Well....it's been a while since a conference's rep came down to us...
- Thread starter steeleer
- Start date
Two average wins against average competition.....don't start counting chickens just yet.
I would prefer that WVU step up too; let's just not crown ourselves champs quite yet.
I'm not saying anything about how good or bad WVU is going to be but I will say in my opinion everyone in the Big12 is beatable.
So, a Missouri team that lost to #16 Georgia, 28-27, is “average.” By my reckoning, with comparative scores, that makes WVU 16 points better than Georgia. Hey, that’s as solid logic as your statement.
OK, losing to Eastern Michigan, 61-21, was atrocious. But Tennessee almost lost to Appalachian State, going into overtime to pull it out. So that makes Tennessee “average,” too.
As for Youngstown, the Penguins (I love that nickname for a macho football team!) beat Duquesne, 45-10, and Robert Morris, a perennial power, 38-6.
I guess BYU also is another “average” team since it is only 1-2. No matter that it beat Arizona and lost to Utah and UCLA and the 3 games were decided by 1, 2 and 3 points.
Oklahoma is “average,” too, since the Sooners are 1-2 so that should be a gimme victory for WVU, right?
Kansas State is “average” at 1-1. Think Bill Snyder’s dudes will be another gimme?
TCU, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Texas are 2-1. Also “average”?
I’ll give you Iowa State and Kansas as mediocre, without the quotes.
I'll throw in agreeing that it's too early to start counting WVU chickens before they hatch. But it still feels real good to me that the Mountaineers and Baylor are the only unbeaten Big 12 teams. If Dana can shake his 4-5 season average of the past 4 years in the Big 12, WVU might even be the best "average" Big 12 champ in history.
M anhandled Missouri, 26-11
O rdinary against Youngstown, 38-21
U nnerve BYU
N euter Kansas State
T rample Texas Tech
A nnihilate TCU
I mpale Oklahoma State
N ail Kansas
E radicate Texas
E rectile dysfunction Oklahoma
R oll over Iowa State
S uffocate Baylor
I say we finish with 7 wins.....maybe 8 because the conference is down. We have not even played a decent offense team yet and we are getting raped yardage wise
I'm predicting nothing ..... but we could end up on top of the B12 this year.
Then we go into a bowl disrespected and against a "superior" foe.
And then .... we kick butt.
Sounds like Mountaineer football!
Then we go into a bowl disrespected and against a "superior" foe.
And then .... we kick butt.
Sounds like Mountaineer football!
CFE, we've played two games so far this season, way too soon to make any predictions about winning the Big 12 before we even play one conference match up. And yes, I think our two opponents so far are just average.
Missouri had their home conference opener against UGA, who many have high hopes for in a down SEC East this year. They were "up" for that game and if anything UGA played down to their level; average. I think (hope) we did the same with YSU, played down to their level.
As for BYU, I'm not sure I'd want to hang my hat on beating Arizona. They have played tougher teams since and kept it close but haven't come out on top.
As far as the other teams you mention I'm not sure why they are relevant to this conversation as they weren't mentioned in my post.
Missouri had their home conference opener against UGA, who many have high hopes for in a down SEC East this year. They were "up" for that game and if anything UGA played down to their level; average. I think (hope) we did the same with YSU, played down to their level.
As for BYU, I'm not sure I'd want to hang my hat on beating Arizona. They have played tougher teams since and kept it close but haven't come out on top.
As far as the other teams you mention I'm not sure why they are relevant to this conversation as they weren't mentioned in my post.
True, but I thought it helped me make my point that the terms "average" and "mediocre" often are not applied correctly. And, by definition, 1-2 is below average.
But, we both agree it's too early to hand the Big 12 or national title to WVU. It's just nice to think in those terms after 125 years of not winning a national title -- again, except for 1922, when WVU won the East-West bowl (later renamed the Rose Bowl).
We'll all be wiser after the BYU and Kansas State games.
M anhandled Missouri, 26-11
O rdinary against Youngstown, 38-21
U nnerve BYU
N euter Kansas State
T rample Texas Tech
A nnihilate TCU
I mpale Oklahoma State
N ail Kansas
E radicate Texas
E rectile dysfunction Oklahoma
R oll over Iowa State
S uffocate Baylor
Those journalism skills may be getting a little rusty, Cuyahoga.
The San Diego East-West Christmas Classic in which WVU played in 1922 was most definitely not the same game as today's Rose Bowl. The following links make that clear:
http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/bowls/yearly_results.php?year=1922
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego_East-West_Christmas_Classic
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Bowl_Game
Really early. I hope we rise up to be that team, but it's a long season. Most of us don't even know what we have yet regardless of who we've played. Using 2005 as a comparison, I can remember coming out of the Carrier Dome happy that we won, but thinking wow this team is going to struggle compete for the Big East title (the Big East title without Miami & VT is pretty much equivalent to 7-8 wins in the Big 12 prior to this season imo).
And the Wofford game was a lot like the Youngstown game. Not really much could be taken from that game. Who knew that a few games later, a skinny kid from Alabama would take over & take us from a good team to a BCS winner over the SEC champ and 4 straight bowl wins. No one saw that coming. Perhaps something like that is going to happen at some point this season. Probably not at QB, but a surprise spark. Or maybe we just catch all the breaks like we did in 1993 & just keep winning. Regardless I would take it.
However, as of right now, I just don't see a team talented enough to win the Big 12, even during a really down season in the league. I doubt anyone wants Baylor to win the league with all of their baggage, and quite honestly I don't think anyone really knows how good they are either because they have played no one. Not to mention Briles is no longer calling the shots. All I care about right now is beating the Mormons on Saturday.
I don't think we are much better or worse than most in the B12.
Dana can't afford to go on a 3-4 game skid as previous. He needs to steal a couple big games.
Agree with that. We could beat anyone, but also lose to anyone not named Kansas or Iowa State (assuming no season ending injury to Howard or any other key positions).
Yep, and that makes it hard to win 9 or more games. Going 3-0 in OOC games is really important this season.
Can we win 6 of 9? Yes, but we could just as easily win 4. BYU and Kansas St. are important. Start 4-0, then split with TCU/Oklahoma State and beat Kansas. Then win at minimum 2 of last 4. That's 8 heading into a bowl. We have Oklahoma and Baylor at home, so I'm betting on splitting those.
Winning in Lubbock would be huge going forward.
A path to a 9 game regular season is definitely there.
So far the only teams in the nation that haven't been 'average' performance wise that I can name are Ohio State, Louisville, and Houston. Can anyone name another team that has dominated like those three have?
Houston was losing to Cincy in the 4th quarter, so I would take them out of the dominance group. And just because a team doesn't blow everyone out, it doesn't make them average.
Agree. This Baylor story is a nightmare come true for the Big12. Big12 needs WVU to run the table in the worst way!
Nice work Debbie downer. The totality of the schedule will validate an undefeated season if it occurs. Who has Michigan beaten? How bout Washington?
