If you're a college football fan, and especially if you cheer for any team in the Big East conference, it's hard not to wonder whether West Virginia University and the University of Southern Florida aren't set to become the nation's newest bitter rivalry.

Last year, lowly USF knocked the Mountaineer's out of contention for a Bowl Championship Series bowl berth with a 24-19 upset at Morgantown in November. This year, fifth ranked WVU came to Tampa to play the USF Bulls - and lost under the lights on Friday night. The previously undefeated Mountaineers had been ranked as high as third in the AP Poll. The loss knocks them out of contention for a national title and has to leave WVU coach Rich Rodriguez hoping his team can still find some way to at least win the Big East.

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Personally, I don't mind seeing WVU do well on the gridiron. But I'm a graduate of interstate rival Marshall University (whose football program is in the dumps at the moment) and a big fan of the Tennessee Volunteers (not having the greatest year). So I'm a little relieved to see some of the air taken out of the Gold and Blue sails. I'm surrounded by Mountaineer fans at work and now they'll have less to mouth off about…

Tampa sportswriter Greg Auman summed up the atmosphere surrounding USF's biggest home game ever in his blog this morning: "Craziness. That's all I can say about Friday night's sellout and historic win for USF over No. 5 West Virginia."

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