MORGANTOWN — West Virginia University has swept through a regular season without a defeat just twice in its 115 years of intercollegiate football competition.
The Mountaineers finished 11-0 in 1988 and then lost to Notre Dame 34-21 in a showdown for the national championship in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2, 1989, at Tempe, Ariz. Then just five years later, the 1993 team went 11-0 before being blown out by Florida 41-7 in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 1994, in New Orleans.
In case anyone is interested, I always thought the 1988 team was clearly the better of those two all-winning clubs coached by retired Hall of Famer Don Nehlen. The 1993 team had more close calls along the way and, in my opinion, was more lucky than good.
That talented ’88 team wound up No. 5 in the final rankings, just as did Rich Rodriguez’s 2005 team that capped an 11-1 campaign with the memorable 38-35 upset of No. 8-ranked Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2 at Atlanta.
I’m bringing up these history-making performances because there has been a lot of talk about West Virginia being great enough to win the national title this go-round. To do that, of course, this 2008 team not only must be great but also lucky and, yes, stay healthy.
My thought is that it won’t happen. I hope I’m wrong for the sake of Bill Stewart & Co. But the firm feeling herein is that the Mountaineers could have difficulty winning the Big East championship, much less the win all 12 regular-season games.
Have you ever thought how many times West Virginia went 7-0 in conference play? Try twice in the football league’s 17-year history. The first time was in 1993 and the second in 2005.
Of the Big East’s eight teams, three are ranked in the preseason Top 25 and four others received votes among the also-rans. That in itself certainly says a lot about the league’s strength from top to bottom.
South Florida is ranked 19th by The Associated Press panel and 21st by USA Today. And Pitt, WVU’s oldest rival, is 25th in The AP balloting.
Cincinnati, Rutgers, Connecticut and Louisville of the Big East also received votes and, of course, are on the Mountaineers’ schedule.
So are 10th ranked Auburn and Colorado, an also-ran in the USA Today poll. Neither of those two Thursday night contests on national TV will be easy, Auburn in Morgantown and Colorado on the road.
What’s more, East Carolina well could be a sleeper prepared to spring the unexpected when the Mountaineers visit Greenville, N.C., on Saturday, Sept. 6.
Twenty years ago the legendary Beano Cook of ESPN was the only guy who predicted that WVU would go undefeated and play Notre Dame for the national championship. So I decided to pop the question to him on Saturday.
“Forget it,” the longtime Pittsburgh friend replied. “No, not this year. They should win the Big East championship, though. If they do go undefeated this year, it will be a bigger feat than the one in 1988.”
I certainly agree with Beano’s thinking.
My prediction is that West Virginia will go 11-1 or 10-2 this season, then win a fourth consecutive postseason bowl game for the first time in its history.
Mickey Furfari
COLUMN: Perfect season unlikely to happen
- Mickey Furfari
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FURFARI COLUMN - City council to honor Mountaineers
It seems fitting that Morgantown City Council has decided to honor West Virginia University’s 2011 champion football team.
Mayor Jim Manilla will preside at a committee of the whole meeting on Tuesday evening in the council chamber. -
FURFARI COLUMN - Cronin says Kevin Jones is NBA caliber
Kevin Jones, the leader of the surprising West Virginia University men’s basketball team, continues to be No. 1 in the Big East in both scoring (20.7 ppg) and rebounding (11.3).
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FURFARI COLUMN - Admirers will miss Joe Paterno
I am deeply saddened by the tragic death of Joe Paterno last Sunday at 85 in State College, Pa.
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FURFARI COLUMN: WVU football captains named for 2011 season
Coach Dana Holgorsen has announced that a junior and three seniors have been named permanent captains of West Virginia University’s 2011 football squad.
They are quarterback Geno Smith, offensive tackle Don Barclay, linebacker Najee Goode and cornerback Keith Tandy. -
FURFARI COLUMN: WVU to receive fourth Lambert Trophy
West Virginia University’s earth-shattering 70-33 victory over favored Clemson was witnessed by football TV viewers from coast to coast.
But the fact that the Mountaineers won another Lambert Trophy in the process hasn’t become as well known. That is symbolic of NCAA Division I supremacy in the East. -
FURFARI COLUMN: Hinds doing ‘great job’ as new WVU point guard
Coach Bob Huggins thinks freshman Jabarie Hinds has done a great job as a point guard for the West Virginia University men’s basketball team this season.
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound native of Mount Vernon, N.Y., signed with WVU in November 2010 as a shooting guard. -
FURFARI COLUMN: WVU’s 43-0 win at Syracuse a Nehlen Favorite
West Virginia, ranked No. 11 at the time, smashed Syracuse 43-0 in football on Oct. 30, 1993 in upstate New York in what remains the Orange’s biggest beating in this old and at times, bitter, rivalry.
It has to be one of the most cherished victories in Hall of Famer Don Nehlen’s 21 years as the Mountaineer head coach. -
FURFARI COLUMN: What is Dunlap going to do?
Where will veteran Steve Dunlap end up as West Virginia University puts together a new defensive coaching staff?
That is, if he decides to return to his alma mater through the 2012 football season as stated in his contract. -
FURFARI COLUMN - Cignetti not surprised by Saban’s success
Frank Cignetti, head coach at West Virginia University from 1976-79, has been a longtime admirer of Nick Saban’s football coaching ability.
He gave the Marion County native one of his first jobs, as coach of the Mountaineers’ defensive secondary in 1978-79. -
FURFARI COLUMN - Austin’s return is great news for WVU
I know a guy who couldn’t be happier that Tavon Austin has decided to return for his senior year of West Virginia University football.
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FURFARI COLUMN - City council to honor Mountaineers
