(10-31-2015 06:49 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(10-31-2015 06:47 AM)Cnelson203 Wrote:  As a fan of West Virginia...when they aren't playing my beloved Herd...I absolutely want them to do well in football. I was worried when they joined the Big XII, not because I didn't think they were of equal caliber to any team in the league on a year-to-year basis, they are. But the geography is a killer. They are competing against a Texas-centric group of schools, and as others have posted that's not all that attractive to East Coast/Southeast football recruits and fans.

I've always believed they belonged in the ACC, and still do, although I now know that isn't going to happen. It seems to me that the only answer for WVU is to add four teams ...yes, I think Big XIV is the answer...creating a more Eastern Division. I certainly would agree with a BYU add and think it's a no-brainer. But 3 "east of the Mississippi" schools are absolutely necessary for recruits and fans to feel more "at home" with this league. Personally, I would add Cincinnati and Memphis in a heartbeat. Their geography is right, and the seem to fit the bill. The 4th team is a bit harder to add, but personally I would choose from Houston...yeah I know they are east Texas, but they have a more Eastern outlook, I believe, as a school.

Then divisions of:
West: Texas, Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, BYU
East: Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Memphis, Cincinnati, WVU, Houston

I do believe WVU could thrive in such an environment

Maybe so, but something tells me the rest of the Big "12" isn't going to add 4 more teams just to make WVU feel more "at home" in the league.

Quick fix (wouldn't happen though), B1G trade the Big12 Nebraska for WVU or Notre Dame full ACC with WVU.

Turn off the X-BOX.

I didn't know the Big Ten, Big 12 or ACC owned the "trade rights" to Notre Dame.

WVU should be part of a Great East football conference:

WVU
Maryland
Temple
Rutgers
BC
Syracuse
Pitt
Penn State
UConn
Virginia
VT
ECU

I'm going to go with the fact that Texas is down...

(10-31-2015 01:04 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  WVU should be part of a Great East football conference:

WVU
Maryland
Temple
Rutgers
BC
Syracuse
Pitt
Penn State
UConn
Virginia
VT
ECU

That looks about like WVU's schedule from the entire time I was growing up. Just missing Miami.

(10-31-2015 01:04 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  WVU should be part of a Great East football conference:

WVU
Maryland
Temple
Rutgers
BC
Syracuse
Pitt
Penn State
UConn
Virginia
VT
ECU

I'd replace UVA with UMass.

(10-31-2015 10:35 PM)NJ2MDTerp Wrote:  

(10-31-2015 01:04 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  WVU should be part of a Great East football conference:

WVU
Maryland
Temple
Rutgers
BC
Syracuse
Pitt
Penn State
UConn
Virginia
VT
ECU

I'd replace UVA with UMass.

On second thought, I would replace ECU with Navy

Because the core ACC schools wouldn't want anything to do with Eastern and Mid-Atlantic schools north of NC ... except of course for UVA.

Right?

Had to post this, from a really awesome weekly column on espn.com (link here: http://espn.go.com/college-football/stor...llustrated)




I wonder if there's any chance that the artist is the same guy who originally had the Fire Jerry Kill website. That guy was quite the comedic illustrator, as well.