I’m still not accustomed to talking about West Virginia and the Big 12 at the same time.
I still look up news on the Big East and its conference members.
One of these days I’ll figure it out that I need to start learning more about the Mountaineers’ future opponents in the Big 12.
No one is positive if WVU will be playing Oklahoma and Texas in 2012, but if Oliver Luck says it’s going to happen then it is. Seriously, if Luck were running the Big East Conference, the league would not be in the disarray it is today.
You see why West Virginia’s AD did everything he could to find a new home for the Mountaineers. He may have been criticized for this, but he was looking out for his own.
The Mountaineers’ future is still up in the air, but conventional wisdom suggests WVU and the Big East will reach an agreement and the Mountaineers will play in the Big 12 in 2012. Since WVU announced it was leaving, the Big 12 and West Virginia’s president have said WVU will be a member of the Big 12 on July 1.
I believe them.
At some point soon, if not already, Dana Holgorsen and his players must transition away from thinking Big East football and focus on what it means to be in the Big 12. Holgorsen’s recent experience at Oklahoma State and Texas Tech should pay off immediately for the Mountaineers. However, it is much different going on the road to Austin, Norman and Lubbock instead of Tampa, New Brunswick and East Hartford.
But WVU has played in some hostile environments over the years, and has even won a few. So how could we expect the Mountaineers to fare in their new conference?
It’s a small sample, but it’s something to go on.
West Virginia is 9-4 against the current members of the Big 12. If you want to add Missouri and Texas A&M into the mix, then the Mountaineers are 11-7. Actually, WVU’s only losing record comes against Mizzou, who has beaten the Mountaineers three times in five games.
The Mountaineers are 2-2 against Oklahoma—including a 48-28 win by WVU in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl—and 1-0 against Texas.
These match ups range from 1938 to a few years ago. So you can’t put too much credence in these. Then how well does the 2012 WVU football team fit in with the rest of the Big 12?
Let’s start on the offense, especially since that group put up 70 points on Clemson in the Discover Orange Bowl.
Holgorsen perfected his high-octane offense in the Big 12 and he knows it will work in the league. It also helps that senior quarterback Geno Smith ran the system for a year, and you could tell in the Orange Bowl that he was totally on the same page with his coach.
WVU also returns a slew of talent at receiver. Senior Tavon Austin is the speedy, do-everything guy. He’ll return punts, run plays out of the backfield and he’s the favorite target on screens. Austin is the most explosive player on WVU’s offense.
While Austin is the most talented receiver, junior Stedman Bailey is Smith’s most reliable target. The two were high school teammates and the teamed up for 72 catches, 1,279 yards and 12 touchdowns. The receiving corps is deep and also includes another high school teammate in Ivan McCartney.
For the Mountaineers to truly succeed on offense in the Big 12, Holgorsen will need to develop more of a running game. Dustin Garrison, Shawne Alston and Andrew Buie will all get carries, but who will take over as the No. 1 guy is up for grabs.
On defense, WVU is likely to change from its 3-3-5 alignment now that DC Jeff Casteel has left to join Rich Rodriguez at Arizona. What that will be is not clear, but the Mountaineers have named Joe DeForest a co-defensive coordinator.
DeForest will be faced with replacing some quality front-line talent in CB Keith Tandy, LB Najee Goode, DE Bruce Irvin and DT Julian Miller. WVU has historically rebuilt its defense after these types of losses. But to be a serious contender in the Big 12, WVU will need to improve its overall quality and depth on defense.
Still, the Mountaineers could not have picked a better season to make this transition. If they don’t get too distracted by the change, WVU has the talent to be in the top three in 2012. If a few breaks go their way, the Mountaineers could actually win the conference.
That’s where the fans come in for WVU. As a member of the Big East, the Mountaineers always had a chance to win the conference and go to a BCS bowl. That won’t be the case in the Big 12.
Collectively, West Virginia is excited about the opportunity, and even more so, the fact that someone actually wanted them. After flirting with the ACC and SEC, the Mountaineers were getting antsy. Seriously, who wants to be left in the Big East when the music stops?
The best thing that could happen now is another round of Big 12 expansion that includes any of the following: Louisville, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati or South Florida. It may not be likely, but it would help on the travel.
There are still many unanswered questions and WVU will learn on the job, but right now the Mountaineers just want to know when that first Big 12 game will be. I’ll guarantee you a packed house at Mountaineer Field, and a tailgate scene that will make the Big 12 proud.
