WVU Fans: The Signal and the Noise

[bbwvfan]

WVU Fans: The Signal and the Noise | Couch Fire Sports | WVU Sports Blog

This was the article slaton10 was referring to recently.

Pretty much sums up my POV.

 

[Mac_Bridger]

Good article. A few points I disagree with, especially along the Rich Rod lines, but then I have direct knowledge of why Hot Rod left WVU. That and the thinking that WVU is elite starting around 05-07. It really started before that IMHO, as Don Nehlen spoiled us in 88 and 93, then teased us in 96 and 98.

 

[bbwvfan]

IMO, Nehlen was unable to sustain a high level of play... so, I don't believe I ever thought WVU had achieved elite status during his tenure.

Under Rich, there was a 4 year window that we saw WVU finish ranked in the top 10 and start the next season with a top 10 preseason ranking... which continued to Stewart's first year.

Even the '04 team had some stating WVU was a dark horse NC contender after Miami and VT had left the BE.

 

[Anotherwvufan]

RR put a good team on the field and then struck gold with White and Slaton. Slaton was an afterthought as RR thought Gwaltney was going to be the guy and PW was a good athlete who RR was going to let play QB. The 4 year window was due to them more than RR being a great coach. If Stewart had Slaton running for him I bet he would have had more than 9 wins his first year.

Most teams succeed based on 1 or two great players. You see it every year. This year, Johnny Manzel is great. Could you imagine A&M with Ford at the helm? If we had a guy like Manzel at QB who could evade the rush and make the throws, we may be undefeated and the current talk of the town. Cam Newton, Reggie Bush, Tim Tebow, Vice Young, made good teams into championship teams. This year, you can look at guys like McCarren, Marriotta, Teddy Bridgewater and Taj Boyd turning good teams into powerhouses.

We were lucky to get Geno right after PW and Devine and Austin right after Slaton. Ford and Simms are a step down from those guys and it has shown on the field. It is just a matter of time before we pull in some two to three star guy who develops overnight and is our next star.

When you look at our good years, only the 1993 team was a team of players and not a team with stars. 1988 we had Harris, 2005-9 we had PW and Slaton 2010-13 we had Geno and Tavon. JB was not too bad in between those stars.

Will our next great tandem be Crest and Shell?

 

[WVUDAD]

RR put a good team on the field and then struck gold with White and Slaton. Slaton was an afterthought as RR thought Gwaltney was going to be the guy and PW was a good athlete who RR was going to let play QB. The 4 year window was due to them more than RR being a great coach. If Stewart had Slaton running for him I bet he would have had more than 9 wins his first year.

Most teams succeed based on 1 or two great players. You see it every year. This year, Johnny Manzel is great. Could you imagine A&M with Ford at the helm? If we had a guy like Manzel at QB who could evade the rush and make the throws, we may be undefeated and the current talk of the town. Cam Newton, Reggie Bush, Tim Tebow, Vice Young, made good teams into championship teams. This year, you can look at guys like McCarren, Marriotta, Teddy Bridgewater and Taj Boyd turning good teams into powerhouses.

We were lucky to get Geno right after PW and Devine and Austin right after Slaton. Ford and Simms are a step down from those guys and it has shown on the field. It is just a matter of time before we pull in some two to three star guy who develops overnight and is our next star.

When you look at our good years, only the 1993 team was a team of players and not a team with stars. 1988 we had Harris, 2005-9 we had PW and Slaton 2010-13 we had Geno and Tavon. JB was not too bad in between those stars.

Will our next great tandem be Crest and Shell?

Another, don't forget THE football player, the guy who dealt the critical block so many times that made the runs of Slaton and White possible........ Mr. Owen Schmitt, I think he is my favorite Mountie all time!!!!