MORGANTOWN - Odds and ends and a few things I think I think:

But it's not a big deal.

Oh sure, you'd like to have a guy who stands to compete for your backup quarterback job to be able to do more than, well, stand in the two months leading up to the season. But we are, after all, talking about a backup quarterback. If he's anything else this season then it means Jarrett Brown is either hurt or struggling, in which case that whole-mess-of-trouble thing rears its ugly head.

But what's the worst-case scenario (save for Smith being hobbled more than the predicted 6-to-8 weeks)? Well, it's that for the next eight weeks the true freshman is limited to putting more time into studying the playbook and throwing to - and developing a relationship with - WVU's receivers. Yes, he misses some of his conditioning work (no running or jumping, but upper-body work is OK) and is perhaps limited in what he can do during August camp, but how good does a backup quarterback's conditioning have to be?

"Quarterback is the toughest position for a freshman to play mentally,'' WVU offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen said. "Offensive line is the toughest physically.''

So if Smith was a left tackle being counted on to play, this would be bad news. But again, being limited physically just means he now has more time to spend on the mental part.

Also remember that Smith hasn't even won the backup job. He hasn't even started competing for it yet. So the idea that his broken foot is some kind of a big blow is pretty silly.

Now, once again, I couldn't care less, although I doubt West Virginia is going to sign anything that balanced short of political intervention. And really, what's wrong with another seven-year deal exactly like the last one? Remember, had Marshall been able to win two of the first three games and earn home field for the fourth (which, by the way, is this year's game in Morgantown), that seven-year series would have been a 4-for-3, which amounts to three home-and-homes and one extra game in Morgantown. It turned out to be a 5-for-2 (look at it as a pair of 2-for-1s and an extra game at WVU), which sucks if you're Marshall, but that's no one's fault but the Herd's for losing.

MORGANTOWN - Odds and ends and a few things I think I think:

But it's not a big deal.

Oh sure, you'd like to have a guy who stands to compete for your backup quarterback job to be able to do more than, well, stand in the two months leading up to the season. But we are, after all, talking about a backup quarterback. If he's anything else this season then it means Jarrett Brown is either hurt or struggling, in which case that whole-mess-of-trouble thing rears its ugly head.

But what's the worst-case scenario (save for Smith being hobbled more than the predicted 6-to-8 weeks)? Well, it's that for the next eight weeks the true freshman is limited to putting more time into studying the playbook and throwing to - and developing a relationship with - WVU's receivers. Yes, he misses some of his conditioning work (no running or jumping, but upper-body work is OK) and is perhaps limited in what he can do during August camp, but how good does a backup quarterback's conditioning have to be?

"Quarterback is the toughest position for a freshman to play mentally,'' WVU offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen said. "Offensive line is the toughest physically.''

So if Smith was a left tackle being counted on to play, this would be bad news. But again, being limited physically just means he now has more time to spend on the mental part.

Also remember that Smith hasn't even won the backup job. He hasn't even started competing for it yet. So the idea that his broken foot is some kind of a big blow is pretty silly.

Now, once again, I couldn't care less, although I doubt West Virginia is going to sign anything that balanced short of political intervention. And really, what's wrong with another seven-year deal exactly like the last one? Remember, had Marshall been able to win two of the first three games and earn home field for the fourth (which, by the way, is this year's game in Morgantown), that seven-year series would have been a 4-for-3, which amounts to three home-and-homes and one extra game in Morgantown. It turned out to be a 5-for-2 (look at it as a pair of 2-for-1s and an extra game at WVU), which sucks if you're Marshall, but that's no one's fault but the Herd's for losing.

So again, if the series is going to go on, if West Virginia won't stand for home-and-home and if Marshall wants something close to equity, redo the same deal and then fight it out where it matters - on the field.

But don't cite Virginia-Virginia Tech and those others because there's one fairly significant difference. Those are all series between same-state schools where both are members of BCS-level conferences, all with basically the same types of budgets and stadiums and with like scheduling and television considerations. Show me a long-term, home-and-home series (not just random 1-for-1s, but continuous) between same-state schools where one is in a power conference and the other isn't.

There might be a few out there, but it's certainly not being done "in just about every state in the United States.''

Huh?

Now granted, I haven't played a video game since Pong, but judging by the commercials I see on tee wee they've come a long way. The mere fact that the players resemble anything other than the old plastic figures that used to wobble around on a vibrating board (remember those?) is amazing to me.

But Hart (Rutgers), Taylor (Cal) and Keller (Arizona State and Nebraska) all claim that EA Sports, rather than going with someone even vaguely relevant, copied their likenesses and style, we assume in order to appeal to those easily impressed.

I'm expecting Danny Embick or Scott Otis to join the suit any time now.

Reach Dave Hickman at 304-348-1734 or dphickm...@aol.com.