A three-game winning streak that included a 24-21 win over Cincinnati Bearcats back in early November when Cincinnati was ranked 23rd helped the West Virginia Mountaineers climb back in to the top-25 and earn the Big East BCS bid to get to the Discover Orange Bowl. The Mountaineers won their final three games without a single one of those victories coming by a margin of greater than three points, but that won’t make them any less of a threat in the eyes of a Clemson Tigers’ team that has had some success according to the sports betting numbers against teams from the state of Virginia this year.
Clemson dominated the Virginia Tech Hokies twice this NCAA football year, including in the ACC Championship game where they won by 28 points. The Tigers didn’t overhwhelm every team that they played this season the way they did the Hokies, but sophomore quarterback Tajh Boyd did throw for 3,578 yards and 31 touchdowns as they leaned on their passing attack in key situations, including his 240 yards and three touchdowns in the ACC Championship. Geno Smith was even more effective for the Mountaineers with 3,978 passing yards and 25 touchdowns, and will need to be at the top of his game for the program’s first Orange Bowl appearance. Smith emerged as one of the top quarterbacks in the country as the season progressed, and any chance West Virginia has in this game will rest on his shoulder according to the pay head bookies.
