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I'm thinking of doing a series of 'what if' scenarios that were close to happening, but didn't.  But if they had happened, how do you think it would have changed things?  What would have changed for the program(s) in question, their conference, perhaps conference realignments, or for the national landscape?





Hypothetical #1:
What if West Virginia had beaten ND in the 1989 Fiesta Bowl and won the 1988 National championship AND had won the 1994 Sugar Bowl for a split of the 1993 National Championship?
The logistics: 
A:  WV would have had to leap over #2 Miami, who beat Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, but being undefeated and just beaten #1 ND in the bowl, it would probably have been enough.
B:  The Orange Bowl winner would have won the AP #1 vote, but with a win over the SEC Champs in the Sugar Bowl and having gone undefeated, WV would have a case for the UPI/Coaches poll.  Let's say they get it.




How would this have changed things, if anything?
Is Don Nehlen more legendary?
Is the Big East a predator in conference realignment instead of prey?
Is WV more of a helmet?  In the place of who? 
Discuss.

I'm with @847badgerfan on this one.  The BigEast's ultimate destiny as prey rather than predator was fixed the moment they voted not to take Penn State.  

With Penn State the BigEast likely could have gotten Florida State as well.  As it happened, FSU was an independent through 1991.  As of 1991 their most frequent opponents (football) were:

• SEC - Florida, 34
• BigEast - Miami, 33
• BigEast (then) VaTech, 29
• ? - USM, 19
• SEC - USCe, 18
• ? - Memphis, 18
• SEC - Auburn, 18
• SWC - Houston, 16
• ACC - Wake, 10
• ACC - NCST, 10
• BigEast (then), Louisville, 10
• SEC - UGA, 10
• SEC - LSU, 9
• SEC - MissSt, 9
• ? - Tulane, 9
• ? - Furman, 8
• BigEast - Pitt, 8
• ACC - GaTech, 7
• ? - ECU, 7

Note that on this list of FSU's opponents through 1991 the only ACC teams are Wake, NCST, and GaTech with 10, 10, and 7 games respectively.  The Seminoles had played both Miami and VaTech more times each than they had played Wake, NCST, and GaTech combined.  The BigEast with PSU, FSU, and Miami would still be a major conference.  Those three "helmets" along with WVU, VaTech, Cuse, and Pitt would have rivaled any other league.  

the 90's would have been an epic conference battle with miami/psu/fsu all in same conference.

Definitely.  Miami joined the BigEast in 1991 and FSU joined the ACC in 1992.  Starting from 1991, their final AP ranks:
1991:

• #1 Miami
• #3 PSU
• #4 FSU
• #11 Syracuse

1992:

• #2 FSU
• #3 Miami
• #6 Syracuse
• #21 Boston College
• nr PSU, was ranked #21 in penultimate poll

1993:

• #1 FSU
• #7 WVU
• #8 PSU
• #13 Boston College
• #15 Miami
• #22 VaTech

1994:

• #2 PSU
• #4 FSU
• #6 Miami
• #23 Boston College
• nr VaTech, was ranked #17 in penultimate poll

1995:

• #4 FSU
• #10 VaTech
• #13 PSU
• #19 Syracuse
• #20 Miami

1996:

• #3 FSU
• #7 PSU
• #13 VaTech
• #14 Miami
• #21 Syracuse
• nr WVU, was ranked #25 in penultimate poll

1997:

• #3 FSU
• #16 PSU
• #21 Syracuse

1998:

• #3 FSU
• #17 PSU
• #20 Miami
• #23 VaTech
• #25 Syracuse

1999:

• #1 FSU
• #2 VaTech
• #11 PSU
• #15 Miami
• nr Boston College, was ranked #25 in penultimate poll

2000:

• #2 Miami
• #5 FSU
• #6 VaTech