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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Technically, there's a game here Saturday. But, really, it's more like a coronation.
Party tents are set up outside Milan Puskar Stadium. The town itself is bursting with couch-burning anticipation. How big is it that West Virginia is one walkover victory away from playing for the national championship?
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| The challenge for Rich Rodriguez is to keep his team focused on beating Pitt. (Getty Images) |
The question is, exactly who?
"I'm not allowed to disclose that," said guard Greg Isdaner.
In their brotherhood of glee, the nation's top-ranked team (coaches' poll) either doesn't know or is keeping silent the identity of the player who sprinted down a hall of the Lakeview Resort, sans even a jockstrap, to celebrate then-No. 1 LSU's loss to Arkansas.
"I don't know who it was," said usually chatty cornerback Vaughn Rivers, "or I might give it up to you."
The Mountaineers were holed up in the team hotel Friday, as per custom before home games, when the LSU-Arkansas game got real interesting.
"Seventy-five percent of the kids were in the hallway," Isdaner said. "It was pandemonium, especially when you go through hell with your teammates. Everybody was tuned into the game."
The Tigers' loss was the last domino that had to fall, allowing West Virginia to be in position to play for it all. Although there are four one-loss teams, the timing of the Mountaineers' only loss (Sept. 28 at South Florida) and their play since then has put them in a fortuitous spot. Unlike Missouri, they don't have to play a conference championship game. Unlike Ohio State, they don't need help from someone else.
There are no worries if they beat Pittsburgh, a 28-point underdog, a program bordering on hapless at the moment.
One game at a time? On Saturday pass the beer, brats and boarding passes. A whole lot of Mountaineers are headed to New Orleans.
"I addressed it honestly," coach Rich Rodriguez said. "Is this beautiful or what? It's a great opportunity. Are you kidding me? We've got a chance if we go out and take care of business. We could play for the big marbles."
