Sunday Morning Thoughts: Don't Count Out West Virginia Just Yet

No recap of a game this week, but I list a few reasons why WVU fans should be excited.

Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

Let me first start by saying the West Virginia Mountaineers have a ton, and I mean a TON of work to do before we can take them seriously as a Big 12 championship contender. However, you could say that for the other 15 teams in the league as well.

All this past weekend proved is that the Big 12 is extremely tough from top to bottom and if you don't play your best game, anyone can beat you.

Arizona, who hasn't looked all that impressive this year, took down preseason Utah by two scores on the road. Oklahoma State was deemed to be the No. 2 team in the league by many and has now suffered consecutive losses, dropping to 0-2 in league play for the first time since 2005. And the Pokes didn't just lose to Kansas State, they were manhandled, losing 42-20. Their passing game is a real concern right now, especially considering Ollie Gordon II has yet to replicate what he did a year ago.

Moving onto the nation's two favorite preseason darkhorses, UCF and Kansas. Whew. The Knights mishandled some opportunities early and then let the game get away from them. If you've watched Between The Eers or The Walk Thru GameDay Show, you know I've been attempting to throw buckets of water on the UCF hype train for several months. I have no idea what they did to become two-touchdown favorites against Colorado. Beat a middle-of-the-road TCU team? Congrats. As for Kansas, I'm at a loss for words. I didn't believe they'd be in the mix either but I never saw a 1-4 start to the season coming. And then you have the biggest surprise which has been BYU, and by far. Most voted the Cougars to finish in the bottom five in the league, yet here they are ranked in the top 25 with an unblemished record.

So, what does this all mean for West Virginia? This league is crazy and although it wasn't pretty, you found a way to come back and defeat Kansas to get to 1-0 in the games that truly matter in this new era of college football. It's a survive and advance, one week at a time type of approach. We've talked about this daunting stretch of games WVU is in the midst of, but they can't think about anything beyond Oklahoma State. Sure, the Cowboys are struggling, but do you know the last time they lost three straight games? 2014. A decade ago. Instead of being the Cowboys' get-right game, this is where WVU has to show its growth as a program and win a challenging game on the road.

If they do beat Oklahoma State, you put yourself in a really good position to be someone worth being talked about in the Big 12. Then again, you have Iowa State and Kansas State waiting for you. The good thing is both of those games are at home. Going 2-1 or better over the next three gives you a chance and in this wild, crazy, unpredictable league, that's all you can ask for.

Want a few reasons to be optimistic on this stress-free weekend?

For starters, WVU's offense hasn't played its best ball yet, including quarterback Garrett Greene. The first month of the season presented some challenges and a lot of pressure moments. From trying to shock the world versus Penn State to being amped up for the Backyard Brawl, Greene and this offense needed a week to catch their breath and regroup. If he gets back to being the player he was a year ago, look out. Jahiem White and CJ Donaldson have been good, but not quite as strong as they were a year ago as a duo. There's more in there. At receiver, you've seen spurts from some guys, but you need at least two of them to step up and be reliable targets on a weekly basis. You may be halfway there if Hudson Clement has officially turned the corner.

Defensively, it's been bad at times, like REAL bad. But who knows? Perhaps a simple change of defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley moving up to the box could lead to better results. The players still have to do their part in tackling better, taking good angles, and playing the ball better in the air, but Lesley can get his guys in position to make plays more often by seeing the whole picture. Last week against Kansas, WVU showed some positive signs against the pass. Yes, the Jayhawks aren't exactly a team that scares the living daylights out of you when they drop back to pass, but you'll take any sign(s) of progress.

The one thing they have working for them is their pass rush. Entering this weekend, only four other teams in all of college football generated more quarterback pressures than the Mountaineers. If the secondary just gives them average production, they'll be able to manage when you get that type of pressure on the QB.

These next four weeks will begin to tell the story of West Virginia's 2024 season, so buckle up folks. It's about to get real.

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