I hate to even do this, but I've always heard its healthy to talk out your stress. Don't keep it bottled up. 

 

So that's exactly what we did on Sportsline on Thursaday and we'll do here now. Let's "talk" it out. 

 

Monday's loss to Kansas was bad. It was hard to watch the last couple of minutes. As Mountaineer fans, we've unfortunately been here before. A lead vanishes into thin air and we're left wondering, "what just happened?"

 

Everywhere I went this week people were comparing the loss at Kansas to other historic gut punch losses. "Which was worse" they would say. 

 

It's hard to define levels of disappointment, but I said I would try. 

 

So, here goes...

 

For purposes of this article (and our radio show), I eliminated the Pitt football loss in '07, the Louisville basketball Elite Eight loss in '05, the Notre Dame football Fiesta Bowl loss and the Texas basketball Sweet Sixteen loss from the discussion because of the stakes. Each of those losses hurt so badly because of what a win would have meant. 

 

My gosh. Stop for a minute and go re-read that list. Seeing them all listed makes you shudder.  I left those "postseason" losses out of this discussion for the time being. 

 

So on we march. With those tough losses out of the conversation, I submit to you four other gut punch (regular season) losses to analyze. 

 

Which of these four WVU losses were the toughest to swallow:

 

1. The Miami blocked punt game of 1996

2. The Miami Kellen Winslow catch game of 2003

3. The UMass basketball loss of '95 when the Minutemen were number one in the nation

4. Monday's loss at Kansas

 

All awful in their own way. Which one hurt the most?

 

For your reference, I ran a Twitter poll earlier this week asking the same question. 

 

Here were the results:

 

1. Miami blocked punt - 44% 

2. Monday's loss to KU - 33% 

3. Miami Winslow catch - 21%

4. UMass - 2%

 

The calls and texts we took on the show were pretty much in line with the responses above.

 

Do you agree? Was the punt block by Miami's Tremain Mack the regular season loss that hurt the most? 

 

Leave a comment below and let us know your vote. 

 

Here's something to consider. If you feel the loss to KU on Monday was the worst of the group, would you change your mind if WVU goes on to win the Big 12 tournament or advances to a Sweet 16/Elite 8 or Final Four this year?

 

Would postseason success for this Mountaineer basketball team override the disappointment of handing Kansas its first back to back home losses in nearly 30 years?

 

Now that we've talked it out, let's move on to today's game. Here's hoping West Virginia is ready to play against Texas Tech and doesn't allow Kansas to beat them twice this week.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows WVU punter Brian West going head over heels after his punt was blocked by Tremain Mack, while Cyrus Jones goes in for two of his 21 points in the overtime loss to UMass. Bottom photo shows Quincy Wilson plowing a Miami defender in one of the greatest players in WVU history that unfortutnately ended in one of the most heartbreaking losses as well. Photos courtesy of WVU Sports Communications.