We won, let's torch the couch!

The University of West Virginia is a relatively typical state school in the USA. It's located in Morgantown, away from a major metropolitan area (not that there is one in West Virginia) and while meeting all the academic needs of its constituents, the place also knows how to party. West Virginia fans have a reputation for being loud and rowdy, and liquor may or may not be part of that.

The school's nickname is the Mountaineers and the mascot is a real human who dresses like Daniel Boone and fires a musket after touchdowns. But that's not the oddest tradition in Morgantown. No, that would be setting fire to the couches on the front porch of student houses after a win.

This bizarre ritual allegedly began in the Sixties after a big win over Penn State, and Melbourne resident and occasional BPL contributor Adam Gurwitch (@thegur) - who spent a year getting his Masters degree in Sports Management at West Virginia - has seen it first hand.

"Downtown Morgantown is quite rundown and decrepit, so very few non-students actually live there," Gurwitch says. "Hence with so many students living in close proximity, things can get out of hand quickly."

Gurwitch does concede that the tradition may not have long to live. Not only has the act been upgraded from a misdemeanor to a felony, but things get a bit muddled when the Mounties rack up a number of victories.

"How good does the win have to be to set fire to your couch?" he adds. "I'm not sure of the exact answer, but I do know that if they can beat LSU, I very well may burn my couch here in Melbourne."

West Virginia hosts LSU on Sunday at 10:07 am on ESPN and ESPN HD.

Week Four TV Guide

Sun Sept 25, 2 am, ESPN 2, Notre Dame (1-2) @ Pittsburgh (2-1)

Why watch: To see if Notre Dame can make it two wins in a row.

The scoop: The Irish are coming off a 31-13 thumping of highly-regarded Michigan State. Tommy Rees seems to be the choice at quarterback now and he's got one of the country's best receivers, Michael Floyd, to throw to. Pittsburgh blew a 21 point second half lead last week in a loss to Iowa, and head coach Todd Graham will have his team ready: Graham coached at Tulsa last year and they upset the Irish 28-27.

Fun fact: This one should be a sellout. In fact, Pittsburgh has sold out Heinz Field five times since 2001 and three of those games were against Notre Dame.

Sunday Sep 25, 5:30 am, ESPN 2, Oklahoma State (3-0) @ Texas A&M (2-0)

Why watch: Two very good teams that can put plenty of points on the board.

The scoop: Interesting matchup of two "little brothers" who live in the shadow of far bigger football programs (Texas and Oklahoma). #7 Oklahoma State is rolling up huge numbers behind quarterback Brandon Weedon, a former pro baseball player. He's thrown for more than 350 yards in three consecutive games, including last week's 59-33 win over Tulsa, a game that started after midnight because of thunderstorms. #8 Texas A&M is led by QB Ryan Tannehill and running back Cyrus Gray, who's rushed for more than 100 yards in nine consecutive games.

Fun fact: This is the first game between Top Ten opponents at A&M's Kyle Field since 1975.

Sunday Sep 25, 10:07 am, ESPN, LSU (3-0) @ West Virginia (3-0)

Why watch: This is a season-maker for both teams. A loss probably rules them out of playing for the national championship.

The scoop: Something's gotta give: LSU has one of the nation's best defenses. Last week they held powerful Mississippi State to just six points and 193 yards of total offense. But West Virginia is averaging 42 points a game, and last week Geno Smith threw for a career-high 388 yards against Maryland. The schools have only met once before - last year - and LSU won 20-14.

Fun fact: LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee has filled in for the suspended Jordan Jefferson and led the team to three consecutive wins.

Sunday Sep 25, 12:15 pm, ESPN 2, USC (3-0) @ Arizona State (2-1)

Why watch: An interesting QB matchup between pro prospect Matt Barkley of USC and 6'8" Brock Osweiler of ASU.

The scoop: USC is on probation and ineligible to win the Pac 12 title. But they're a dangerous team, and with Barkley pulling the strings, can score a lot of points. He threw for five touchdowns in last week's big win over Syracuse. Arizona State is a bit of a mystery. They were picked to be a top team, but a 17-14 loss to Illinois has cooled expectations. Vontaze Burfict is a monster on defense and a sure top ten NFL draft pick next year.

Fun fact: Interesting to see how the Arizona State crowd will greet USC running back Marc Tyler. He told TMZ.com that ASU had the best-looking women of any college in the US.

Sunday Sep 25, 1:22 pm, ESPN, Oregon (2-1) @ Arizona (1-2)

Why watch: The Oregon uniforms, of course!

The scoop: It can't get much worse for Arizona. Injuries, rumours of unrest in the ranks, a big loss to Stanford last week and now the high-powered Ducks come to town. Oregon has beaten up on Nevada and Missouri State and since this is their Pac 12 opener, they'll be looking to put the accelerator down and run up a big score.

Fun fact: Since Oregon beat Arizona in double-overtime in 2009, the Ducks are 15-3 and the Wildcats are 10-9.