CFB Most Influential Programs
#37 West Virginia Mountaineers
School: West Virginia Mountaineers
First Game: November 28th, 1891
Winning Percentage: .596 (30th)
Appearances in AP/Rank: 306 (30th)
Average AP Ranking: 14.5
National Titles: 0
Claim to Fame: Much like Virginia Tech, multiple times close but no cigar. Also, a part of incredibly underrated football tradition in the Appalachian Mountains.
Why I have them in my Collection:
While their most famous anthem is actually about the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Country Roads is to West Virginia as Rocky Top is to Tennessee. It is one of college football’s most famous unofficial official fight songs. Their home field advantage is also notoriously hostile, whether the team is clicking or not.
In terms of on field success, one can say that they haven’t necessarily underachieved, but perhaps should have a national title under their belt. Since 1969, WVU has managed to pop their head into the AP poll more often than not, and from 2005 to 2007 was in serious contention for the national title. I’m not going to talk about the Pitt game, as I do not want moonshine thrown in my face if I ever decide to visit Morgantown for a game.
Speaking of moonshine, West Virginia’s tailgates and rivalry games are legendary. The Backyard Brawl with Pitt is one of the most heated rivalries in sports, and their Black Diamond Trophy game with Virginia Tech is severely underrated. The latter of these rivalries, which did battle in the Big East in the 90s and early 2000s, always had New Year’s 6 and potential national title implications.
Despite the lack of a national title much like their counterpart in this rivalry, you can’t discount the way West Virginia, and the Appalachian region on the whole, influenced much of college football.
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