Five things I learned this weekend: The Mountaineers will be formidable in the big cities
West Virginia won a recruiting battle ground game when it beat Maryland 37-31. The two teams will constantly be facing off in the mid-Atlantic area. Despite being just a four-hour drive apart, the two teams have very different things to sell prospects, such as different conferences (for now) and different lifestyles (city versus country). Yet West Virginia can offer something Maryland currently can't -- a more successful program. The Mountaineers have a history of success and a top-25 program. Maryland is rebuilding.The win was especially big for Mountaineer assistant coach Daron Roberts, who recruits against Maryland in its backyard. "My philosophy is the more games we win, the better we'll do at recruiting," Roberts said. " The jury is still out as to how well will do in that area against Maryland."So far, the Mountaineers have done well. They have 18 commitments and can start to focus on the 2013 class. Six 2012 pledges are from the areas surrounding Washington D.C. The win over a red-hot Maryland team can only help."We hope that it does," Roberts said. "For us, Baltimore and D.C. are critical areas. We feel like we have to do a good job in those areas in order to be a good football team. We felt good that we could go to Maryland in our first road game and get a win in a recruiting hotbed for us."Perfect match
With the Big East crumbling, it's time for more talk about West Virginia joining the SEC. It's a perfect fit for a number of reasons. The Mountaineers have a southern feel and a great SEC-like game day atmosphere. Moreover, from a recruiting standpoint, adding the Mountaineers would increase the SEC's visibility to prospects in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic area. And another big television market, such as nearby Pittsburgh, would also increase revenue for those many recruiting trips. Sell championship dreams
Clemson has had plenty to sell prospects over the years, but with its 38-24 win over Auburn, Clemson can now sell championship potential as well. No, this isn't the same Auburn team that won the 2010 national title and neither Cam Newton nor Nick Fairley were suited up for the Tigers, but it was still a solid win over an SEC opponent. The biggest question of Dabo Swinney's career at Clemson was whether or not he and his staff could win big games. They accomplished that Saturday, a fact that shouldn't be lost on prospects. Clemson's 2012 class is nearly complete, with 17 commitments and five out of the ESPN150. Clemson coaches have already begun focusing on 2013. A few more big wins would help solidify that class as well.Sell playing time