We're Playin' The K-State Wildcats, Their the ___ Team in the Land...
Let's start this blog by quoting some things K-State fans are saying about our state and our school here in Morgantown...
Courtesy of goemaw.com and the K-State Mask personality...
" i never wanted these toothless mouth breathing hillbillies in the conference to begin with and now we have to play them this weekend."
"could we send the Cats' junior varsity gridiron squad over the Morgantown? At least our first stringers wouldn't pick up the awful smell of that craphole."
"I know for a fact our team is going to be disgusted to even be there. Do they even have an airport for our team or do we have to get Mountain Men to guide us to that cesspool?"
"west virginia is a disgusting drug addicted hillbilly with one tooth cashing his wellfare check to buy menthols and energy drinks and then tries to play a pick up game while passing by a park on the way back to his trailer to then only play a couple of plays before hitting the crack pipe and trying to start a fight. they're gross"
"We should have invited Pitt. Better sports programs, better academics, wealthier fanbase, etc."
......... This week's game has nothing to do about stats. I could write up a blog saying how all K-State does well is run and that WVU has the 6th best run D in the Big 12 as well as the 2nd most tackles for a loss. K-State has a stout defense, blah blah. WVU has a great offense, but got shut down on every cylinder last week, blah blah. K-State hasn't played anyone except a then-struggling Oklahoma. WVU beat an under-acheiving Texas team on the road. Geno Smith is the front runner for the Heisman; Colin Klein is right behind him at #2. Yup, we know all that.
But this game is more than the stats and reoccuring themes of the year. This game is about who wants it. Does K-State have what it takes to come into Morgantown and roll over on WVU like they beleive they will? The WR's on the team didn't know that WV was even a state. Or... can WVU take last week's ugly performance and turn this week into the rebuttle statement that proves to the nation that we are still a BCS contender?
The stage is set. You saw the comments from K-State fans. You've probably seen the YouTube video known as the K-State mask. They have done everything the possibly can to motivate the team and for lack of a better term, PISS OFF every single person who considers themself a Mountaineer. Since when did K-State become a notable marquee College football team? They compare themselves to Notre Dame? My take is their just trying to build a rivalry and they've been successful in making Mountaineer Nation despise them. This is football. Lashing out insults on an entire state with racist and outlandish comments seems a bit much; this isn't 1912.
Do WVU current students have some blame on their shoulders? Well first let me point out that burning couches was a tradition long before any of us were here. The couch thing is expected. However, burning cars and dumpsters and houses is bit much, yes I'd agree. Gatering in the streets after your first Big-12 win, okay. Throwing beer at police officials and being dangerous? Not cool. But lets not forget that WVU has a student enrollement of nearly 30,000 students. 35 were arrested for fire crimes. That's 0.001 percent of WVU current students. It's a problem, but one that has been blown up in the media. It's not like WVU students were the first to do something like this. University of Kentucky, April 1st, 2012. 15,000 students rioted after making it the National Championship game. Aside from the much worse damage they did than that that was done in Morgantown two weeks ago, I assure you that 15,000 students were not downtown. But why is WVU so heavily scrutanized? Well, we can blame I'm Shmacked for the bad PR.
I can't stand when people bash the state of WV and especially WVU. West Virginia University is a very highly renown academic institution having many of their programs (nursing, engineering, business, etc.) ranked nationally. But that success gets covered by the "#1 Party School" reputation. Other than BYU, what college doesn't have their party population?
All of this has come about because of football. Can you see now why sport is so influential in our society? WVU can win Saturday night, WVU students can celebrate and gather and probably still burn a few couches, but forget about rioting and harassing police and suddenly, respect is accrewed. I'm not dumb though. K-State haters will hate no matter what the outcome and those who choose to see WVU as all the things you read at the beginning of this article will still think those things. But Geno and the guys have something bigger than themselves to play for this Saturday night and thats the Pride of a State.
WVU can win this game. And I would love to make a bold prediction saying they'll do to KSU what Oklahoma just did to Texas. That is indeed a possibility in my mind. But in reality, this will be a good college football game that will be decided on whether or not our D can contain Klein and turn him into a pocket QB. Geno Smith is human, but won't have a repeat of the Lubbock Letdown.
WVU has to be efficient on offense and make key stops on defense. K-State runs 60 plays per game and scores over 40 points. They slow the pace of the game down when the have possession of the ball. WVU played that style vs. Maryland and won, but not convincingly. I don't know if either team will hit their average in points, but points will be scored..
My heart goes to WVU and my analyst mind goes with WVU although I'm critical. I just can't see this being a repeat of last week. Last season, WVU went Syracuse and just like last week, letdown Mountaineer fans everywhere. But, they came back strong beating a good Rutgers team in the snow and scoring 41 in doing so. I see history repeaing itself and that's why I'm predicting WVU 44, K-State 34.
Follow me on twitter (@b_isaiah) and let me know what you think.. Spread my blog and Let's Go Mountaineers.