(Photo by WVU Athletics)
WVU fans are set to get their first look at the Mountaineer Football team this Saturday. Neal Brown and company will close spring practice with the Gold-Blue Spring Game. Though not every question surrounding the team will be answered during the scrimmage, we will have a better idea as to what areas the team will struggle in this fall.
Following a 5-7 season, not many are expecting much improvement out of the Mountaineers. Possessing one of the most difficult schedules in the FBS, Neal Brown could be staring down a fourth losing season in five tries.
ESPN, widely regarded as the “worldwide leader in sports,” already has their FPI (Football Power Index) available to the public for 2023 matchups. One game included in the index is WVU’s September 2nd contest against the Penn State Nittany Lions. As expected, the Mountaineers are being given virtually no chance for victory.
According the the FPI, West Virginia only has a 9% chance to beat Penn State in their season opener. Of course the low number for the Mountaineers is no surprise. However, for it to be so low says a lot about what the general public thinks about WVU in 2023.
Penn State is coming off of an 11-2 record that included a victory over Utah in the Rose Bowl. They are expected to be a contender in the Big Ten Conference, so a victory over the Mountaineers should come relatively easily for them.
