Big 12
Neal Brown, West Virginia: With the dramatic improvement that has taken place at Kansas, there really are no pushovers in the Big 12 anymore. The Mountaineers, though, appeared to be the worst team in the league, opening 0-2, although they did thump Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. But a few days ago, on another Thursday night national stage, West Virginia beat defending league champion Baylor, making key plays on offense and defense. It was a performance that should quiet whatever chatter has bubbled up this season about the Brown’s stability.Brown took over a tricky situation after Dana Holgorsen left. A lot of talent left the program that year, too. Brown had done an amazing job at Troy, going 31-8 in his final three seasons of what was a big rebuild. He went 17-18 in his first three seasons in Morgantown. We hear he still has support from WVU leadership. He also has a huge $16 million buyout. Barring an abysmal second half, we think West Virginia will give him more time. Temperature check:Lukewarm.
