BUCKHANNON – It’s tough being a sports fan, especially when your favorite team underwhelms and fails to deliver on your high expectations. Let’s take a look at the current top 5 anguished college football fandoms.
- West Virginia
We will start in our own backyard with the Mountaineers. The fanbase is starting to grow impatient with “Trusting the Climb.” While I am unhappy with the losses piling up, it’s how they are losing that is frustrating. A targeting call where our player literally launched himself at the Kansas State quarterback’s head that wiped out an interception to a blocked punt that led to a Wildcat touchdown.
If you get beat, you get beat, but when it’s because of the same tiresome self-inflicted wounds, it gets old. A major point of contention with the WVU fanbase is athletic director Shane Lyons giving Neal Brown a two-year extension when he still had four years remaining with minimal prospects of leaving. I am willing to give Brown one more year as I think they will be significantly better in 2022, but they will have to find a quarterback to lead the team.
2. Texas
The Longhorns, WVU’s opponent this week, lost at home to Kansas last Saturday. Kansas was a 31-point underdog and hadn’t won a Big XII road game since 2008. Is there anything else to say about the Longhorns?
3. Florida
In week three, Florida was 2-1 and came within two points of upsetting Alabama. Last week, they trailed 42-28 to FCS opponent Samford, who entered the game 4-6. They eventually won the game 70-52, but you can’t imagine Gator fans are happy with the win. They sit at 2-5 in the SEC and just 5-5 overall. With a team that had national championship aspirations just two months ago, let’s just say that head coach Dan Mullen’s seat is very warm right now.
4. Oklahoma
Oklahoma just threw away their chance at making the playoffs with a 27-14 loss to Baylor. It might be for the better honestly. While Oklahoma has been the face of the Big XII, they are 0-4 in the college football playoffs. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. The playoffs will be better without the Sooners in them.
5. Nebraska
A proud program that has lost its way in this modern age of college football. I have always admired the success of Nebraska because in a lot of ways, they are a lot like West Virginia. A rural state, not a lot of in-state talent, yet they found a way to be a dominant program.
They brought in former Cornhusker great Scott Frost to return Nebraska to prominence, but it hasn’t happened as Frost has just a 15-27 record in his four years without having a winning record. Not sure when and if the Cornhuskers will ever turn it around.
Onto the Crunch Time contest.
Records
Duane 33-17 (3-2 last week)
Brian 31-19 (1-4 last week)
Games
Cabell Midland (10-1) at University (11-0) — Cabell Midland will end the Hawk’s unbeaten season Friday night. Cabell Midland’s lone loss of the season was to No. 1 Huntington. They are the superior team. My pick: Cabell Midland, 28-23; Brian’s pick: University, 35-21.
Jefferson (10-1) at Bridgeport (11-0) — Jefferson is a very good football team, but I just don’t see them giving Bridgeport much of a game. My pick: Bridgeport, 34-13; Brian’s pick: Bridgeport, 24-7.
Fairmont Senior (6-4) at Robert C. Byrd (7-3) — I knew it, I knew it, I knew it, and I was afraid to pick it. My gut told me to go with No. 16 Fairmont Senior over No. 1 Herbert Hoover last week, and I didn’t do it. The Polar Bears beat Robert C. Byrd by a 21-20 score in the regular season. Not going to make the same mistake as last week; I am picking the Polar Bears. My pick: Fairmont Senior, 24-23; Brian’s pick: Robert C. Byrd, 14-6.
Marshall (6-4) at Charlotte (5-5) — Both teams are coming off of losses as Marshall had a four-game win streak snapped last week with a 21-14 home loss to UAB, while Charlotte fell at Louisiana Tech, 42-34. Despite the setbacks last week, both teams have plenty to play for this week. A Marshall victory would keep the Herd’s hopes alive for a Conference USA East Division title while Charlotte will be bowl-eligible with one more win. My pick: Marshall 35-31; Brian’s pick: Marshall, 24-17.
Texas (4-6) at WVU (4-6) — Somehow, someway, I think WVU gets the win on Saturday. My pick: WVU, 24-17; Brian’s pick: WVU, 42-28.
