WVU football: 4 worst bowl game losses

2012 Pinstripe Bowl

There’s probably no more undesirable location for a postseason football game than New York City. Sure, it’s still December and there may not be a more magical place in the world than Manhattan, but the Bronx was a nightmare for the WVU football team in the 2012 Pinstripe Bowl.

The Mountaineers had just bolted from the Big East, kind of pulling a fast one on former rivals like Pitt and Syracuse, even though those schools announced their intentions on leaving before the WVU football team. West Virginia was supposed to already be a better program because it was playing in a better conference.

Syracuse, playing in its home state, defended the turf and sent a rude revenge message to the Mountaineers. The high-powered offense of Geno Smith, Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey was turned away quickly in the snowy conditions.