If you love football -and who doesn't? -then you have to love today.
Two Super Six state championship football games, including Williamstown taking on Wheeling Central for the Class A title.
College football conference championship games to decide who goes to the BCS (the winners) and who goes to the Podunk Bowl (the losers).
What normally would be a meaningless game between Connecticut and Cincinnati deciding West Virginia University's bowl fate.
It's going to be a wild day, from noon when UConn-Cincinnati kicks off until around midnight, when the Big Ten and ACC titles will be decided.
Cincinnati is a solid 9-point favorite over UConn even with second-team quarterback Munchie Legaux under center. If the Bearcats win, WVU will get the Big East's BCS bowl bid. If Cincinnati loses, 7-5 Louisville will represent the Big East in the BCS.
Noon also is the starting time of the first of the two state championships to be decided.
That's when the Class AAA game between Martinsburg and George Washington, both 13-0, will kick off at Wheeling Island Stadium.
It pits the state's top individual -George Washington's Ryan Switzer -against the state's top team -No. 1 and defending state champion Martinsburg.
When I e-mailed my Kennedy Award ballot to Doug Huff, the long-time secretary of the West Virginia Sports Writers Association, I told him counting these votes would be like performing that task for the Reagan-Mondale election. There's no suspense -Switzer will win in a landslide.
But he and his Patriots may be up against it versus Martinsburg.
One highly-respected Class AAA coach -after watching Martinsburg play -said "we're all playing for second.'' We'll find out today if he's as good at prognosticating as he is at coaching.
Once the Class AAA game concludes, the spotlight will shine on the small school title to be decided between two familiar foes -Wheeling Central and Williamstown -both of whom are perennial Class A powers.
These are two programs with great athletes and talented and dedicated coaching staffs who put those athletes in the best position to win. Williamstown opened some eyes with its domination of Wahama and can approach this game the way it approaches every other -with confidence.
Finally, our long day of football will conclude with a trio of high-profile 8 p.m. games.
West Virginia fans -providing Cincinnati took care of business early in the day -will want to pay particular attention to the Atlantic Coast Conference title game between Virginia Tech and Clemson, as it is quite likely the Mountaineers will meet the winner in the Orange Bowl.
The Big Ten title game between Wisconsin and Michigan State likely will send the winner to the Rose Bowl, while an Oklahoma State win over Oklahoma would give the Cowboys the Big 12 title and likely send them to the Fiesta Bowl.
Contact Dave Poe at dpoe@newsandsentinel.com
