Local Ties: It's time for WVU to take over as the East's premier pigskin power

WHAT once appeared bad for West Virginia football, now is good. Infact, for Mountaineer football now is the time!!

In case you have forgotten, consider a brief history lesson inEastern college football.

From 1966-1992, Penn State dominated the East. Coach Joe Paterno'sNittany Lions won national championships in 1982 and 1986, postedundefeated seasons in 1968, '69 and '73, and went to numerous majorNew Year's Day bowls.

In the fall of 1993, Penn State began play in the Big TenConference, and many Mountaineer fans grumbled about the NittanyLions leaving the East.

The 'Eers should have been happy.

Had Penn State not left the East, there would have been noundefeated West Virginia season and Sugar Bowl berth to remember in1993.

If Penn State were still on the schedule, those Mountaineers wouldhave had to play at Beaver Stadium against a team that featured fivefuture All-America selections, three top 10 first-round draft picks,a future Fred Biletnikoff Award winner at wide receiver, a futureDoak Walker Award winner at running back, and a future Davey O'BrienAward-winning quarterback.

That Penn State team smashed a good Tennessee team in the FloridaCitrus Bowl, 31-13. West Virginia would not have won that game, andthe 1993 season would not be remembered as it is today.

After the Nittany Lions left, the East became Virginia Tech'splayground. From 1993-2005, the Hokies became the new Penn State inthe East, and found themselves playing in bowls they have neverdreamed of before: 1995 Sugar Bowl, '96 Orange Bowl, 1999 Sugar Bowl,and numerous Gator Bowls.

Their success also featured a berth in the '99 nationalchampionship game, where they lost to Florida State.

Then, the Hokies, along with Miami (Fla.), and a year later,Boston College, bolted the East for the ACC and again Mountaineerfans cried foul.

They should have been happy.

Had the Hokies still been in the East, there would have been noBig East title last year, and no memorable berth and upset win overGeorgia in the Sugar Bowl. Virginia Tech beat the Mountaineers lastyear in Morgantown, 34-17.

Now, Eastern football is re-grouping. Other BCS conferences havelarge stadiums, state-wide followings, and state wide support. Rightnow, the Big East is a league of city schools, with no statewide fanbases, minimal statewide followings, and in comparisons to the otherBCS conferences, small stadiums.

There is one exception: West Virginia.

Now is the time for the Mountaineers to be the Penn State of the'60's and Virginia Tech of the '90's. No one else is left.

In college football, scheduling is the key to success. Take NotreDame and Ohio State, for example.

If the Mountaineers had either one of those two schedules, wouldwe really be talking about WVU going undefeated?

The Irish's September schedule includes Georgia Tech, Penn Stateand Michigan. The Buckeyes meet Texas, Penn State and Iowa in thefirst month.

How about WVU playing Tennessee's schedule of California, Florida,Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and LSU. Hoping for a winning seasonmight be more realistic.

The point is right now, for this season, it doesn't matter. It maynot always be that way in the future. The current BCS structure isnot set in stone. The Big East is no longer taking academic non-qualifiers among recruiting classes.

There could be another conference shake-up. If we do get aplayoff, it would be unlikely a Big East team could win a two-, three-or four-game stretch of games. Who knows what is on the horizon forcollege football?

So, for right now, the window of opportunity for West Virginia towin a national championhip is here. The dominos have not only falleninto place, they have gotten up and left the table. Now is the timeto take advantage of it.

The opportunity may not be there forever.

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WHEN KENT State hosts Minnesota on Thursday night, three membersof the Minnesota coaching staff with Mountain State ties will be onhand.

The Golden Gophers defensive coordinator is former West Virginiadefensive back David Lockwood. Lockwood played for the Mountaineerson the 1988 Fiesta Bowl team. The passing game coordinator andquarterbacks coach for Minnesota is former Marshall quarterback TonyPetersen.

Petersen quarterbacked Marshall to several of the most importantwins in school history, including a berth in the Division I-AAchampionship in 1987.