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The Mountaineers are now considered one of the best teams in the Big 12 by Heartland College Sports. Morgantown, WV - Heartland College Sports, an outlet well-known for their coverage of the Big 12, has revealed their conference power rankings going into week six. The Mountaineers, who currently sit at 4-1 and 2-0 in league play, were featured at #3 this week behind only Texas and Oklahoma. https://Twitter.com/Heartland_CS/status/1710029298470424825?s=20 Any team that was picked to finish last in their conference would take that at the midway point of the season. Here are Heartland College Sports’ Big 12 Power Rankings: Texas Oklahoma West Virginia Kansas State Kansas BYU TCU Texas Tech Baylor Cincinnati Iowa State UCF Oklahoma State Houston (Photo by WVU Athletics) 

WVU has a chance to make some noise throughout the final stretch of the 2023 season.  Morgantown, WV - With the Mountaineers sitting at 4-1 overall and 2-0 in Big 12 play, the chance to make some noise is there in a down 2023 season for the conference. Many have looked ahead and determined that most of the games remaining on WVU's schedule are winnable. While we certainly agree, winning out is a lot easier said than done for a team that was picked to finish last in the Big 12. However, this does not mean that West Virginia will not at least finish strong, giving Neal Brown a chance to save his job. Here are our predictions for WVU's remaining 2023 schedule... 10/12 - at Houston: This is the one that many have been waiting for. The Mountaineers travel to Houston to go up against Dana Holgorsen - the man who left them for dead in 2019. While I am a firm believer in "any given Saturday" (or Thursday in this case), I expect the Mountaineers to take care of business here.So much for not being able to recruit talent at WVU, Holgs. WVU 31, Houston 13   10/21 - Oklahoma State: Though the Cowboys may be down right now, I expect this to be a highly competitive game. The Mountaineers were able to take down Oklahoma State in Stillwater last season, 24-19. We will have a similar score again this season.We take the good guys in another close, low-scoring game. WVU 21, Oklahoma State 16   10/28: at UCF: This is where West Virginia could run into some trouble. UCF may have suffered an embarrassing loss to Baylor, but they will have no issue with getting excited to play the Mountaineers. For the first time in 2023, the Mountaineers simply cannot keep up with an opposing offense.Expect the Knights to pull away late. UCF 31, WVU 20 11/4 - BYU: Neal Brown still has West Virginia very much alive at this point in the season. The Cougars are better than advertised and will give the Mountaineers headaches in Morgantown. Garrett Greene outplays Kedon Slovis en route to another victory. WVU 27, BYU 23 11/11 - at Oklahoma: WVU has the defense to play with Oklahoma, but the Sooners will have revenge on their mind. The Mountaineers drop this one by double digits. Oklahoma 38, WVU 20 11/18 - Cincinnati: For the first time since 2011, WVU and Cincinnati are set to meet on the gridiron. That game finished at a 24-21 final, but I expect this one to have just a little wider of margin. Give me the ‘EERs. WVU 33, Cincinnati 17 11/25 - at Baylor: The Bears may be down, but don’t count them out. Baylor is better than their record shows, and I believe they will give West Virginia fits. I’ll take the Mountaineers, but we will have to sweat it out. WVU 17, Baylor 10 Final record prediction: 9-3 (7-2)  (Photo by WVU Athletics) 

ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit has named WVU Head Coach Neal Brown a top performer for week 5. Morgantown, WV - After his team defeated the TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday, WVU Head Coach Neal Brown has received praise from many College Football analysts. Going into the game as nearly a two touchdown underdog, Brown’s Mountaineers played tough defense and used special teams to come out with a 24-21 victory. Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN, an analyst well-known for his negativity towards the Mountaineers, shared his top performing coaches of week five. Brown, who is now 26-26 at WVU, as included at the fifth-spot on the list. https://Twitter.com/kirkherbstreit/status/1708951317723414881?s=46&t=cXIQ4JQG-pp-P6qrRwLwjw Prior to the game, Herbstreit picked TCU to win, and even went as far to say that he would pick “anybody but WVU.” Brown and the Mountaineers will have their next opportunity to impress the nation when they take on the Houston Cougars on October 12th. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on FS1. (Photo by WVU Athletics)

Former WVU Women’s Basketball Head Coach Mike Carey has landed a job in the Big 12. Orlando, FL - After a brief hiatus, Mike Carey, the winningest women’s basketball coach in WVU history, has accepted a job as an assistant coach with the UCF Women’s Basketball team. https://twitter.com/UCF_WBB/status/1709675150734463157?s=20 Carey, who retired from coach following the 2021-22 season, collected 432 wins during his 21 seasons in Morgantown. The WVU Women’s Basketball team travels to Orlando to take on UCF in what will now be a very intriguing matchup. (Photo by WVU Athletics) 

Seahawks Quarterback Geno Smith has left the team’s Monday Night Football contest against the New York Giants with a knee injury. East Rutherford, NJ - One of the most feel-good stories in recent NFL history has been the emergence of Geno Smith. After a decade as a backup, Smith had a breakout season for Seattle in 2022, and even won NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Tonight, Smith and the Seahawks made the trip to MetLife Stadium to take on the New York Giants. After getting off to a solid start, Smith has been knocked out of the game with an apparent knee injury. https://Twitter.com/espn/status/1709016709548347428?s=46&t=cXIQ4JQG-pp-P6qrRwLwjw There have been no updates on his injury. Stay tuned to The Voice of Motown as we will bring you information as it becomes available. (Photo by WVU Athletics) 

Former WVU Receiver Stedman Bailey will not be rooting for his former head coach on October 12th.   Morgantown, WV - When WVU travels to Houston on October 12th, they will be taking on a familiar face in Dana Holgorsen. Holgorsen, who coached at WVU from 2011 to 2018, left the Mountaineers in January 2019 to take on the same position at the University of Houston. Originally a member of the AAC, the Cougars are now a Big 12 member, competing as a Power Five program for the first time. While Houston has been struggling in their inaugural season in the Big 12, one matchup that many have had circled is Houston’s date with WVU on October 12th. The history between Holgorsen and WVU is there, and this will be a true measuring stick of progress for both programs since his departure. Former WVU Receiver Stedman Bailey, who played under Dana Holgorsen, shared his thoughts on next Thursday’s contest earlier today on Twitter. https://Twitter.com/bailey_stedman/status/1708818763875864841?s=20 Here is what Bailey had to say regarding Holgorsen taking on his former team: “Blessed Monday morning! Thinking about my mountaineers and the road win against TCU. Next up is university of Houston & me personally. I hope we go punish coach Holgs.” There you have it, folks. Even Holgorsen’s former WVU players will be rooting against him on October 12th. Everyone in the state of West Virginia should do the same. West Virginia and Houston kickoff at 7 p.m. on October 12th. The game is set to broadcast on FS1. (Photo by University of Houston Athletics) 

The nation is beginning to notice the West Virginia Mountaineers. Morgantown, WV - After a 24-21 win over TCU, the West Virginia Mountaineers have been named one of the “top performing teams of week 5” by ESPN Analyst Kirk Herbstreit. https://Twitter.com/kirkherbstreit/status/1708932623572107431?s=46&t=cXIQ4JQG-pp-P6qrRwLwjw Herbstreit, who picked TCU to win during College Gameday, has been adamant on picking against the Mountaineers. The main reason behind his opposition of WVU is his co-analyst on College Gameday, Pat McAfee. McAfee, who played at WVU, wasn’t shy to let Herbstreit know about his previous stance this evening on Twitter. https://twitter.com/patmcafeeshow/status/1708934586032394323?s=46&t=cXIQ4JQG-pp-P6qrRwLwjw WVU is currently 4-1 and 2-0 in Big 12 play. They have a bye week this Saturday before a Thursday night tangle with Houston on October 12th. (Photo by WVU Athletics) 

WVU is trending in the right direction following yet another huge win.  Morgantown, WV - When Neal Brown visited Arlington, Texas for Big 12 Media Days, he was adamant that his team would not finish last in the Big 12, as projected by the media. Following a massive 24-21 win over TCU on Saturday, many would venture to say that he was correct in his prediction. It was ugly, rough, and often unpredictable, but what WVU was able to do on Saturday night in Fort Worth should have Mountaineer Nation excited for what is to come. There is something different about this team, and they now have the opportunity to become something special as we turn the calendar to October. Continuing our series of five thoughts, today's entry may just be our most positive yet. After all, it is hard not to be buzzing after just taking down the reigning national runner-up.   Garrett Greene is much farther ahead of Nicco Marchiol than many realize And that's really to no fault of Marchiol. Garrett Greene has now been with the Mountaineers for four years, and has seen the most game action out of the two. Experience is on his side, and that was evident on Saturday night. Marchiol will get there, but this is Greene's team for the time-being. This defense rallies After seeing two teammates go down to injury, the Mountaineer defense could have easily folded. Instead, they cranked up the intensity and shut out the Frogs in the second half. I am not sure what Jordan Lesley did to change the fortunes of this unit in 2023, but it sure as hell worked. West Virginia has some fighters on the defensive side of the ball. That will be huge as we get deeper into Big 12 play. Michael Hayes is a worthy successor to Casey Legg As usual, I am going to give the special teams some love. While I have been high on the Oliver Straw ladder (and I still am), I'm going to give the placekicker some attention this week. Holy sh*t...does Michael Hayes have a leg! The junior connected on a 49-yard field goal in the fourth quarter which proved to be the difference. However, he also connected on a 53-yard field goal to end the first half that was ultimately called back due to a questionable false start penalty. Hayes would then proceed to almost hit a 58-yard field goal, but left it wide. I was a little worried about placekicking after the departure of Casey Legg, but this dude seems to have what it takes. This team can play and beat anybody  There is not a game remaining on the schedule that the Mountaineers cannot win. Will they win out? It remains to be seen, but with their style of play that I like to call "bully ball," they will at least have a fighting chance in every fourth quarter. Neal Brown is the early favorite for Big 12 Coach of the Year It is hard to argue against this one. After being picked as the worst team in the Big 12, Neal Brown's team has taken down two of the conference's darlings coming into 2023. If he can pull off some more stunners, there is no doubt in my mind that he will be voted as the Big 12's best coach in 2023. (Photo by WVU Athletics)

Morgantown, WV - Following a 24-21 win over TCU, the West Virginia Mountaineers are now sitting at 4-1 overall - including 2-0 in Big 12 play. This marks the best start for WVU under Neal Brown, and has started to catch the attention of folks all over the nation. Moments ago, the Associated Press Top 25 Poll was released for week six, and the Mountaineers received 5 votes and was ranked 34th overall in the nation. West Virginia, who is going into a bye week, will likely need to wait until they beat the Houston Cougars before entering the Top 25. https://twitter.com/voicemorgantown/status/1708543335948808444?s=46&t=USDKe35TLtcCPitgUlQ1PA (Photo by WVU Athletics) 

WVU continues to climb up 2023 bowl season projections.   Morgantown, WV - Following a 24-21 win over TCU, the West Virginia Mountaineers have continued to rise up bowl projections around the country. Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach of ESPN recently revealed their bowl projections going into week six. Both have the Mountaineers competing in the TaxAct Texas Bowl in Houston, Texas (NRG Stadium) on December 27th.   Bonagura, who has yet to feature WVU in his projections in the previous five weeks, has the Mountaineers taking on the Texas A&M Aggies. Schlabach also has WVU taking on a team from the SEC West in LSU. The Mountaineers last made the postseason in 2021 when they lost the Guaranteed Rate Bowl to Minnesota, 18-6. (Photo by WVU Athletics) 

Sitting at 4-1, the West Virginia Mountaineers have received votes in the Amway Coaches Poll. Morgantown, WV - The Mountaineers have easily been the surprise of the season in the Big 12. After being picked to finish dead last in the conference, Neal Brown has his team sitting at 4-1 and 2-0 in conference play. Many around the nation are beginning to take notice, including coaches. Moments ago, the Amway Coaches Poll was revealed for week six. West Virginia, who is going into a bye week, received 6 votes in the poll. While this is certainly nothing to celebrate yet, it is still an outstanding achievement for a team that was expected to be one of the worst in the nation. Stay tuned to The Voice of Motown as we will bring you the AP Top 25 Poll as soon as it is released. (Photo by WVU Athletics)

WVU Safety Aubrey Burks shared an update on his status following his team’s 24-21 win over TCU. Morgantown, WV - During WVU’s thrilling 24-21 win over TCU on Saturday night, Safety Aubrey Burks went down with what was a frightening injury. While making a tackle on a punt return, the Florida native collided awkwardly with a TCU player and had to be carted off the field with an upper body injury. WVU Head Coach Neal Brown updated fans last night, stating that he would have to stay the night in Fort Worth. Shortly after, in the very early hours of the morning, Burks also gave an update on his status via X (formerly Twitter). https://Twitter.com/aubreyburks14/status/1708362993405136898?s=46&t=cXIQ4JQG-pp-P6qrRwLwjw “All is well Mountaineer Nation, my brothers never lost hope! Proud of this team!” Burks, who has started every game for the Mountaineers this season, appears to be okay and in good spirits following the injury. However, there has been no indication as to how long he will be sidelined. Stay tuned to The Voice of Motown for updates. (Photo by WVU Athletics)   

WVU has shared injury updates on both Aubrey Burks and Trey Lathan. Morgantown, WV - Moments ago, the WVU Football team shared updates on the injuries of Aubrey Burks and Trey Lathan. The update is as follows:   “Junior safety Aubrey Burks will stay in Fort Worth tonight for observation. Redshirt freshman linebacker Trey Lathan also will remain in town and have surgery on a lower leg injury.” https://Twitter.com/wvufootball/status/1708337986142646454?s=46&t=cXIQ4JQG-pp-P6qrRwLwjw Both Burks and Lathan left WVU’s 24-21 win over TCU with presumed serious injuries. Expect Neal Brown to give updates on both during his press conference on Monday. (Photo by WVU Athletics) 

Pete Thamel of ESPN has provided an update on WVU Quarterback Garrett Greene.   Morgantown, WV - Yesterday, Brett McMurphy of Action Network reported that WVU Quarterback Garrett Greene was “expected” to start today against TCU. Well, Mountaineer Nation now has another update surrounding the situation, and the narrative has changed slightly. According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, Greene will be monitored during warm-ups tonight, but it still expected to make his return to the starting lineup. https://Twitter.com/PeteThamel/status/1708097060572889470?s=20 Greene has been plagued by an ankle sprain suffered in WVU’s 17-6 win over Pitt on September 16th. The Mountaineers and Horned Frogs kick off tonight at 8 p.m. with the game set to broadcast on ESPN2. (Photo by WVU Athletics) 

WVU Quarterback Garrett Greene is expected to start against TCU. Morgantown, WV - After missing most of the Pitt game and the Texas Tech game with an ankle injury, WVU Quarterback Garrett Greene is expected to start at TCU on Saturday, according to Brett McMurphy of Action Network. https://Twitter.com/Brett_McMurphy/status/1707874742202474742?s=20 Greene, who won the starting job in fall camp, was injured during the second drive of WVU’s 17-6 victory over Pitt. Despite being available against Texas Tech, he did not see the field in favor of Nicco Marchiol, who threw for 78 yards and ran for 72. WVU and TCU kickoff at 8 p.m. tomorrow. The game is set to broadcast on ESPN2. (Photo by WVU Athletics)