South Florida Bulls vs Destiny and What Could Have Been for the West Virginia Mountaineers

Rich Rodriguez always says the West Virginia's opponents in football should "put a little more tape on, a little more air in their helmets, and strap it on." referring to playing the Mountaineers and the team's style of football.

Well, they have yet to play that physical style this year on the offensive side of the ball.

The irony of ironies, is that the offense has let down one of the better defenses that Mountaineer fans have seen this decade. Yes, last year the defense was awful, but this year not so bad.

WVU seem to be happy trying to finesse teams with their speed on offense when what they really need to go back to the days of Quincy Wilson, when the Mountaineers simply ran straight over and through opponents (i.e. Miami Hurricanes DB) and made them hurt.

If South Florida survives Thursday night in NJ when they play a reeling Rutgers team, which probably won't be easy, they won't have too many obstacles left in their path; most of their tougher games are at home after that Louisville and Cincinnati.

Though they do play at a surprisingly competitive UConn team next weekend. Which will be 10 days removed from what more than likely be an emotional game with the Scarlet Knights.

Actually, four of the next five weeks USF plays the meat of their Big East schedule @ Rutgers, @ UConn, home against UC, @ Syracuse, and home to U of L.

If they survive all that, only Pitt and the politics of the SEC stand between them and the BCS Title Game.

WVU needs to stay hungry, and realize that a Pat White interception returned for a touchdown, and a missed tackle on Grothe (scramble pass for a long touchdown) are keeping the Mountaineers from being the #1 team right now.

But, the way this season has gone over the last couple of weeks, I'm not sure that being the #1 team is a good thing.

The Buckeyes will be strongly tested over their next five games - Mich. St (now coached by a former OSU asst.), @ Penn St., Wisconson, Illinois, and "That team from up north."

Play hard physical football in all phases, and things will be good for the Mountaineers.

And, Rich Rod, for heaven's sake - keep the the Yankees hats and references in the closet until at least mid-January, or until after you've won as many Big East titles, or national championships as the Yankees!