John Walters

It would have been a terrific, albeit wordy, sports crossword puzzle clue at this time last year: "Non-senior dual-threat QB who will win Heisman this season (eight letters)."

While most of us would have scrawled P-A-T-W-H-I-T-E, the correct answer would have been, T-I-M-T-E-B-O-W. And while the Florida sophomore certainly deserved the honor, who knows what might have been if White had not been knocked out of two games, both of which West Virginia lost?

The Alabama native actually rushed for 50 percent more net yards than Tebow (1,335 to 895) and threw with the same accuracy (both at 67 percent). Tebow simply was more prolific as a passer, throwing 32 TDs to White's 14. Nothing damaged White's Heisman candidacy more, however — he was not even a Heisman finalist — than injuries he suffered in the first half at South Florida and Pittsburgh. White's frailty may not exactly have cost him the Heisman — Tebow, as mentioned, was incredible — but it probably cost his team a berth in the BCS title game.

Call them the Mountai-nears. So close to the summit, but not thus far in White's brilliant career, stopping just short of planting the flag. What they have been now, for two-plus seasons, is the most exciting flag football team in FBS.

A West Virginia run toward a national title coinciding with their quarterback being in the midst of the Heisman Trophy race will bolster the Big East, a conference that not only recovered from the defections of Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech to the ACC, but has in fact been more intriguing since that exodus.

And, finally, the Big East is beginning to understand the value of scheduling worthy non-conference opponents: Kansas, Oklahoma, Auburn and Penn State are on the docket this season. Hopefully, Rutgers has lost the phone number for Norfolk State (59-0 last Sept.) and for good.

The last couple seasons have seen a few unbeaten Big East teams roll into late October as cornhole nation prayed against one of them spoiling the national title game with their presence. And then those top teams would apply a mutually assured destruction strategy, sparing us from seeing a Louisville or Rutgers defame that sacred game.

This year it's different. The Mountaineers, as well as South Florida, are BCS bowl-worthy teams. Telegenic and talented, as well. And if either makes it beyond their season-ending clash undefeated, their BCS championship game sideline pass will be more than validated. Who knows, we may even get a title bout between those two crossword cousins, Tebow and White.

CONFERENCE GAME OF THE YEAR
Dec. 6: South Florida at West Virginia
Three of the six BCS conferences do not stage an official championship contest, but Pac-10 heavies USC and UCLA always save their game for the end of the season and we all know about Michigan-Ohio State in the Big Ten.

The Big East must have taken notes, as the league's two premiere teams must wait until a chilly December evening in Morgantown to settle things. The Bulls have beaten a Top 10-ranked Mountaineer team each of the past two seasons.

The exit polls at the Downtown Athletic Club must wait until this one is settled, as both teams' quarterbacks — Pat White of WVU and Matt Grothe of USF — could be spending the following Saturday in Times Square.

OTHER KEY CONFERENCE GAMES
Nov. 28: West Virginia at Pittsburgh
It was not exactly Stanford over USC, but Pitt's upset win in Morgantown last Dec. 1 cleared the path for LSU to win the national title.

Oct. 25: Cincinnati at Connecticut
The Huskies were 8-1 and ranked 16th before Cincy glass-jawed them 27-3 last November. Former Brady Quinn backups Demetrius Jones (Cincy) and Zach Fraser (UConn) could face one another.

NON-CONFERENCE GAME OF THE YEAR
Sept. 12: Kansas at South Florida
Willing to visit Raymond James Stadium before October 1? Good luck. The Bulls are 16-1 at home in August and September this decade, the lone loss being a 22-20 defeat to Rutgers two years ago. Twice Jim Leavitt's teams have defeated Top 10 visitors, most famously in 2005 when they spanked No. 9 Louisville 45-14.

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The Jayhawks lose little from last year's Orange Bowl-winning team, the only team in the country to drop just one game in 2007. This is a Friday night battle between a pair of legitimate Top 20, if not Top 10, opponents.

OTHER KEY NON-CONFERENCE GAMES
Sept. 6: Cincinnati at Oklahoma
Demetrius Jones never took a snap in a road uniform for Notre Dame; Norman, a great place to live, is not a nice place to visit.

Sept. 11: North Carolina at Rutgers
Scarlet Knights have owned Thursday night home games in recent seasons.

Sept. 13: Penn State at Syracuse
JoePa throws a bone to the Orange, scheduling the neighbors to the north for the first time since 1990. As long as it isn't Pittsburgh, right, Coach?

Oct. 23: Auburn at West Virginia
Remember when Pitt held WVU to 9 points in Morgantown last Dec. 1? Their defensive coordinator, Paul Rhoads, now works for Tommy Tuberville.

Nov. 1: Pittsburgh at Notre Dame
The Irish led 35-0 at halftime the last time these two met, which happened to be the evening that both Dave Wannstedt and Charlie Weis made their respective coaching debuts. You can bet Wannstache has not forgotten.

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