Get Ready, the National Media Will Overlook WVU Once Again

Same stuff, different year. West Virginia will play its natural role of the underdog.

Oct 12, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Garrett Greene (6) / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

No one, and I mean no one, expected West Virginia to do what they did a year ago winning nine games and finishing in fourth place of the Big 12 Conference standings. And you would think that after winning five of their last six games, there would be more of a national spotlight on a group that returns a lot of production on both sides of the ball.

Maybe I'm jumping the gun a little bit here, but I'm already getting the hunch that West Virginia will not be populating preseason Top 25 rankings by various news outlets or viewed as a serious contender in the Big 12. ESPN put out their post-spring top 25 Monday morning and had the Mountaineers two spots out of making the cut. And to be completely fair, that's higher than what I thought they would put them. But I don't believe that will be the consensus the deeper we get into the summer.

Why?

Externally, there's going to be a great deal of concern with how WVU replaces the likes of Zach Frazier and Doug Nester. Little do they know, the Mountaineers have veterans who have started games (Brandon Yates and Nick Malone) ready to slide into their spot. Assuming they will produce at the same level is a little unfair to them, but they are more than capable of getting the job done and thus keeping the offensive line a key strength of this football team.

The other part of it is the schedule. Some believe last year's success was a byproduct of a relatively "soft" schedule. And while I am a firm believer the 2024 slate is more challenging, it should not impair the overall outlook of this group. You can't completely ignore the fact that West Virginia returns four of its top five rushers (including Greene), three starting o-linemen, four of its top five receivers, its starting QB and nearly its entire front seven on defense. This bunch should be able to handle a step up in competition, especially when seven - or eight if you count Pitt - of your twelve games are played at home.

But hey, West Virginia usually thrives when counted out. No one saw 1988 coming, nor 1993 or 2005. While 2023 didn't quite hit to the same extent, they exceeded expectations with flying colors, yet still won't receive much attention heading into 2024. Instead, they'll be viewed as a team that has talent but will come back down to earth with a more difficult schedule to navigate.

Will the media pick them 14th in the Big 12 again? No, but I can almost guarantee they won't get the respect they deserve. Will they prove everyone wrong again? Time will tell.

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