Ok, so my heart is broken.  Is there a medical id card for that?

My beloved Mountaineers will not be playing for the National Championship. They lost 13-9 to the Pitt Panthers tonight.

Yes, Pat White dislocated his thumb and sat out about half of the game, and yes, there were a number of questionable calls — and non-calls — from the officials. But the fact remains that they were simply outplayed.

The pundits have made much ado this season about the curse of being ranked #2 in the BCS, and this loss is the seventh time in nine weeks that the second-ranked team has gone down. So the alleged curse lives on.

Despite all of this, I’m taking my lead from the slogan the players have lived by all season long: No excuses, no regrets. Sure, they should have pounded Pitt, at least on paper, but that’s why they play the games.

We’re still on our way to a BCS bowl game, and the team has given me and all of the other WVU fans much pleasure and pride this year. Moreover, things are looking good for next season since most of our players are underclassmen. The success we’ve enjoyed will naturally lure even more top athletes to the school; success breeds success. I’m not going to pretend that I’m not disappointed and shocked by the loss, but neither am I going to hang my head in shame.

I’m proud to be a native West Virginian, a rabid Mountaineer fan, and an alumna. My boys will bounce back from this, and we’ll all be just fine once the sting of this defeat wears off a little. No excuses, no regrets. Let’s Go, Mountaineers!