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Pro Football Focus recently released early accolades for the Big 12 Conference with the start of spring practice. In a completely ignorant and biased turn of events, Texas Quarterback Sam Ehlinger was named “the best returning player in the Big 12 Conference.” While Ehlinger is a superb quarterback, ignoring a player like Chubba Hubbard of Oklahoma State is uncalled for. Last season, the Cowboys running back ran for over 2,000 yards. This is a feat that only a handful of players have ever accomplished in a single season. To ignore this is a blatant sign that the folks at Pro Football Focus may not be as knowledgeable about football as they appear to be. Though it cannot be changed, it must be noted that Hubbard was snubbed. Not only is the Oklahoma State the best returning player, but he is the best overall player. Ehlinger will have a successful season, but nowhere near the caliber of what Hubbard will accomplish this season. https://twitter.com/texasfootball/status/1237204113093525504?s=21

Morgantown, West Virginia - Months ago, back in April 2022, a person by the name of MHver3 sent out the following message on social media: "Fox Sports advising B1G to expand and USC and UCLA are the prime candidates being eyed (as I told you 6+ months ago). How B1G will they go though!?" https://twitter.com/MHver3/status/1516166017319411713?s=20&t=FsoXaXwdr_Rbx8UyqgSpVg While many people claim to be insiders, this confirmed that the man called "MHver3" was the real deal and elevated his insider information to cult-like status on Twitter, gaining followers from many of the major names in college athletics. While he has kept a very low profile and has avoided interviews in the past, he agreed to answer questions from The Voice of Morgantown in written form. To be transparent, we initially reached out and asked for him to do the interview on The Voice of Morgantown Podcast with the use of a voice-changer to protect his anonymity, but his sources were uncomfortable with that. Having said that, here is the full interview with MHver3:  Q: Why do you leak this information? What's in it for you?   A: I leak these rumors and information I get because information deserves to be shared. I get nothing from it. It started as one solid well-placed connection for WVU sports and has grown to dozens across the country. It’s fascinating to me to see what goes on behind the curtain and it gives me fulfillment to pull that curtain back for others. Information can be fluid and sometimes it can be wrong. Sometimes it can be fed to me as being wrong info purposefully to misdirect. I’m not thrilled when that happens, but I’ve got thick skin so I can handle the attacks. My track record is actually really good if someone wants to take the time to dive into my tweet history. Q: Do you think there will be 5 major conferences still around in 5 years? Who survives?   A: There will be 3 major conferences by 2035. Who survives? A combination of Big12/Pac12/ACC leftovers after B1G and SEC have their pick. Most likely 3 conferences of 20 schools. You have to remember that the more members you have the more ways you have to split the pie. I also think you will see unequal revenue sharing becoming a thing with B1G and SEC in the future. Q: ACC vs. The Big 12 vs. The PAC-12. Which conference is in better shape right now?   A: B12 is in the best shape currently. We have 4 networks wanting to bid on our content in the next 24 months. We have weathered the initial shock of losing OU and UT and maybe have come out stronger top to bottom then we were before. We have a chance now to make some very good additions. PAC-12 is reeling and not getting good numbers for their tv negotiations, member schools are fighting, it’s bad. ACC…half the conference wants out and are very fearful of falling very far behind the Big 2 in revenue. Q: Is there a chance that the Big 10 and SEC break off from the NCAA?   A: Not as long as the rest of the Power 5 (4,3 whatever) can remain relevant with good tv money, good ratings, etc. the Big 2 will not risk alienating over half the viewing audience by using the nuclear option. Q: What is the biggest threat to college football? NIL, conference realignment, major sports networks, or the transfer portal? A: The biggest threat for the past 20 years has been networks. It’s ruined rivalries and broken programs. The biggest threat of the future is NIL. It’s going to widen the gap of the haves and have nots. It’s going to turn off many of the fans that are still hanging around that enjoy the amateurism of the sport. If a players union is formed then it gets even murkier. It really is Pandora’s box. Q: How long could these mega conferences exist? Would teams like Oklahoma, USC, etc., be okay with being the 4th or 5th best team in a mega conference with more money long-term?   A: Eventually the hope of many ADs is that the major programs (top 60-70) break away from the NCAA and form their own governing body complete with a commissioner, and negotiate all their media as one entity. This would allow for regional divisions and a return to classic rivalries and affiliations. We are still 10-20 years away from that. Q: Do you expect Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah to ultimately join the Big 12? If so, will the Big 12 be strong enough at that point to remain relevant in today's college football landscape?   A: That’s a loaded question. The way things are currently leaning I would say AZ and Colorado are as close to a lock as it can be without a formal offer being made to them yet. The other two…well that’s up to what the committee decides is best for the conference. We can add AZ and CU and get a bump in the revenue. If we add all 4 we may actually take a small hit in the per school payout. If we add all 4 plus Oregon and Washington we get a net increase per school but not much more than just adding AZ and CU alone. It gets tricky when you have so many mouths to feed. Any combination of additions will only make the B12 stronger and that’s good for WVU and good for college football. Q: Where is West Virginia in 5 years?   A: WVU is hopefully winning 9-10 games a year and will be a part of the Big 12 Conference. It won’t be a very different B12 from what we know it’s going to be with the exit of OU/UT and the additions we invited last year. There may be 2-6 new programs joining the conference from the west, though. Regardless, WVU will be stable, making more money than any ACC school from the new B12 media deal, and hopefully building that new stadium that keeps getting whispered about in the AD. Now if the SEC is somehow able to poach some of...

5 for the 10s is a four-part series reflecting on the most memorable West Virginia athletics players, games, news and events of the concluding decade of the 2010s. Second of four parts: In this installment, we rank the Top 5 West Virginia victories of the decade. These might not all be the most important wins of the decade (some are), but they’re the five most satisfying/fun victories. 5. West Virginia 70, Baylor 63 (Football, Morgantown, September 29, 2012) This was WVU’s first conference game as a member of the Big 12. The Mountaineers announced their presence with authority. The Mountaineers and Bears put up record-breaking, video game numbers as WVU broke numerous offensive records in the victory. Quarterback Geno Smith set school marks in yards (656) and touchdowns (8) and the teams broke each school’s record for total points in a game. WVU receiver Stedman Baily also made his imprint on the Mountaineers record book, setting new marks in single-game yards (303) and touchdowns (5). The teams were tied at 35 at the half, but West Virginia broke out with 21 unanswered points to start the second half. But the Baylor offense, led by quarterback Nick Florence (581 yards) rallied back, twice pulling to within on score. But Smith and the Mountaineers offense kept the Bears at arm’s length. After Baylor pulled to within 70-63, WVU never relinquished the ball and ran out the clock to victory. Unfortunately for the Mountaineers, this inaugural Big 12 conference game was not a harbinger of good things to come for the 2012 season. After beating Texas in Austin, Texas, the following week and being ranked No. 5 in the country, the Mountaineers proceeded to lose six of their next eight games to finish 7-6 (4-5 in the Big 12). But regardless of how that season turned out, Mountaineers fans will always remember this epic shootout in Motown. 4. West Virginia 42, Texas 41 (Football, Austin, Texas, November 3, 2018) Morgantown and Austin, Texas are 1,193 miles apart as the crow flies, but a pair of southward turned “Hook ‘em Horns” hand signs cemented the WVU-Texas rivalry. The clash of 13th ranked West Virginia and 17th ranked Texas took place in Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium. It was a critical matchup for both teams as the loser’s chances to making the Big 12 Championship game were slim. Trailing 41-34, West Virginia had first and 10 at the Texas 33-yard line with 23 seconds left. Quarterback Will Grier threw caution to the wind and the ball in the air, laying a beautiful rainbow pass into the waiting arms of receiver Gary Jennings in the back of the end zone with 16 seconds left to pull the Mountaineers to within 41-40. West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen, trusting Grier and the offense much more than his struggling defense, decided to go for the 2-point conversion and the win. But even that seemingly simple 3-yard play didn’t go easily in this game. Grier hit receiver David Sills on a slant pattern that seemed to give WVU the successful try and the victory. But Texas coach Tom Herman had called time out before the play, so the Grier to Sills pitch and catch went for naught. Despite the cancellation of a successful try, Holgorsen stuck with his decision and the offense tried for 2 again. This time, Grier stepped up in the pocket, pumped, then ran towards the left front corner of the end zone, crossing the goal line untouched to give West Virginia a 42-41 lead and the win. Upon scoring the winning conversion, Grier and Jennings taunted the Texas fans, turning the iconic Texas “Hook ‘em Horns” hand signs downward for the infamous “Horns Down” signal. WVU was assessed with a 15-yard penalty that was well worth the revenge. The Grier pass and run broke Longhorns fans hearts - and Fox play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson’s vocal cords. 3. West Virginia 60, Georgetown 58 (Basketball, Big East Tournament Championship Game, New York, March 14, 2010) West Virginia won its first and only Big East Conference Tournament title in the same fashion it won some many games in 2010 – on a Da’Sean Butler game-winning shot. Butler’s shot with four seconds left snapped a 58-all tie and propelled the Mountaineers to their only conference tournament title in the last 36 years. Butler scored 20 points in the finals and was named tournament MVP. He also hit the game-winning shot in the Mountaineers 54-51 opening-game victory over Cincinnati. The tournament title victory in Madison Square Garden was a homecoming for numerous Mountaineers who grew up in the New York area, including Butler, Wellington Smith, Kevin Jones, Devin Ebanks, Truck Bryant and Danny Jennings. In the first half of the victory over Georgetown, Butler joined Jerry West and Hot Rod Hundley as the only 2,000-point scorers in WVU history. 2. West Virginia 70, Clemson 33 (Football, Orange Bowl, Miami, January 4, 2012) West Virginia’s last game as a Big East member was certainly memorable. The Mountaineers scored a then bowl record 70 points in a thrashing of ACC champion Clemson in the 2012 Orange Bowl. Ironically, in a game in which the West Virginia offense broke records like toothpicks, it was a play by the Mountaineers defense that turned the tide. With WVU leading, 21-17, early in the second quarter, Clemson had driven the ball to the Mountaineers 1 and was set to punch in the go-ahead touchdown. But West Virginia’s Darwin Cook recovered an Andre Ellington fumble and returned it 99 yards for the score, turning a sure-deficit into a 28-17 lead. After that, it was all Mountaineers. West Virginia outscored Clemson, 35-3 - in the second quarter. Quarterback Geno Smith threw for 401 yards and six touchdowns. Tavon Austin had 163 combined rushing and receiving yards and four touchdowns, many on quick jet-sweep shovel passes that the speedy Austin turned into big gains. The powerful Clemson offense, led by quarterback Taj Boyd and future first-round pick receiver Sammy Watkins, had a more-than respectable night. The Tigers scored 33 points and racked up 440 yards of total offense. But that normally spectacular output paled in comparison to the...

(Photo Courtesy of wvusports.com) The Mountaineers return home after a disappointing trip to West Texas last week.  They’ll look to turn the page on the loss to the Red Raiders, welcoming nationally ranked Kansas State to Morgantown.  The Mountaineers currently hold a 4 game win streak against the Wildcats including a 24-20 win in Manhattan last season.  That game marked the first start for Jarret Doege as a West Virginia Mountaineer and saw him engineer a 10 point 4th quarter run after trailing 17-14.   Kansas State will be entering this game off a 55-14 win against Kansas.  The Wildcats returned two punts for touchdowns and almost had a third in the blowout.  Kansas obviously won’t be the best barometer on which to judge the Wildcats team.  It was an early loss against Arkansas State in a week that saw three Big 12 teams downed by Sun Belt opponents and has kept Kansas State from a perfect record.  Aside from that defeat, the Wildcats pulled out victories at Oklahoma and TCU and at home against Texas Tech and Kansas.   While still ranked #16, Kansas State enters Milan Puskar Stadium a bit of a different team than we are used to seeing. The offense is the same short yardage pound game, but the defense doesn’t seem to be as tough as years past.  The Wildcats are giving up 428 yards a game, ranked 68th nationally, putting them in the bottom half in total defense.  Uncharacteristically, this unit is giving up 159 yards a game on the ground.  Still this team knows how to win close games with 3 of their last 4 games being decided by 10 points or less; something this year’s WVU team is still struggling with.   Kansas State sits atop the Big 12 standings tied with Oklahoma State as the only two unbeaten teams in league play.  This hasn’t been easy with senior quarterback Skylar Thompson going down in the Texas Tech game.  The passing game has taken a slight step back with freshman Will Howard taking over the reins but the offense still looks much the same.  Winning on Saturday will go a long way in the Wildcats’ quest for a Big 12 championship.  Looking at the history of the matchup between these teams will suggest a close game.  5 of the last 6 matchups have been decided by 7 points or less and of the teams’ 10 meetings, they have split wins 5 and 5.   This year has a similar feeling of last year’s game with a ranked Kansas State already knocking off Oklahoma and a WVU team struggling to find their footing.  The two teams traded early blows with the Mountaineers ending the first quarter up 14-10 on Doege’s second touchdown pass to George Campbell.  Both defenses would settle in for the next 30 minutes with Kansas State able to add a touchdown and field goal each to take a 17-14 lead into the 4th quarter.  TWVU's offense then found a spark early in the 4th quarter with a 51 yard field goal by Casey Legg and Doege hitting Bryce Ford-Wheaton on a 50 yard touchdown pass to seal a 24-20 win in Manhattan.     Kansas State Offense Will Howard now has two starts under his belt, both wins, against Texas Tech and Kansas.  Howard brings more dynamic to the running attack than Thompson did with 116 yards on 25 carries.  WVU has often had trouble with mobile quarterbacks in the past.  There isn’t much drop off in the pass game with Howard versus Thompson but there is an obvious difference in accuracy with Howard completing only 58% of his passes.  This offense has never been a deep threat type of offense, using a ton of 11 personnel, establishing the run early and often.  They will never light up the scoreboard but will find enough creative ways to keep up with opponents. Tossing it over to the run game, Deuce Vaughn is the Wildcats’ largest offensive threat.  The freshman leads the team in rushing (319) and receiving (360) yards.  Vaughn and Howard both average 4 yards a carry and the tandem will be a test for this WVU defense on early downs.  The entire Kansas State offense hinges on the success of these two kids in the backfield.  The only other Wildcat with double digit carries is Harry Trotter gaining only 2.9 yards a carry.  Kansas State will use a lot of read option and jet motion to window dress simple run plays.  Howard's elusiveness will be key in keeping the ball rolling. Since Vaughn leads the team in receiving yardage you can probably guess how big of a threat this pass game is.  Kansas State has one wide receiver with double digit catches.  Of the top 6 players in receiving yardage on the team, only 2 are wide receivers.  Howard and company like to use the run to setup the pass, if they pass at all.  When they do throw the ball, it is normally seam pop shots to tight ends.  Briley Moore leads the team in receptions with 17 from the tight end spot. The inaccuracy of Howard coupled with the lack of receiving threats will allow this WVU defense to collapse down and help in the run game.  A small disguise in coverage could force the freshman into a few mistakes and easy turnovers for the Mountaineers to capitalize on.  No matter what, Kansas State will always come to fight, and you should expect this offense to do enough to keep this game close.  They are a grind it out, ugly offense.   Kansas State Defense Defensively Kansas State plays a traditional style.  Keyed on stopping the run and playing smash mouth football has be the MO of this program for decades.  Evolving with the Big 12 offenses, the 4 man front has tuned into more of a 4-2-5 look for the spread types of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, and WVU.  The front 4 play a one gap style with the backers responsible for their own gaps, making this a game of one on one matchups. This...

The West Virginia Mountaineers are already stacked for next season with explosive athleticism, size and depth.  However, with Brandon Knapper transferring to Eastern Kentucky, Bob Huggins has one scholarship available and one player in particular has popped up as the final piece of the 2020-2021 West Virginia Mountaineers team. Frank Anselem, the 6'10 220 pound four star center from Suwanee, Georgia, has long been favored to choose between LSU, Alabama and Georgia.  However, he has opened up his recruitment and Bob Huggins and staff have reached out. Anselem currently holds 21 offers from many of the major programs from around the country, including Kansas, Florida, Auburn, Maryland, Arizona State, Oregon, as well as the aforementioned LSU, Alabama and Georgia. According to 247 Sports, Anselem, is an "athletic center with outstanding frame. Good size, wide shoulders and very long arms. Strong kid but not maxed out. Still raw on offense but physical tools give him very high upside. Has budding elbow jumper and hook shot but footwork and post moves can improve. Has chance to be high level rebounder and rim protector given size, length and athleticism. Still inconsistent but upside is very high. Projects as high major starter with professional upside dependent on development of skill." Anselem announced back in April that he is reclassifying from 2021 to the 2020 class and West Virginia has a remaining open spot that many other programs don't have.  Anselem, who has a huge upside, would be a perfect project and future potential replacement for Oscar Tshiebwe after next season.

Former WVU Kicker Pat McAfee had a lot to say about WVU’s 38-15 loss to Penn State.   Morgantown, WV - There aren’t many smiling faces around the Mountaineer Football program following a 38-15 loss to Penn State. While several expected WVU to lose the game, former Kicker Pat McAfee was high on the Mountaineers, going as far to say they would upset the Nittany Lions. Well, since that did not happen, McAfee had a lot to say about Neal Brown and WVU on his daily podcast today. https://twitter.com/voicemorgantown/status/1699118530380128473?s=20 McAfee spoke about how the Mountaineers should not be viewed as a doormat at this time in Neal Brown’s tenure. While he did not call for Brown’s job, he believes that something has to change in order for the Mountaineers to be successful. However, McAfee did state that if WVU loses to Duquesne, that the administration should “remove Brown’s visor” before he exits Milan Puskar Stadium. Watch what McAfee had to say about the Mountaineers in the Twitter link above. (Photo by WVU Athletics) 

Darius Stills and the rest of his winter team rose to be victorious during the first annual “King of the Climb” Friday evening. Throughout winter workouts, players are divided into teams, and compete to earn points. Other players such as Jarret Doege, Austin Kendall, and Evan Staley, among others, were captains for the teams throughout the winter. Head Coach Neal Brown took to Twitter to congratulate Darius Stills and his team: https://twitter.com/nealbrown_wvu/status/1236441962011668481?s=21

(Photo by Sholten Singer - The Herald-Dispatch)  https://twitter.com/eliarcher81_44/status/1340840514703290369?s=21 Eli Archer, a 2021 prospect from Huntington High School, committed to Neal Brown and the Mountaineers on Sunday evening via Twitter. At Huntington, Archer played both the tight end and defensive end positions. Though there was no clear indication of which position he will play at WVU in his post, tagging Travis Trickett and Ryan Nehlen is virtually a dead giveaway that he will be playing on the offensive side of the ball. He was also a solid basketball player, scoring over 1,000 points for his career. Though he does not have a recruiting profile with a major outlet, his 6’4” frame is exactly what the Mountaineers are looking for at the tight end position, giving him the opportunity to work into playing time.  

Morgantown, West Virginia - West Virginia Mountaineers 4th-year head coach Neal Brown has said repeatedly that when he was recruiting transfer JT Daniels to West Virginia, that he made it clear that Daniels would have to earn the starting quarterback position and that it just wouldn't be given to him. But the reality is that the job was Daniels' to lose and that he would have to really play poorly during practice to not be named the starter. And so far, Daniels has shined.   Brown said the following of Daniels: "He never lost a job; he's been injured, but if you look at his career path, it's really remarkable. He's had to deal with pressure since he was a freshman at Mater Dei, which is one of the top high school programs in the entire country. He started as a freshman, which has only been done a handful of times. He graduated high school an entire year early and then starts at USC as a high school senior, essentially." Brown continued, "He has success there, wins the job during Graham Harrell's first year there, tears his ACL. So transfers to Georgia and was still recovering, gets the job, wins the Peach Bowl, and was playing really, really well when he got injured again. So this is a great opportunity to remind people that when he's played, he's played at a really high level. And so this is an opportunity for him to remind people that not only is he a high-level quarterback but he's really an NFL prospect." That doesn't sound like a quarterback that is going to sit behind Garrett Greene, a redshirt sophomore with limited experience, or Will "Goose" Crowder and Nicco Marchiol, who have no experience at this level. New offensive coordinator Graham Harrell agrees that Daniels has what it takes to be the Mountaineers' starter. "He’s very intelligent and he’s very even-keel and I think because of that, coaching him, he doesn’t change much,” Harrell said recently following practice. “It’s very similar to the way he was before, he’s always been intelligent and understands football very well, and I think now maybe he understands it a little better.” While this is a supposed four-man competition for the starting quarterback role, JT Daniels will be the starter when the Mountaineers play the Pitt Panthers on September 1st, and he gives the team the very best chance of beating the hated rivals in a few weeks. 1 - JT Daniels 2 - Garrett Greene 3 - Nicco Marchiol 4 - Will "Goose" Crowder

MORGANTOWN, WV - The West Virginia Mountaineers used a strong second half to take down the Cincinnati Bearcats on Wednesday night, 69-65. WVU, now 8-13 and 3-5 in Big 12 play, were led by a strong performance from Senior Jesse Edwards. The Amsterdam native finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds. After a long break from action due to injury, Edwards finally looked back to strength, and it made all the difference. Despite leading at halftime, Cincinnati simply could not hold off a Mountaineer squad that wanted it more. The Bearcats, now 14-7 and 3-5 in Big 12 plays, were solid throughout the night while dominating the glass with 42 rebounds. https://twitter.com/wvuhoops/status/1752846670314750390?s=46&t=cXIQ4JQG-pp-P6qrRwLwjw WVU returns home on Saturday night against the BYU Cougars. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN+. (Photo by WVU Athletics) 

Spencer Macke has already become a fan favorite in the WVU Coliseum.  He is greeted by a standing ovation every time he enters a game and is given numerous screens by teammates to free him for open jumpers and opportunities to score. Every team has an underdog who works hard in practice and then sits at the end of the bench every game due to a lack of natural talent/athleticism.  For the West Virginia Mountaineers, this is Spencer Macke.  Although it's really not.  Spencer Macke is extremely gifted and achieved an incredible amount during his high school career. At 5'11 and 170 pounds, he has a very similar build as West Virginia's starting point guard Jordan McCabe.  McCabe is listed as 6'0 and 188 pounds.  Although McCabe clearly has the advantage as a ball-handler, is he really a better shooter or scorer than Macke? McCabe is currently shooting 29% from the field and 22% from three point range.  Macke, in comparison, is shooting 18% from the field and 25% from three point range in far less minutes during garbage time. In the blowout victory over the Texas Longhorns, Macke made his first field goal of his career, a beautiful three pointer shot that everyone in the Coliseum knew was money as soon as it left his hands.  More recently, Macke banked in a three pointer against the Missouri Tigers to the delight of the West Virginia student section and really the entire Coliseum crowd. https://twitter.com/Bonfiresports1/status/1219442672064221185?s=20   Jalen Bridges said it best: https://twitter.com/jalenbridgess/status/1205977573752287233?s=20 The leading high school basketball scorer and rebounder in the state of Kentucky is a preferred walk-on this year for Coach Bob Huggins and the West Virginia Mountaineers.  Averaging 34.9 points and 15.8 rebounds last year at Silver Grove High School, a very small school close to Huggins' old stomping grounds of Cincinnati, Macke is the Mountaineer basketball player that no one was talking about before the season.  While Oscar Tshiebwe, Miles McBride, as well as JUCO recruits Sean McNeil and Tajzmel Sherman were all raved about, Macke went largely unnoticed. https://twitter.com/Smacke1313/status/1055974731822886913 Huggins first saw Macke play at the Adidas Gauntlet in Indianapolis while recruiting Oscar Tshiebwe.  Macke's game was going on next to Tshiebwe's game and took notice of the Silver Grove guard.  BlueGoldNews spoke with Macke at the end of the last year:  "After Oscar's game, Coach Huggins came over and watched the end of our game. He has also seen me play a few other times since then, but that was the first. He offered me a preferred walk-on spot during the summer.” Spencer Macke loves being a West Virginia Mountaineer and Mountaineer fans love him right back.  Although he will only play sparingly and in blowout situations, with continued hard work he could potentially see real quality minutes in the coming years for Bob Huggins' team. Don't sleep on Spencer Macke.  He's a bit undersized and lacks the typical athleticism of college basketball athletes, but he is a special talent and will contribute for the Mountaineers during his time in Morgantown.

Last time I placed a huge bet on the Mountaineers, I wagered with my heart and lost an exorbitant amount of money in the process.  I love the Mountaineers more than life itself and I'm an admitted homer and undying optimist for things West Virginia University.  It's my home, it's my alma mater, it means everything to me. Often times, I put what I want to happen before what I really think will happen.  This was certainly the case when West Virginia was beaten by Iowa State earlier in the season and I lost more money than I'm willing to admit. With that said, the West Virginia Mountaineers are a different team now with Jarret Doege running the offense and they will absolutely beat Oklahoma State Saturday at noon in Morgantown, and I'm willing to put another colossal amount of money on it.  The obvious question is, "How much?" That won't be revealed but it's substantial and it's actually a very good bet. Following the announcement that Oklahoma State starting quarterback Spencer Sanders had surgery on his thumb and would be out for the remainder of the season, the Cowboys immediately went from 7.5 point to 5.5 point favorites over the Mountaineers. The initial 7.5 point line was a bit high considering Jarret Doege's outstanding performance last week against Kansas State on the road and Oklahoma State's terrible pass defense, which ranks 116th out of 130 teams nationally, giving up 273.1 yards per game this season.  Doege will take advantage of this and Sam James (and company) will come up with another big game as the Mountaineers easily cover and beat the Oklahoma State Cowboys today. With Oklahoma State's starter out and Jarret Doege going against a weak pass defense in the team's final home game, it feels less like a possible win and more like a probable win.

COVER PHOTO: WVU Athletics Stillwater, Oklahoma -- The West Virginia Mountaineers were very close to getting a very big upset victory on the road today, but fell late to the Oklahoma State Cowboys, 70-66 to move to 7-13 on the season and 2-5 in Big 12. The Mountaineers were led by an impressive performance from starting point guard Kerr Kriisa, who had a career-high 21 points on 6-7 from three-point range. Quinn Slazinksi came off the bench to finish with 18 points (7-12 FG, 4-6 3PT) and 3 rebounds. Backup guard Noah Farrakhan added 9 points and 7 rebounds off the bench, and Jesse Edwards made his first appearance since December 16th after a wrist injury and had 3 points in limited minutes. https://twitter.com/WVUhoops/status/1751344247842767169?s=20 West Virginia will be back in action at home on January 31 against the Cincinnati Bearcats, who are currently 13-6 overall and 2-4 in the Big 12 Conference. The game will tip at 7:00PM.