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I think WVU is starting to realize that they've made a major strategic blunder in hiring Bill Stewart for 6 years. WVU has a good recruiting class so far for next year, but if I were one of those top-tier recruits, I'd be seriously thinking about backing out at this point. It's pretty clear at this point that WVU isn't the WVU of past years, and it's hard to put the blame anywhere but Stewart and Pastilong, who hired him. The 'Eers returned their whole offensive line from last year, along with the 2-time defending Big East Offensive Player of the year (Pat White), yet they've managed only 17 points in the last 2 games? We know that there are quality players there, so in my opinion, the players aren't properly motivated, and the play calling is lacking. I can't believe I'm about to say this, but frankly, I'm going to be surprised if WVU makes it to a bowl game this year. They remind me of Louisville last year. Won the conference the previous year, won a BCS bowl, had a lot of stellar talent back, but crapped their pants under a new coach.

Colorado is better than you're giving them credit for. Cody Hawkins, like just about all Big 12 QBs these days, is a great guy to have under center or in the shotgun, and they have the top RB recruit in the nation. Their defense is always decent, if not totally solid. This game is less about WVU and more about the potential that CU has. I don't expect them to be a big factor in the Big 12, but I see them finishing 4th in the north behind MU, KU and Nebraska (not necessarily in that order). And, for once in the Big 12 north's history, 4th isn't a horrible position to finish in.

Frankly, the Buffs at 3 - 0 are a better team than anyone is willing to talk about. As for the their next three games, they have a valid shot at beating Florida State just playing straight up football.

As for Texas, the game is at Folsum Field, where they beat Oklahoma last year. Certainly they will have to play out of their trees to win this game, but it is in the realm of possibility. I think that Kansas has clearly shown that they are vulnerable and I believe that CU can win that game.

Do I think that the Buffs will take the North title, no. But they will have a great year, and Coach Hawkins will use that to put together another great recruiting year. The Buffs are on their way back and they will be a force in the Big 12 again.

mid - though I could definitely see the Buffs beating the Longhorns at home, (though I like Texas as a program, I've never really felt that Colt McCoy was a great QB and I think he'll show it in Boulder) I seriously doubt their chances of beating KU. If this game were in Colorado, I don't doubt that it would be a nailbiter, but the fact that it is in Lawrence changes the game entirely. KU hasn't lost in Lawrence for over a year, and I don't see the Buffs ending that streak. Yes, KU have shown that they are vulnerable, but that was on the road (wayyy on the road) against what really is at least a top 15 team with a great QB and great pass rush. While I do think CU has one of the two (a great QB) the other is definitely missing, and as long as KU can stop the run game, (which really hasn't been a problem in a looooong time) as much as I like Cody Hawkins, I don't see him winning this game on the road. It won't be a blowout, but it won't come down to the last play, either. They should beat FSU though.

I spit my wine out when I read Ketterman's post saying WV gave Stewart a 6 year contract. Based on what? Not getting murdered in their bowl game after RichRod left? I have to say, I'm not sure if RichRod is the luckiest coach in history, or the worst coach in history, but Pat White should give that guy a really nice Christmas present, because Pat looks absolutely terrible out there without RR. But Michingan looks absolutely terrible WITH RR. I don't know who to cheer against and who to cheer for on the issue. All I know is Greed isn't good in CFB.

Is this the earlierst 'storming of the field' by the fans in history? I made a joke to my ever-loving girlfriend that the fans would run on the field after CU wins, and sure enough they did. I mean you guys just beat the #21 (realistically #72) team. It's not like you just beat UGA, leave that to the drunk and wild ASU fans in 48 hours.

so u got off the computer to watch a game and write a decent article

I have been dreading this day since the hiring of Bill Stewart. Sure, the whole state was exstatic with the Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma, but it was because noone knew what to expect. What I expected: Not much of a change because McGhee was still the O-Coordinator for that game. I didn't completely give Bill Stewart credit for that victory, and was wary when he was hired. Now, here we sit, back in the pits of College Football irrellevance where I expect us to stay for atleast two more years. If we can't win with Pat White, how will we win with Brown, or Stuckey (did you see that double pass?). Brace yourself Mountaineers, it's going to be a bumpy ride. Stewart will be gone by 2011.

as a Pitt alumni and fan, I first must say Thank You to the Buffs. I thought we had it bad here with Davey W, but it looks like WVU one upped us with this Stewart fellow. And they just extended him? WOW.

From comment 1--"The 'Eers returned their whole offensive line from last year, along with the 2-time defending Big East Offensive Player of the year (Pat White), yet they've managed only 17 points in the last 2 games?" And they have Devine? How does that happen????

the Backyard Brawl might just be a slapfest this year.

As those above me have mentioned, I think the direction of this column is all wrong and should focus on where the CU program is heading. From the pits of corruption, the Buffs are on the rise to their Kordell Stewart days and Dan Hawkins has every facet of this team heading in the right direction. Yes we do have the top recruit but I do think some credit has to be handed to Stewart, who has emerged as a go to guy who is threatenting both returning and running the ball. If the buffs can come out of this next three game stretch with a 2-1 post, I believe they have a shot at a legitamite bowl bid.

I am a Buffs fan, so a win is a win, but I have to say... That was ugly. CU owes everything to its Defense in this game. I don't know what Cody Hawkins was thinking on that interception? And on the 2 fumbles he had, the blind side hit makes sense, any QB might cough up the ball... But when he was scrambling and didn't tuck the ball and fumbled again?! Come on! Luckily that one was recovered by CU, but peeeyewww. And the play calling on both sides of the field was terrible after that first quarter. Ugly game. Thank you Colorado Defense!!

Agreed the Stewart hire was a puzzle. History showed clearly that OKLA has a poor history against weaker teams when it is heavily favored (TCU, Boise St, WV). But WV was on the rebound after being jilted by Rodriguez and wanted fast closure. Colorado is improving, slowly but surely, but is at best a mid to lower level Big 12 team. But in fairness to Colorado the Big 12 still has much to prove this season with many of the teams like Tex, Tex Tech & Nebr yet to face a good team. Kansas St & A&M have clearly seen better days. I forget. Has OK St done anything yet?
WV has a long history of weak schedules. When something like this happens I just wonder how much of that so-called past greatness was legitimately earned.

Before you crown the Buffs over FSU, you might want to at least wait until after the FSU vs Wake Forest Game...FSU did beat Colorado last year at home, and the Noles are much improved this year. I hope it's a great game in Jacksonville...FSU plays very well there (haven't lost since 1989) :

"The Seminoles are 8-1 in Jacksonville, and it took Brett Favre to beat them when Southern Mississippi upset Florida State 36-20 in the 1989 season opener.

Florida State has defeated Oklahoma, Houston, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, Duke and West Virginia twice in the stadium once known as the Gator Bowl and now home of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars.

'That's home field for us,' Bowden said. "We've played in Jacksonville a lot and we like to play in Jacksonville and we've been very successful over there."

or i should say, wait until after the Colorado vs FSU game before you crown the buffs

Thata was one of the worst coaching jobs I've seen in a while. Stewart wasted at least 25 seconds with his horrble clock management at the end of regulation. That's time for at least 3 or 4 plays to get the twenty or so yards they needed to get into range for a shot at winning it with a field goal. Even then, they probably still should have won the game, but on 3rd and 1 at the 4 yard line, West Virginia suddenly thought they could shove the ball down CU's throat. They may be fast, but the Mountaineer's aren't exactly the brawniest team in the country. They should have spread the field and run a zone read or QB draw like they had been doing all night and having success with. Poor, poor coaching on the part of WVU. If an LSU coach blundered that badly, you'd be able to hear the people in Baton Rouge calling for his head on a platter all the way on the west coast.

Looks like Louisville may be the class of the Big East.

All in all I can accept some of the play calling but the clock management at the end of the game with 40+ seconds on the clock and no called timeout. That alone is cause to fire Stewart. The poor old man looks completely lost and all EERS fans should be really worried about the verbals from the 4 and 5 star recruits. I see at least half if not all of the top verbals changing their minds.

UConn or USF is winning the Big East. Maybe Pitt if they get their act together.

West Virginia could finish 5-7 and I'm not kidding. They could lose to the three teams mentioned above and they have Auburn coming to town. Yikes.

Teams like WV & Ohio St have built their fortunes on soft schedules and become very overrated. So a few kinks in their play make it appear that they have fallen far. But I disagree. I think we are just getting a better idea of their true value. Both have clearly been the best in their confs which doesn't say much about the others. A very good team that plays a relatively soft schedule needs to trample through it with ease, as Utah did a few years back, and not have the problems Hawaii did with Washington last season and BYU did this time.

I don't think either team looked particularly good last night. Except for two big runs by Pat White and two big passes by Cody Hawkins, it was just an ugly slugfest. You could attribute a good deal of that to good defensive play, but you could probably attribute just as much to poor playcalling and offensive execution by both teams.

Colorado still looks like a 7-5 or 6-6 team. The defense will keep them in games (like last night), but the offense is still not in sync. It's harder to gauge how WVU will fare since the Big East isn't looking nearly as fierce this year, but they're definitely not the team they were under RichRod. Some rabid WVU fans might curse his name, but RR produced wins with that team that Jimmy... I mean Bill Stewart can't seem to.

Bill Stewart didn't correctly play his final time out in regulation because he never used it. WV ended the 4th quarter with one time out remaining. WV had the ball at midfield with about 35 seconds to go and 2 timeouts left. I would call it a textbook case of poor clock management but that would give Stewart the benefit of the doubt that he was actually aware of the clock at all.