The WVU Football team is expected to be one of the worst teams in the Big 12 in 2023.
Morgantown, WV – With College Football quickly approaching, many outlets have released their 2023 season previews for all major conferences. Included in these early looks are predictions for the newly rejuvenated Big 12 Conference.
West Virginia, who finished 5-7 in 2022, has frequently been selected as the worst team in the Big 12 going into 2023. While this is certainly warranted given recent struggles, we believe that all possibilities must be taken into account when predicting the outcome for a team.
Today, we are going to take a look at WVU’s ceiling, floor, and realistic expectation for the 2023 season. Many may agree, and many more may disagree, but College Football is simply unpredictable. Giving only one prediction is simply too narrow of an expectation for any team.
Without further ado…
Ceiling – 8-4 (6-3): The Mountaineers do not have the talent to compete for the Big 12 – no matter how you look at it. An 8-4 finish including a 6-3 finish in conference play seems like the ideal scenario for Neal Brown and the Mountaineers. With this outcome, Brown likely keeps his job and West Virginia is propelled into contender status for 2024.
Floor – 3-9 (2-7): Things could get very bad for the Mountaineers in 2023. If the floor really falls out from under them, a 3-9 finish which includes Brown’s firing prior to the last game of the year is the likely scenario. A season this bad could set West Virginia back several seasons. It will obviously take a lot of bounces to go against WVU, but it isn’t outside the realm of possibility.
Realistic – 6-6 (4-5): A return to bowl eligibility should be the expectation for the Mountaineers this season. A 6-6 finish for the second time in three years may be an improvement over the 5-7 mark in 2022, but will it be enough to save Neal Brown’s job? We don’t have a crystal ball to predict this, but it’s hard to imagine WVU justifying his firing at that point – especially if they win the bowl game and get to 7 wins.
Let us know your expectations for the Mountaineer Football program in 2023!
(Photo by WVU Athletics)
