Will the Mountaineers take advantage of easy road?

                    

	Steve Slaton Damian Strohmeyer/SI West Virginia 2005 Record 11-1 (7-0 Big East) Final AP Rank 5 Returning Starters 13 (8 offense, 5 defense) Last National Title None The Contenders Auburn Michigan Cal Nebraska Clemson Notre Dame Florida State Ohio State Georgia Tech South Carolina Iowa USC Louisville Utah Miami West Virginia

By Stewart Mandel, SI.com

Why West Virginia can win it all: With the return of athletic QB Pat White and speedy RB Steve Slaton, the Mountaineers figure to run wild on defenses, much like they did against SEC champion Georgia in last January's Sugar Bowl. They also face a ridiculously light schedule that, on paper at least, contains only one frightening matchup: Nov. 2 at Louisville.

What must fall into place: White needs to assert himself more as a passer -- he threw for only 828 yards last year -- in order to keep defenses off balance. Two new starting tackles, Damien Crissey and Jake Figner, will figure prominently in the run game, and four new starters in the secondary (West Virginia uses a 3-3-5 stack) had better jell by the time of the Louisville game.

How it could go wrong: Who's to say the defense will come close to approaching last year's 15th-ranked unit? And while the Big East may be weaker than the other BCS conferences, that doesn't mean the Mountaineers can afford to get complacent. Any of several foes (Maryland, Pittsburgh, Rutgers) could sneak up on them.

Good omen: The last time West Virginia played for the national title, in 1988, its opponent was Notre Dame -- which is favored by many to reach the championship game this year.

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