Morgantown, West Virginia – Huge decisions are being made throughout college sports right now and the world of college athletics revolves around football. Football is King and it’s how a huge chunk of revenue is made for universities around the country.
With that said, there has never been a more important season for the West Virginia Mountaineers than the one upon us for a variety of reasons.
1. West Virginia has to end up in a major conference…whatever that is in the future.
The decisions that are currently being made will impact West Virginia for years, if not decades. Maybe forever. It’s critical that West Virginia shines and succeeds this season in the Big 12 Conference. The Mountaineers must prove that they belong. Not only with wins on the field but also television viewers and attendance during home games.
2. Neal Brown has to prove that he’s the right man for the job.
So Neal Brown says and does all of the right things on and off the field, but does he have what it takes to win big in a Power 5 Conference? 17-18 is somewhat reasonable in his first three seasons in a rebuild mode, but 11-15 in conference play is not and Brown must eventually produce big wins against the top teams in the Big 12 Conference.
Beating Pitt and/or Virginia Tech on the road is huge. And a win against Oklahoma or Texas would go a long way in Brown proving that his brand of football can get it done. There’s no question that Brown has succeeded in many ways off the field – recruiting, program-building, culture – but he must also produce on the field.
3. West Virginia has the talent. Why not the Mountaineers, why not now?
The Mountaineers have no excuses left. Brown has his players in place. JT Daniels is an experienced quarterback who was one of the most talented players in his recruiting class a few years ago. The entire starting offensive line returns. The receiving corps is one of the best in the conference. The defense has been very good during Brown’s tenure and is expected to be just as good this season.
Winning 8+ games is mandatory. Anything less is not progress, and West Virginia’s Director of Athletics Shane Lyons said as much recently.
In other words..
Why not West Virginia? Why not now?
