Could Freshman Running Back (and Youtube.com Star) Noel Devine Be the X-Factor in West Virginia's Quest for the BCS Title Game?

It's pretty safe to say that every college football fan knows about Pat White and Steve Slaton by now. The QB-RB duo has been at West Virginia seemingly for ages, and have carved out a spot as the most explosive offensive duo in the country.

Slaton's backup is pretty well-known, too, but he hasn't played nearly as much. That's because he has been a star on youtube.com going back to his high school days in Florida, as tapes of the ultra-shifty 5'8 dynamo have been extremely popular on the site, with multiple videos racking up more than 100,000 views each.

Those who don't know about Devine will soon discover that he's just as talented as the two Heisman candidates, and maybe even moreso. Devine made his first big splash in the third game of the year at Maryland, rushing for 136 yards on just 5 carries on the night and showing that WVU's offense can be even more difficult to defend than previously thought by showing off his dazzling array of moves, breakneck, dare I say Barry Sanders-like quickness, and breakway speed. Devine is so tiny he basically hides behind the big Mountaineer offensive line and then reappears in the open field ready to roll for big yardage.

Devine's only had 17 carries in his first three games, but you get the sense that coach Rich Rodriguez is holding him back for the bigger upcoming contests like Louisville, Rutgers, and a tilt in Devine's home state against South Florida, who sprung an upset on WVU last year and look strong this year, having beaten Auburn on the road already.

WVU's offense has always been very good, but with only two top playmakers to worry about, teams have been able to slow White and Slaton down. Now that Devine is on board, WVU has yet another guy who will nightmarish matchup for defenses, and considering that the Mountaineer defense isn't anything special, he might be the guy that allows WVU to pile up enough points to win their big games this season en route to a trip to New Orleans for the BCS championship game.