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WVU plays Virginia Tech Thursday night and a friend and I were talking about where it ranks as a rivalry compared to Pitt.  There is no doubt Pitt is WVU’s oldest and most noted rival.  I don’t deny that at all.

But, for me, VT is a bigger rivalry from a personal standpoint.  I live in the southern part of the state.  I’m actually closer to Blacksburg than Morgantown.  I know VT fans, I work with VT fans, I’ll see people out wearing VT gear, I see VT decals on cars.  I don’t encounter any of that with Pitt.  Also, my first memories of WVU football date back to 1982.  

In my time watching games VT has been more successful and nationally relevant than Pitt.  I missed Pitt’s run as a national power from the mid 70s through the early 80s.

Just curious what your biggest rival is from a personal standpoint.  It may be an answer everyone expects but just wonder if a few of you might have different a answers for your own reasons.

TSUN (That school up North)


Penn State - A very distant 2nd

Minnesota
Iowa
.
.
.
Ohio State (fading)

no comment from Nebraska

WVU plays Virginia Tech Thursday night and a friend and I were talking about where it ranks as a rivalry compared to Pitt.  There is no doubt Pitt is WVU’s oldest and most noted rival.  I don’t deny that at all.

But, for me, VT is a bigger rivalry from a personal standpoint.  I live in the southern part of the state.  I’m actually closer to Blacksburg than Morgantown.  I know VT fans, I work with VT fans, I’ll see people out wearing VT gear, I see VT decals on cars.  I don’t encounter any of that with Pitt.  Also, my first memories of WVU football date back to 1982. 

In my time watching games VT has been more successful and nationally relevant than Pitt.  I missed Pitt’s run as a national power from the mid 70s through the early 80s.

Just curious what your biggest rival is from a personal standpoint.  It may be an answer everyone expects but just wonder if a few of you might have different a answers for your own reasons.

I work for a WV law firm, and I think they rank Pitt #1 by a mile

As for MSU, obviously UM by a mile.  Trophy games against Indiana (meh) and ND (sure).  Wisconsin became a fun one there for a minute, particularly since they've been the most consistent basketball programs in the conference for the past 25 years, but they simply haven't played enough over the past decade

florida... the hate for the arrogant gators runs deep.  i think the record is something like 31-20 in favor of those jackwagons- which is to say they've outright won 10, were handed the game by zebras (the dumbest calls in this series, and yeah it's gone both ways but heavily favors the lizards), and Tennessee beat themselves the remainder.  tennessee plays their worst game of teh season almost every season against the gators.... it's maybe the biggest mental block in all of sports- seriously. 

bama- there is healthy respect for them, though, as what they've accomplished over the last 15 years is remarkable... though saban is excruciatingly cocky, it is fairly earned.  there was a time when this game really mattered.  the problem with the series is it's rarely played when both teams are good... it's always one climbing or holding while the other is fading... i'd love for it to matter again.  

georgia- the most idiotic people in the game.  well, maybe bested by ND people... but... they act like they've always mattered and nobody- like tennessee- who've dominated them ever has... they want to talk current, or they want to talk early eighties... they want to ignore any other time existed.  then, the band wagon jumpers who want to talk shit but can't tell you the differences between playcalls on first or fourth down, much less the differences between unsportsmanlike and targeting... they just want to beat their chests and talk about how much better they are at everything- and this describes 80+% of people in Sanford stadium... 

but honestly?  i hold no ill will toward any of them... i've explained it like this in the past:  If your team was dissolved tomorrow, would you lose interest in the game?  and... i doubt it... which means we're all CFB fans first- and then teams and maybe conferences afterward.  and that's why i watch them all (that i can), because it's the greatest sport of all time- pitting one collective against the other- a huge torrent of moving parts from coaching, preparing, practicing, strategizing, developing tactics to achieve strategy complimenting overall composition and for a season as well as a game- creating contingencies and hoping you got it right- marking and negotiating individual matchups (such as a WR against a CB) as individuals.... seeking and exploiting a mismatch that may result in a game final of 70-3, but doesn't speak as badly as the losing team as much as the winning team's ability to identify and exploit a mismatch/weakness of components... the constant evolving schemes and the revival of long forgotten schemes as new... the tradition and the allegiances are just the icing.    

but honestly?  i hold no ill will toward any of them... i've explained it like this in the past:  If your team was dissolved tomorrow, would you lose interest in the game?  and... i doubt it... which means we're all CFB fans first- and then teams and maybe conferences afterward.  and that's why i watch them all (that i can), because it's the greatest sport of all time- pitting one collective against the other- a huge torrent of moving parts from coaching, preparing, practicing, strategizing, developing tactics to achieve strategy complimenting overall composition and for a season as well as a game- creating contingencies and hoping you got it right- marking and negotiating individual matchups (such as a WR against a CB) as individuals.... seeking and exploiting a mismatch that may result in a game final of 70-3, but doesn't speak as badly as the losing team as much as the winning team's ability to identify and exploit a mismatch/weakness of components... the constant evolving schemes and the revival of long forgotten schemes as new... the tradition and the allegiances are just the icing.   

i'll disagree with this some. i'm a bama fan first, and a cfb fan second. my interest would definitely fade some if bama were dissolved. i'd still watch games, sure, no doubt. but on weekends bama is on bye or not playing, it's rare that i plan my weekend around a game. i just catch them when i can. i figure i'd probably become a fan in that sense.

either that, or i'd pick up one of the teams i have a soft spot for (psu, uab, troy, marshall) and start following them heavily.

everything else you spoke to is a great explanation why i think cfb is much better than the nfl. sure, the best cfb talent goes to nfl and its fun to watch the best of the best. but the nfl game is so... vanilla or something. all seem the same, just who's slightly better at the moment. which is fun for a tournament (why nfl playoff is so much fun), but kinda sucks not having the differentiation for the season. jmo