November 19, 2012;College Par, MD, USA; Big Ten commissioner Jim Delaney speaks during the Big Ten Press Conference at Adele Stamp Union. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-US PRESSWIRE

Multiple outlets across the internet are propogating rumors that indicate the Big East is soon to go the way of the dodo bird and the WAC. West Virginia was fortunate to escape this sinking ship when they did.

Following the departure of WVU, Pitt, Syracuse, Notre Dame, and TCU, the Big East turned to Conference USA and the Mountain West to poach together a patchwork conference of misfits. The Big East membership has grown to or will soon grow to include:

• Football Only: San Diego State, Boise State, Temple, and Navy
• All Sports: Louisville, Cincinnati, Memphis, Houston, SMU, UCF, USF, Connecticut, and Rutgers
• Non-Football: St. John’s, Georgetown, Marquette, DePaul, Providence, Villanova, and Seton Hall

The recent revelation in conference realignment is the jump by Maryland to the Big Ten to be followed by the highly anticipated announcement that Rutgers will follow suit tomorrow and also join the Big Ten. That is just the tip of the iceberg with the rumored Big East defections.

Major news outlets like ESPN have speculated that the ACC would be likely to replace Maryland with a school like Connecticut, which would take the current Big East slate of football schools down from 12 to 10 for the 2013 season, costing the Big East the opportunity to host a championship game.

With the anticipated plundering of the Big East set to begin, many news outlets have been quick to jump on the rumors surrounding the doom of the Big East. Defection rumors include the following:

• The New York Daily News reports that Georgetown and St. John’s are considering jumping from the Big East to the ACC.
• ESPN is reporting that Boise State, San Diego State, and BYU are all in discussions to rejoin the Mountain West.

There are also the typical unconfirmed rumors that Louisville could be the target for the ACC instead of Connecticut and the possibility that the Big 12 might preempt the ACC and invite the Cardinals. If you stack up all those rumors, the Big East could be facing the possibility of their soon to be 13 team football league shrinking to 9 (Rutgers to Big Ten, UCONN/Louisville to ACC, Boise State and San Diego State to MWC), keeping in mind that Navy plans to join in 2015.

If all those rumors pan out, that would also reduce two of the top three targets for further Big East football expansion (BYU and Air Force). The loss of Georgetown and St. John’s would effectively open the door for the remainder of the non-football members to look at their options for new conference homes in the ACC, Atlantic 10, etc.

Of course, half the conference realignment rumors will never materialize, but with so many rumors floating about and no media rights deal in place, all signs point to the Big East collapsing. The next few months will likely determine the future of the Big East, if there is any future at all.

If you are a fan of bad 1980s movies like I am, you have watched the Back to the Future trilogy countless times. You fell in love with the idea of a DeLorean that could transport you to anytime in history by simply accelerating the engine to 88 mph. I know there was a time in my life when I wish that Back to the Future was real so I could get my hands on that DeLorean.

As I watched the headlines today, the little kid inside of me saw a glimmer of hope. Could it be, Back to the Future was happening? Well, not exactly, but the recent conference realignment rumors have certainly followed the script of the famous movie.

Today, rumors surfaced in reliable media sources that the University of Maryland was in discussions to become the 13th member of the Big 10 (making the misnomer even more farcical).

The announcement makes it apparent that the Big 10 and Commissioner Jim Delaney are not done in their pursuit of Notre Dame. Let’s be honest, that is the major motivation behind this move. Obviously the Big 10 sees the value of adding Maryland for television revenue, but UMD’s value pails in comparison to the value of Notre Dame.

When the first batch of conference realignment was fired up, the Big Ten made strong overtures to Notre Dame about joining their conference. Enter Jim Delaney in the role of Biff Tannen and Notre Dame AD John Swarbrick as Lorraine Baines.

Ultimately, Swarbrick would turn down Delaney just as Lorraine rebuffed Biff at the ice cream parlor. Without knowing it yet, Swarbrick was unaware at that time of just how strongly the ACC Commissioner John Swofford pined for his golden dome. We now cast Swofford in the role of George McFly.

After Biff was left with a car full of manure after his failed wooing of Lorraine, Biff would vow to have Lorraine no matter the cost. Jim Delaney has been just as adamant in his pursuit of Jack Swarbrick and Notre Dame.

Now that Notre Dame has officially joined the ACC for all sports and committed to playing half an ACC schedule, it appears as if Jim Delaney and the Big 10 are out to destabilize Notre Dame’s new conference home. Just as Biff tried to corner Lorraine in the car outside of the Enchantment Under the Sea dance, Delaney is attempting to corner Swarbrick and force Notre Dame into becoming his.

If Maryland should leave the ACC after nearly 60 years, it would re-open questions of the ACC’s stability. Maryland’s departure would give schools like Florida State and Clemson the opportunity to take a second look at joining the Big XII. Surely those kind of defections would make the Irish contemplate the Big 10′s offer a little more seriously.

What remains to be seen is whether George McFly (John Swofford) will show up to rescue Lorraine (Jack Swarbrick) from the powerful meat-hooks of Biff (Jim Delaney). Tense times for the ACC in the climax of the movie.

This is your chance Swofford, to save Marty and the kids! If not, Marty (as Florida State) might choose to head to the West (Big XII).

September 22, 2012; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Tavon Austin (1) and running back Shawne Alston (20) before playing the Maryland Terrapins at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

Well, once again the HailWV.com staff correctly predicted a Mountaineers victory over the Terrapins. Of course, we all were taking the Mountaineers to win by more than 20 points. The game was far closer than we had predicted, but our player predictions were pretty solid.

Ken Durbin’s Prediction: Geno will throw for more than 350 yards and 4 touchdowns. Geno will protect the ball, throwing 0 interceptions.

The air raid offense was still in effect against the 8th ranked defense. Geno Smith played pretty well in the face of an outstanding Twerps pass rush, showing that he is more than deserving of his Heisman trophy talk. Geno threw for 338 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Not too bad of a prediction if I do type so myself. On the overall score prediction, I figured that the Maryland defense would do a good job of slowing down the WVU offense. I thought that the Mountaineers would still be able to put up points, mostly due to the ineffectiveness of the Terrapins offense. Stefon Diggs carried the Terps offense, keeping the game from being a blow-out. Instead of WVU winning by my predicted margin of 44-19, they only pulled out a 31-21 victory. Not a great victory, but a solid win in a rivalry game.

Brandon Miller’s Prediction: Tavon Austin goes for 200+ yards receiving, 3 TDs, and at least one play that goes for more than 60 yards. And if one of the kickoffs of the game is returnable, look for Tavon to take it into the Terrapin endzone.

I predicted 200 yards and 3 TDs for Tavon Austin against Maryland, and I was pretty much spot on.  He finished the game with 13 receptions for 179 yards and 3 TDs and added 4  yards on the ground, for a total of 183 yards/3 TDs.  Austin was the goto target for Geno Smith and broke a few plays for extra yardage.  My prediction of a kick return TD didn’t really pan out, as Austin only got 1 return for 20 yards.

As far as the game score is concerned, I probably shouldn’t have dismissed the possibility of this being a trap game so easily.  It was.  The offense had a hard time getting into rhythm and the defense was inconsistent.  I was encouraged by the amount of pressure our defense put on the Maryland QB.  Lots to work to do on both sides, but I think we’ll be fine.    Despite our inconsistent play, we still won.  That’s the sign of a really good team.

Alan Searles’ Prediction: I am going with 136 yards and two scores with Tavon.

Well, I was 50% right.  TA had a monster game but the WVU offense failed to fire on full cylinders.  Whether you want to credit the close game to an underrated Maryland defense, the absence of Alston, lack of focus, or an overrated offense, we will figure out the truth in the near term.  The defense fired up some good plays, but just couldn’t get the Terps off the field on third down enough to make it a comfortable win.  Both sides will need to execute better in the coming weeks.

Patrick Pishko’s Prediction: Alston will rush for 78 yards and 2 touchdowns, punishing the Maryland secondary. Bonus Prediction: Jordan Thompson will emerge with 65 yards and a touchdown. Thompson will also pull off a 40 yard run, making Maryland linebackers lose their jocks!

Well, I completely bit it this week; Alston was an in-game decision and Jordan Thompson is still failing to separate himself from the pack;  kind of difficult to do when Tavon is seemingly untouchable.  I felt as though WVU would rely on the running game in order to bring the safeties down and get the corners closer to the line, but without Alston in the lineup, that did not happen. Could also be a product of what I witnessed as very vanilla running play calling; it seemed as though the same play was ran over and over, alternating between strong and weak sides.

I was pleased to see the pressure our defense placed upon the young Maryland QB Hills, but there is still a lot of work to be done.  The secondary looked horrible and Edsall clearly took a page from Syracuse’s playbook in exposing our inability to cover the tight end.  I’m hoping to see more aggression from our CB’s at the line and less of a cushion when we start BIG XII play next week.

I’m glad we came out with a win, albeit not a very smooth one.  I’m sure Patterson and DeForest will be back at it this week, reiterating and enforcing the fundamentals of the game.  These young players cannot just rely on the sheer athletic ability they did in high school; they are now D-I players.  The disparity between talent levels and skills sets between all of those on the playing field is much smaller now.

September 22, 2012; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Tavon Austin (front) celebrates with Mountaineers wide receiver Jordan Thompson (rear) after Austin scored a touchdown against the Maryland Terrapins during the second quarter at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

The Mountaineers won a relatively ugly looking game. No I am not referring to the questionable costumes both teams wore, but rather the sloppy play, especially in the second half. The Mountaineers finished off the Terps 31-21.

The game showcased the 2nd rated offense of the Mountaineers versus the 8th ranked defense of the Terrapins. Taking a quick look at the boxscore, it is plain to see that the Terps defense won the match-up. WVU, who has averaged more than 600 yards of offense a game, was held to only 363 yards. Of the total offensive yards by the Mountaineers, only 25 yards came on the ground. That speaks volumes about how well the Terps defense controlled the line of scrimmage.

The Mountaineer rushing game could not get going as the offensive line was overmatched today. With Alston being limited with a thigh injury from earlier in the week, the running game was even further handicapped. The Mountaineers offense would have to rely on Geno’s cannon to deliver a victory.

Geno did not disappoint. The early Heisman Trophy favorite delivered an outstanding performance amidst relentless pressure. Smith completed 30 of 43 passes (69.8% completions) for 338 yards and 3 touchdowns. Geno had issues early on in the first half completing his passes as he had not seen a significant pass rush all year. Once he had adjusted to the blitz, Geno settled into rhythm finding Bailey and Austin frequently. Geno’s favorite target today, by far, was Tavon Austin.

Tavon Austin loves tormenting his home state team. Austin in the previous two meetings against Maryland had 18 receptions for 228 yards and 2 touchdowns. With one last shot to punish the Terrapins, Austin went off for a record performance. Austin snared a career best 13 receptions for 179 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Maryland defense just did not have an answer for Austin.

The other #1 receiver in this game was not to be out done. Stefon Diggs, the Austin-like freshman for Maryland, put up Austin-like numbers today. The elusive Diggs was bottled up pretty well by the Mountaineers defense, but when he was able to get his touches, he made big plays happen. Diggs only caught 3 balls, yet turned those limited grabs into 113 yards and a pair of touchdowns. If it were not for the shifty moves of Diggs, this game would have turned into a blow-out.

Besides having issues taking down Diggs, the Mountaineers defense put on a great performance. Many haters will point out that the defense surrendered 351 yards of offense to one of the worst offenses in the country. What the haters won’t tell you is just how well the Mountaineers played against the run, stuffing the Terps for 46 net rushing yards. The haters won’t tell you that the Mountaineers pass rush came alive for 5 sacks. Yes the defense gave up yards, but they also forced 5 fumbles, collected 5 sacks, forced 3 turnovers, and scored a defensive touchdown. Like it or not, that is a solid defense. The defense does have room for some improvement, but they were not the glaring weakness today. That weakness was the offensive line.

The front five of the Mountaineers could not move the Terrapins defensive line. Alston, Buie, and even Dustin Garrison (excited to see him back in pads) could not find running lanes. As a team, the Mountaineers rushing attack struggled to 25 net yards. The offensive line also struggled to keep Geno upright. Smith was constantly being knock down as he threw and was also sacked twice. Geno also nearly had his head ripped off in the first half.

Part of the struggles can be contributed to the endurance of the line. Josh Jenkins exited the game in the second half with a lower body injury, forcing Nick Kinder into the line-up for the remainder of the first half. Linemen like Pat Eger and Quinton Spain got called for holding multiple times, and could have easily been called for holding many more times. The line looked fatigued in the second half, most likely from the constant pass rush of Maryland. Sometimes, all the line could do was hold to keep Geno from being flattened.

Now it’s not like the offensive line played horrendously, but they were fortunate to be blocking for the quick release Geno Smith. The Terrapins defense proved that they are worthy of their top ten ranking. The Mountaineers offensive line will face tough defenses like Maryland from here on out, so they will need to make some blocking scheme adjustments going forward. Coach Holgorsen and offensive line coach Bill Bednbaugh, will need to work some of the major things out this week prior to the Mountaineers Big XII opener against Baylor.

Other notes:

- Tavon Austin set the West Virignia career receptions record with 208 grabs, breaking the 206 reception record of former teammate Jock Sanders.

- Geno Smith was sacked for the first two times of the season today. He also had his lowest completion percentage of the season, 69.8%, down from his season average 88%.

- Dustin Garrison saw his first action in nearly 10 months after suffering a knee injury prior to the Orange Bowl this past January.

- Wes Tonkery recorded his first career interception.

- The 5 sacks by the Mountaineer defense is the most sacks recorded since last year’s Backyard Brawl in November last year. That day, the Mountaineers pummeled Tino Sunseri with 11 sacks.

- Punter Corey Smith has improved his punting average. He had 7 punts for 312 yards for a 44.6 yards per punt average. That is great news for the Mountaineers and Smith, who was just awful last year, averaging 39.7 yards per punt a year ago and was known more for his shagged punts late in the season.

Sep 1, 2012; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Tavon Austin (1) carries the ball in the third quarter against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-US PRESSWIRE

It is that time of year when we play the Maryland Terrapins. Sad to say, but with the move to the Big XII, Maryland is the one true rival West Virginia has left. Pittsburgh would rather lose to Youngstown State than play the Mountaineers. Virginia Tech would rather lose to Pittsburgh. So for the forseeable future, the Terps are the top rivalry we have (at least until we fire up a Big XII rivalry).

With that in mind, let’s get to the our Bold Predictions. Wouldn’t you know it, a couple of our experts are in line with their predictions, expecting big things from Tavon Austin. Given the way Austin steps up his game whenever he plays his home state’s team.

Ken Durbin:

The Terrapins boast one of the nation’s finest defenses. Maryland is 8th in total defense through three games. The Terps front seven are stout against the run and have played pretty well against the pass. Of course there first three games were against weak offensive teams (William & Mary, Temple, and Connecticut). The Mountaineers offense is in a hole different league compared to those teams. This Saturday’s match-up will be an interesting test to determine just how good the WVU offense is and just how good Maryland’s defense is. I suspect that the Terps defense is not quite as good as their #8 ranking would indicate and the Mountaineers air raid attack will be able to put up points.

Just who am I expecting to put up points you ask? No other than the 2013 Heisman Trophy front runner, Geno Smith. I am looking for Smith to play up to par against a much better defense than he has faced to this point. Geno will throw for more than 350 yards and 4 touchdowns. Geno will protect the ball, throwing 0 interceptions.

In terms of the game overall, I like the Mountaineers to win convincingly. I think the score will be somewhat subdued as a result of Maryland’s defense. Look for the Mountaineers to win 44-19.

Brandon Miller:

It seems funny to say this because his stat lines have been very good (109 rushing + receiving yards, 1 TD vs Marshall and 127 yards, 1 TD vs JMU), but Tavon Austin has had a pretty quiet first two games, by his standards.  I think he breaks out against Maryland with 200+ yards, 3 TDs, and at least one play that goes for more than 60 yards.  And if one of the few Maryland kickoffs of the game is returnable, look for Tavon to take it into the Terrapin endzone. 

This game feels like a trap game, but I don’t think it matters.  Talent gap is too wide.  WVU beats the Turtles 55 – 13.

Alan Searles:

As I gaze into my Mario Cristobal, I see many beers beginning at approximately 8:30 on Saturday.  Peering a bit further, after a successful entrance into Milan Puskar, I see Tavon Austin having the game of the year.  In two career games versus the Terps, Tavon has 18 catches, for 228 yards and two touchdowns.  In his senior year against the hometown boys, who happen to be rather terrible this year, look for Austin to rip it up.  Perhaps Stedman will even pitch one to TA in a well executed hook n ladder in the second half to boost his stats for this game, but the second half is looking very cloudy with all those beers (damn you Oliver!).  I am going with 136 yards and two scores with Tavon. 

As for a final tally, I’ll throw out 56-3.  My gut was to boost each side of the ledger, but statistically speaking Maryland is actually a top ten defense.  The most yards they have given up all year through three games, was 230 versus Temple.  Non-statistically speaking they have played offensive juggernauts of Bill and Mary, Temple, and the Fighting Pasqualonis.  However; they are 122 in the nation in offense, right ahead of the Green Wave of Tulane and those pesky Minutemen of UMass.  The over is set at 62; may be worth taking.

Patrick Pishko:

I usually like to look at history, but with my condensed schedule today, I’ll skip right to the predictions. Alston will rush for 78 yards and two touchdowns, punishing the Maryland secondary. Bonus prediction: Jordan Thompson will emerge with 65 yards and a touchdown. Thomspon will also pull off a 40 yard run, making Maryland linebackers lose their jocks!

Sep 08, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Maryland Terrapins defensive back Sean Davis (21) tackles Temple Owls tight end Alex Jackson (98) during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Maryland defeated Temple 36-27. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

West Virginia has put up some monster numbers offensively in the first two games of the season. Of course, those huge performances came against the Marshall Thundering Herd (99th in total defense) and the James Madison Dukes (under-sized, under-talented FCS defense). This week’s match-up with the Maryland Terrapins, who are ranked 8th in total defense, will be the first real test for the Mountaineers’ air raid offense.

Many will quickly point out that the Terps have played a pop warner schedule until this point (vs William & Mary, at Temple, vs Connecticut). That is a valid point, but the same can be said about West Virginia’s schedule to this point (vs Marshall, vs James Madison). Yes, both teams have played subpar schedules to this point, but that does not necessarily take away from how good each unit is.

The Maryland defense is averaging 227 yards allowed per game. It doesn’t matter who you play, that is an impressive statistic. In college, if you have a defense that gives up less than 300 yards per game, you have the potential to win any game.

Maryland is solid against the run, holding opponents to 103 yards per game. Much of the reason for the Terrapins success against the run is due to big defensive end Joe Vellano. A.J. Francis and Keith Bowers round out a stack defensive front that clogs up running lanes. The defensive front swallows up blockers, allowing stud linebacker Demetrious Hartsfield to make plays. The Mountaineers offensive line will need to work hard to clear lanes for Alston and Buie to move the ball on Saturday.

Most impressive and most concerning to the Mountaineers,is how well the Terps play against the pass. Maryland is giving up an average of 124 passing yards per game. That is just a ridiculous stat line. Most teams in the country average better than 200 yards per game, showing that this Terps secondary is really talented. The secondary unit features players like Dexter McDougle, Eric Franklin, Matt Robinson, and company.  The Mountaineers passing attack, through the first two games of the season, is averaging 386 passing yards per game (2nd best in the nation). So what happens when you match a top ten defense against a top five offense? You get one heck of a show! Geno Smith, Stedman Bailey, and Tavon Austin will have to step up their game against the Terrpins secondary..

The Terrapins defense isn’t just stingy in giving up yardage, they are also very capable of producing turnovers. Through three games, the defense has forced 6 turnovers. That could pose problems to a Mountaineers offense that has only given up one turnover on the season.

Overall, the Terps defense is solid and will force many WVU punts and maybe the second turnover of the season for the Mountaineers early on. The biggest problem for the Terps defense is the Terps offense. No defense can be expected to be on the field for the majority of the game and succeed. The Terrapins offense is quite possibly the worst offense in the nation (119th out of 120 teams), often leaving their defense with a short field as a result of ineffectively moving the football or worse, through turnovers. The Terrapins offense is just pitiful at protecting the football, having already turned the ball over 10 times this season. The Mountaineers defense will have their way with the Terps offense, giving Geno and company plenty of opportunities to air it out against the Maryland secondary and favorable field position all afternoon.

Look for the Mountaineers offense to be held to around 450 yards (down from their 612 yards per game average) but still score at least 5 touchdowns. Don’t be surprised if you see Geno’s completion percentage come back down to Earth from his 88% average, probably coming down to a solid 70%. Expect to see the Mountaineers beat the Terps by a similar score to that of the JMU game (44-19 prediction).

Maryland almost beat WVU, but in the end, as offensive of a game as it was, it took a defensive play to seal the game for WVU. More from The Deuce and me after the jump. (And, yes, this one is “and me.” Does it make sense for me to say, “More from I after the jump?” Only if I was one of those conceited message board writers.)

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After the break are the staff’s takes on this Saturday’s game, which will take place in College Park, MD @ Byrd Stadium. Television: ESPNU, Noon ET.

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Let’s Go Mountaineers!

Join the conversation on Twitter at @ImTheSportsDude and @HailWV.

The guys at “Andy’s Tailgate Cruiser” don’t want you haulin all of your crap to Byrd Stadium. In fact, they’ll be more than happy to wheel you some chairs, a table, a tent, and even a cornhole game set… best part? You don’t even have to clean it up afterwards. More after the break!

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