2024 West Virginia Football Season Predictions

what is going on everyone my name is Wesley Shoemaker joined by Keenan Cummings once again on the west virginas sports.com podcast it is game week it is go time and with that comes our season predictions podcast this shapes up to be one of the more fun ones that we'll probably do all year besides the game Afters or game previews but it really means that we are in football season obviously football started this past weekend out in Ireland and now it is West Virginia's turn to steal the spotlight and as everyone knows it's it's a big one starting week one in Morgantown so how this is going to work we're just kind of going to go game by game give our give our thoughts and then at the end of it you can hear each of our predictions for the records and where we think West Virginia will end up and then we'll kind of get into some over unders of stats on certain guys and where they think we think they will end up as well so it is no secret week one West Virginia has has a big task in front ahead of in front of them if they want to beat Penn State obviously they're a top 10 team they were a lot of talent across the board but specifically at the running back position Nicholas Singleton KRON Allen they returned obviously Drew Aller is back and then they still have Abdul Carter on the defensive side of the ball as well as Jaylen Reid so a lot of talent a lot of names that people like us are familiar with from last year and they are still there however they come into Morgantown so just your your thoughts on West Virginia's chances in week one against Penn State I think that this is going to be a close game uh I'm gonna make that clear last year I was worried about this game uh I really didn't give West Virginia much of a chance I know that might be I don't know surprising to some people I just feel like that's that was a tough game this year I feel the exact opposite I I'm not leaning so much that I would predict a victory for West Virginia because I don't I don't think that's necessarily how I feel but I do think this is going to be a close game and I can see West Virginia winning this game to me this comes down to two things both of these team teams want to run the football which one controls the line of scrimmage on both sides better but then even more importantly to me and this was a clear advantage to Penn State last year which one of these quarterbacks and I hate doing this because so many people do this nowadays they pick the quarterback and act like it's you know you know he's the only guy on the field that matters but which one of these quarterbacks pass catching batteries whatever you want to call it which one of them plays the best which one of them elevates their team last year it was Drew Aller he was definitely better I think he was 21 for 29 300 some yards three touchdowns probably his best game he played all year now some of that was due to some issues with West Virginia secondary but he played very well Garrett green did not he ran the ball well but you know he was inaccurate missed some throws you can he make you know that's that's been the buzzword all off season accuracy accuracy accuracy accuracy touch touch can he demonstrate that and when Penn State is able ble to stop the run which as much talent as they have on defense you do expect they're going to make it difficult for West Virginia can he make the throws can he make the plays to move this offense and kind of take advantage of what Penn State does and on the flip side of that can West Virginia secondary stopped Drew Aller because last year when he threw the ball deep he connected you know a lot some of that was yards after the catch Penn State receivers made some plays and I know that there's some concerns there for them with their receivers but which quarterback wins this game and like I said I'm trying not to be so cliche in a sense but to me I think that's the key to this game I think that's a really good point just because like let's take Garrett F first because the way he just started the year last year it was very different than the offense and we've talked about this a bunch it was very different than the offense that he had going later in the year and it was very Bland it was very let's try to just not get killed week one type thing in Penn State versus really trying to win and much as it sucks to say that they probably weren't trying to like it just didn't feel like they ever had a chance although it was close in the first half obviously Penn State missed a couple field goals there and like you were in a one possession game the third quarter it just unraveled and the offense could never find their footing so that's my thing of I think everyone expects it to be close especially early but it's in that third quarter like can you win that third quarter because last year that's where the game was lost was in the third quarter for West Virginia and I think that the atmosphere is going to be great obviously but and I think that this team's going to feed off it especially early but it's can they sustain that success into the second half of the game and I agree with you it's going to be close predicting them to win might be a little bit tougher just because it's still a top 10 caliber opponent but we will obviously get our predictions for everything later on so next week is albony at home uh FCS school they're one of the better FCS schools truthfully and it's just Albany right like it's it's your FCS game it's your buy game I think we both kind of have things straightened up there then they turn their sights to pit obviously Backyard Brawl this one's an interesting one for me just because I think it's the one Garrett will have circled he didn't get to play in this game last year because he got Hur early and I think that with the Rivalry and everything that is and you don't know what happens week one that this is going to be one they have to have especially if they lose to Penn State just from like a confidence standpoint like going one and two in the Big 12 play and you lose to your two rival like that's a tough tough place to be in so for me it's that's a big one that Garrett's gonna have Circle because he didn't get to play last year and he got hurt and I think that West Virginia has a good chance of going up there and getting a win yeah I think West Virginia there there's no fans or buts about it they have to win this game you look at the layoff of the schedule you look the layout of the schedule you look at you know what pit has returned turning now granted that isn't always indicative of how a team is going to perform sometimes you lose good players and you get better you know look at West Virginia's 20 or 2004 team and then their 2005 team that team has zero expectations and they go to a sugar bowl um after a team that kind of fell on their face a little bit and went to the Gator Bowl so I think that it's hard to predict this thing year to year and it's a rivalry game which really throws a wrench in things because you never know how those things can turn out you see it every year in football uh there's at least one team that loses a rivalry game they had no business losing and this is on the road but I think even in a good atmosphere you know West Virginia is the better football team on paper um they really should be probably three and 0 in or two and0 at least in this series uh kind of gave the one away in Pittsburgh last time so I think that that's kind of still on the you know stinging a little bit for them so I do expect West Virginia to you know come in and and play some physical football against a pit team that's really missing a lot of players yeah P what 3 and N 2- six in the ACC last year just just wasn't great they returned some guys but it's it's kind of new mostly across the board for th those guys as you said and obviously we're not a ton into pit right now but just kind of looking at it as you said that's one that they they have to have and if you're West Virginia it's it's hard to it's a hard start obviously in September but like that's just that's just one you have to have but moving on after pit you return home to open Big 12 play and and you get no favors in having to face the Kansas Jayhawks uh everyone knows about Jaylen Daniels like everyone knows how good he can be it's a matter of if he's on the field and everyone knows what he did two years ago when he came in in here to mil pushkar stadium and he went up and down the field and Kan Kansas is not the same team that half a decade ago we were like okay Kansas right like Lance lipold is seriously building something there he's he's got a team that is a top 25 caliber team and for me it's a matter of like this is your first Big 12 game and it's just going to be a dog fight I just think that this is one of those games where it's a shootout not a ton of defens is played and I think West vir has a shot they got to play they got to play with them offensively but I think they can I I don't see Kansas defense as a very scary defense but it's also a matter of can you limit their their rushing attack because they they have a ser ious rushing attack from running backs to quarterbacks just like West Virginia does I think if you look up and down we should put just put a disclaimer for the rest of this thing I for the most part I most of these games are going to be close uh that's the nature of the Big 12 that's the nature of these teams you know West Virginia didn't get a lot of favors you know they gotta play five of the of the six teams ahead of them and uh this this is a difficult difficult opener uh you look at what Jaylen Daniels can do in that offense you know a different offensive coordinator he's at Penn State now but still uh it's really impressive the way that they scheme things up the way that they came out two years ago and kind of ran something they did not show at all a lot of option type of stuff and really had West Virginia on their heels I do think this is a much better defense for West Virginia but this won't be easy I mean I think that it's a game you need to win if you're serious about trying to compete for a big 12 title you got to win at home and especially against teams that yes Kansas is going to be good but West Virginia expects to be good too so I expect that this is going to be one of those games where you're going to kind of have back and forth as you were saying I do think a little bit more defense than than the last time they came to Morgantown but but there was like 100 combined points score I think that that game was a mess and you know you thought Westford and you had that game W two they were up early and then it just slowly got away from them and then the rain started falling and then you went to overtime and and then then you have them beat in overtime and get the yep and then pick six seea yep it's it was it was a weird game but uh you know this is one that West virin is gonna have to keep Daniels in check everybody knows that uh and Kansas has some other weapons around him that's the difference last time they kind of just just had him and a few guys they got some players now and I think that this is a much better Kansas team than probably West Virginia is gonna have played at any point since they've been in the Big 12 yeah and I think if you're West Virginia or a West Virginia fan you obviously don't wish for injuries but with Jaylen daniels's injury history you wish this game was kind of later in the year just because the one knock on him has been him staying healthy for a full season and also if you're West Virginia you're lucky you get this game at home obviously their home situation isn't kind of normal this year they're playing some games at the Chiefs stadium some games elsewhere because they're renovating their Stadium but you need to have this game because as we're about to see and as everyone knows it doesn't get any easier after that and so after Kansas you get a much needed bye after you play a grueling first four weeks of the season relaxation yeah but then you're not really relaxing because then you have to go face oi Gordon on the road in Still Water a Place West Virginia In fairness did win the last time they were there with their second and third string quarterbacks of that year of Garrett and Nico who are now your one and two obviously but Oly Gordon man he came into Mor Town last year and I think we've said this on multiple episodes he's still running and he's still chugging along and it's it's kind of that's the big thing for West Virginia is can you stop the run because that's what they're going to want to do is run the ball they have an experienced quarterback Alan Bowman there who can kind of he's seen everything you could see in college football and so nothing's really going to be too big for him but those guys also have some level of weakness that you have to be able to exploit but it it starts and ends with stopping oi Gordon here if you're West Virginia and it's also of how can you handle a road environment pit will be a pretty good environment I think both of us can say that but there will be a large contingent West Virginia fans there this will be your first real true true Road game of it's you versus everyone and I'm interested to see how they handle that I think they have a chance but I think as we both said early in the off season in an article that we posted of what's the toughest Road game I think both of us might have picked this one if I'm not mistaken and so it's it's it's certainly not easy going to still water ever and especially when they have as good of a running back and as good of a team as it shapes UPS to be possibly I I don't know what is about Oklahoma State but it's always a game that West Virginia competes they compete they compete and then make some mistake that cost them the game or or Oklahoma State makes some play or West Virginia fails to make a play and it shifts the game last year it was the punt punt return SL debacle whatever you want to call that the great Caper on on the punt return where Andrew Wilson lamp ran into the guy you know before they' they've turned the ball over in key situations it's just something about Oklahoma State yes they beat him a few times but for the most part few and far between few West Virginia's number and I mean I hate to kind of spoil a little bit but until they proved to me you know that wasn't a good Oklahoma State team they they went down there and beat last time until they can beat a good Oklahoma State team in Stillwater you're gonna have to show me he can do it I I I fully agree with you and it's it's it's not gonna be easy that place isn't easy to play and that that is a very interesting Stadium uh you definitely see how they have an advantage there the the front row dudes hit whatever they hit on yeah it's it's it's something but uh moving on you get you come back home week after and this is a two game home stretch that you start with Iowa State and Kansas state that if you want to contend you've got to go two and0 in here like we're going to talk about this a bunch like you've got to defend home turf no matter what especially in the Big 12 Penn State one you can drop because obviously non-conference but if you're in League Play you've got to defend home turf and Iowa State uh obviously everyone's know the last name Beck Roco Beck is their quarterback and he's returning and I would say just kind of every single year under Matt Campbell they have these slow starts and then they kind of just get things going and it's it's a time that it's the middle of the season um obviously if you're West Virginia you're coming off a tough one last week against Oklahoma State most likely and it's it's going to be as we said another close game for the Mountaineers and it's it's it's never easy to play Iowa State I feel I just feel like Matt Campbell's brand of football is always one that is kind of physical plays tough on defense and tries to keep things close um didn't play these guys last year played them the year before and they were not a great team the year before and you went into ases and it just it was ugly and so I think the key for West Virginia in this game is like it's it's going to be how can they physically match up against Iowa State team especially when you're in like game number six and all six games have been kind of brutal on your guys and so I think if they can control the line of scrimmage and limit that wear and tear that's going to be something key especially as you get into the stretch of games here in October yeah that's a young Iowa State team too I mean they return a lot I think that the difference I feel uh with the physicality is that's why West Virginia you know you understand now why Neil Brown made it such a point to be so physical in Fall Camp you know listen to the schedule listen to the teams they're playing like all these games are going to be dog fights you know there's not a lot of uh air raid pass happy you know cutesy football here going on these teams want to run the football want to play physical and that that's that's the case here and that's the case against Kansas State too you know we could just run back pretty much what we just said for for Kansas State it's going to be a lot of the same and I agree with you if you cannot take care of the home field against state if you want to have the type of season you want to have you got to find a way to win these games you have to go at least two in one at least two in one if you want to compete for the Big 12 title in that Kansas Kansas State and Iowa State Games in my opinion and then speaking of that which we'll get into later is like you're going to have to if you go two in one you probably have to steal one on the road and there's only a couple opportunities where you could really steal one on the road and one of those games is coming up in a couple weeks but before that is Kansas State Chris kimman man he just kind of just is steady steady steady chugging along just steady and steady and just good good good and they they were a 10- win team last year seven and three in the Big 12 um obviously they got Avery Johnson coming back at quarterback and it's weird to say that I guess their backup quarterback will Howard is now the starting quarterback for Ohio State which by all accounts is the best team in the land but you know it's it's it's what time to be alive with the transfer portal but Kansas State uh their offensive line kind of took a hit losing a couple guys to the draft and eligibility eligibility last year they've always been a team though that's been physical up front especially on the offensive line they've produced a lot of good offensive linemen and that's what they would have wanted to do in the past whether it was with du vaugh like years ago or even now they just like want to run the ball and then kind of just play a steady game not turn the ball over not go into high pressure high-risk situations so this another one where it's at home make make uh make it a tough place to play if you're a West Virginia fan and give your team a shot because they as we've said they've got to have this one and probably have to have the Iowa State one if they want to be playing in Arlington when it's all said and done I might eat these words and I'm I'm a big boy I can handle it I eat it enough as it is but I am not sold on the Avery Johnson experience the point that everyone else is I think he's a good player I think a lot of people are just assuming that you know he played well in the bowl game they're going to plug him in and he's going to be a Heisman candidate all year I want to see that prove out but I do trust Chris klyman a lot the guy's just the winner you know you could argue he you know he was just doing it at a place where they win a lot no he's coming to Kansas State and it's been been a really seamless transition uh the guy just wins he plays smart football really it's kind of like the perfect coach you know to follow Bill Snider in a sense because does a lot of the same things plays good special teams plays good defense they're tough they're physical they don't beat themselves you know of all these teams we've talked about so far that is the number one team that typically does not beat themselves uh you have to beat them and sometimes football is as simple as that you know make the other team make mistakes capitalize on their mistakes and you'll win and don't do it yourself and you'll win games yeah a big thing for Avery Johnson that's a good point you bring up because there's a lot of expectations that Kansas State's going to be one of those two teams that wins the Big 12 and possibly makes the playoff but they already got him in the College Football Hall of Fame yeah but he's only started two games last year played an eight Pop-Tarts Bowl where everyone kind of was like okay they've got a guy he passed for 178 yards and he's very talented I want he's talented however it's like I want to see it over you did it in a bowl game in December can you do it when the lights are brightest and you're playing Five Big 12 teams in a row in October and November and I think that's where your point is is like let's see it you've seen it from other guys in this league let's let's be able to see it from Kansas State as well yeah I mean that that's kind of and it's no disrespect to him at all because I think he's a very talented player I don't think it's his fault that everyone's placing these expectations on him but me personally at this point you know I look at someone like Jaylen Daniels Roco Beck you know guys that have already proven themselves over over a season or two or two to that point that that I would be you know more weer of I guess and you know that game's on the road it's it's harder for young guys on the road so we'll see how it plays out you know he could end up running for 300 yards and throwing for 200 more but I I like I said I I want to see it play out before I just anoint somebody because I've seen this so many times guys close the season on a hot note open the next year you know there's a little bit of a learning curve so we'll see how it goes but I do think that Kansas State they they aren't goingon to beat themselves it's gonna be a tough out no matter no matter who's no matter how well the quarterback plays yeah while we're on the Aver Johnson topic like he also has to stay healthy just like all these guys because started in two games played Nate like let's see if you can play a full 12 game season with the physicality and the competitiveness of what the big 12 is but yeah I compare it to garri Green you know remember remember the way he closed the year and then last year struggled a little bit so I think it's easy to just kind of project people on a straight line or or an you know an upward curve it doesn't always work that way and like I said I would not be surprised if Avery Johnson is one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12 but I want to see it I want I want to see it happen first before I annoy him moving on to what also might be one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12 is a roads game at Arizona so Arizona loses their head coach to Washington but they keep most of their talent and they might have the best wide receiver in the country Noah faf at quarterback is really really good they played really well in the Pack 12 last year 10 and three s- two and I think as most people know they played Oklahoma in a bowl game and they just beat them just just lined up and beat them in the bowl game and so this is a game that West Virginia it's it's going to be tough I'm not sure of what like an environment there is going to be like um it's all new it's new to all of us first time for everything right exactly but it's not going to be easy if you are the Mountaineer certainly to go on the road and play that talent but you just don't know what football's like there because we've never had to really care about Pack 12 football or Arizona football until this year and so they are one of the new teams they're the only uh new team that West Virginia gets on the schedule and as you know the new teams is where West Virginia kind of got a lot of their wins and success last year was those new Big 12 teams obviously aside from the Houston haill Mary they had all four of those games won and so they went three and one against the newcomers could have easily been four and0 as we as we all know but Arizona is not going to be easy they they can score and they still have the talent and I think that's the biggest thing of especially on offense when you can have that Talent return and that continuity that's always a good thing when you get to these games in late October I am going to say I would much rather go to Arizona than Oklahoma State though uh regardless of how talented they are I think their quarterback's absolutely legit the receivers like you said might be one of the best in the country but there was a coaching change and you never know how that's going to affect you know I I I hearken back to remember Louisville had their coaching change and and brought in Steve KAG Thorp and everyone thought that they were going to not miss a beat that didn't work they had a really you know the season wasn't as well now that you can find examples of the opposite where the train keeps going but you know they did they didn't get hit at some of their best spots but they did lose quite a bit of players in the portal in the end of it um you know some guys followed you know him to Washington and some other spots so I'm interested to see how this game goes because I like you I have no idea what the atmosphere is going to be like I I have not watched a lot of Arizona football so you know I know what I've read what I've what I've found out about them but I'm interested to see you know how that turns out and as a whole because you're playing new teams and new teams is always exciting but if you're gonna steal a road game you mentioned it earlier still in a road game I think this is the one I would have circled because I think you're at this point of the Season you're definitely not favorite in this game we'll see as we get closer but that's a game that you know we'll see how Arizona Stacks up yeah and this is this is kind of a goodish spot let's say for West Virginia on Arizona schedule because prior to prior to this week Arizona has Colorado at home and the week before that they're traveling to BYU obviously travel to BYU is not the same for an Arizona like a West Virginia but that's still two back-to-back weeks and then the next week they're headed to Florida to play UCF so this is their kind of like four game stretch of okay okay like this is tough and as we saw last year's you just don't know how these teams are going to do when they join the Big 12 I think it will be a little different from these teams from the Pack 12 just because that is closer League exactly it's closer to the Big 12 than let's say The American or some of these other conferences were football-wise and so I'm interested to see how they do and how they're going on in late October pour one out for the conference of Champions but if you if you go back and look at it you know they are arguably arguably top two conference last year in terms of performance and you could have easily said that they are the top conference and they had a lot of talent especially at the quarterback position last year and it seemed like their last Terra was okay we're going to be one of the better conferences in America we're not going to do anything for a decade and then we're gonna tell everybody hey guys we exist exactly but and then we're gonna break apart yeah and so but it's it's it's not GNA be a gimme bych of the imination but as we've said when you talk about getting into the ceiling of this team and when you talk about can they they play in Arlington and kind of trying to predict a way a path to Victory right a path to Arlington this is one of those games where you're like kind of knocking on the door of okay let's try and go get this one on the road and see see if something cool can happen all right moving on to next week you have a buy after Arizona so that's that's that's a win there that is a win on the schedule though you get to go it's a win for us too yeah it is a win we get a little November November break for a week and then they're headed to Cincinnati so one thing that I that that kind of stood out to me about the schedule in general was you've got I think total of nine games either in the state of West Virginia or the neighboring states of Ohio and Pennsylvania and as much as we can talk about the expanding big 12 expanding big 12 and having to go to Arizona or having to go to BYU having to go to Utah this schedule as tough as it is the way your road games line up where you get to play pit on the road and that's obviously close then Cincinnati is in that far either like that's good on your team where you're not having to do as much cross country travel and and it should be good on the fans too I mean it should be because all I've heard oh we need to get more Regional games there better be a good West Virginia contingency there uh I better not hear the excuses there better be a good West Virginia contingency there because all I've heard for the better part of a decade now are they need more Regional games this is four hours is four and a half hours from Morgantown you probably live closer you know a lot of people don't actually live right in the city of Morgantown so I think that this is a game that West Virginia needs to have a good representation you know they've been to nibert before or Paul BR or wherever they play it they've been there um they've had success there and it's I don't this isn't a rivalry game I don't consider a Louisville rivalry game but it is a game that you have a team with history and uh I think that you know you want to win these games and I also think like to your point is that just this is one of those games that you've kind of have to have right you got to win this game like all respect to the them as a team but they went three and nine last year one they lost a lot too and but but also like about fans like Cincinnati as even late in the year in November when the team probably wasn't going anywhere even to a bowl game they still had a good contingent of fans in Morgantown last year and so I think if you're a West Virginia fan you should want to return the favor and who knows like you know don't really get many opportunities late in the year to go support your team on the road especially if they're playing well and contending like this could be one where it it might be fun as a road environment if you're a West Virginia fan but let's talk about a little bit about Cincinnati um they it's it's just they're still they're still adjusting is the biggest thing I think for me is that they're still kind of trying to figure out that roster of filling out to have depth filling out to have physicality their quarterback they still have a question mark there I'm not sure if they've named a starter but that's still uh still up Indiana transfer I think I just saw he got named the starter okay okay but it it's yeah so he played 10 games last year 57% of his passes 1500 yards 15 touchdowns through the air ran a little bit too but not a ton but if you're West Virginia this is a must-win and I don't think there's any way around it nope I think that you said it all we don't need to add anything else to this I think that it's going to be a fun game for West Virginia fans you should make it to this one and if it sounds like I'm pleading you to go I am because I can only hear this I can only hear this so many times and people not show up to it so yeah but after Cincinnati you come home for your final two home games of the season and you get Baylor and as much as Baylor struggled last year they had West Virginia on the ropes and they had them dead rights and did they have West Virginia on the ropes or did West Virginia West have themselves on the ROP that's a good that's a good question but no kickoff kickoff kickoff kickoff let's not just let's just never have a kickoff in this game to Baylor and you you should win right but uh it all seriousness Dave Randa he's as much as he struggled last year like it was just yesterday I feel like that he was winning the Big 12 championship and that he had Baylor kind of as one of the top tier teams in this league and I think that last year was more of a fluke for Baylor and that it is not going to be the same and I think that I'm not saying that by any means that Baylor is going to be one of the best teams in the league but I think they will be a hard out I don't think by any means or any of imagination they will be easy win I mean they got dcoin Finn uh group of five transfer at the quarterback position who's really electric both with the ball in his hands and as a passer and Runner and that's that's a big thing is that they have a new offensive coordinator new quarterback how does that mesh go how does that happen and a big thing for them too is their offensive line Baylor gave up 34 sacks last year which was the most in the Big 12 can they improve and I guess if you're West Virginia as we've said for all these games can your defensive line kind of cause chaos can you win the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and as we've said for probably the 100th time so far protecting home turf and when it comes to protecting home turf Baylor is 0 and six in Morgantown has never won in Morgantown even when they've had the favorite team remember that team in 2014 came in third number three in the nation they haven't won in morgwn and I'm going to spin back what I said at the starting I'm a very firm believer on this show me Baylor show me that you can win in Morgantown until then I'm not going to believe it I'm not as optimistic as you are about David Randa I think that he inherited a good situation when he first got there remember that was a very senior Laden team y uh that Matt rule built so I'm not taking anything away from him but I want to see him do it with his own team and sometimes you see this with coaches so I think this is a big prove it year for him you know he's very much on the hot seat I think they will be better I don't think that they will be good enough to win in Morgan down for the first time if that makes sense yeah I just have faith in him just because like when I like the guy I like the guy too and I just think that he has the chance to honestly like keep his job because I think like he similar to Neil Brown like they're very culture coaches are dangerous in those situations very culture driven and as we saw like last year Neil's back was against the wall and he came out and he just was tearing through everybody felt like for a good chunk there with these wins and like as you said though you you've got to beat this this team until they can prove that they can win in Morgantown let's let's see it so after Baylor is a very very interesting game and I think this is one that might be one of the more fun ones and that is UCF at home UCF they got KJ Jefferson um they've got Kobe Hudson a wide receiver and they've just have one of the best rushing attacks in the country and they want to run the we'll get into that but seriously no but they want to run the ball and West Virginia went down there last year and they won obviously in fun game too in pretty convincing fashion like I feel like from start to finish they kind of had a little wire to wire we had this game in hand but if UCF is as good as some people think they might be which some people have them as one of the better teams in this league they could be contending for a spot in Arlington and I I think that's the cool thing about this league is like no matter what like there's going to be Big 12 Championship implications throughout this season and I think the UCF game for either West Virginia or UCF will have some serious Arlington ramifications I don't follow you there I uh I don't I my biggest thing with UCF I think their skill position people they're ready uh they are Big 12 ready there it's they're their lines they really struggled last year when I watched them play uh there's a few exceptions you know that they really had had some impressive games but that takes time and I'm not sure that's fixed in one year uh I see more of a seven and five six and six type year for them again I could be wrong but you know what that's what we do on this show we take shots and uh that's my shot I I think that they're going to be a difficult match up for West Virginia given what they do and how they can spread people you look back at that game last year a couple fluky things really turned that game you know the beanie Bishop interception yeah guys dropping passes you know quarterback missed a few throws but I think that this is a game at home that I probably feel more confident they'll win than the Baylor game and but I could be proven wrong you I've been wrong before if I knew the answers I wouldn't be doing this for certain yeah I think the the reason why I'm high it's it's simply KJ Jefferson like starts and ends with him right like he's proven before how good he can be and so if he stays healthy I really think that and I I know you said it earlier in the show is you don't want to be like quarterback or bust and like it's the team is the quarterback but I think for a team like UCF their team is their quarterback if he can stay healthy and he can play at the high level that we've seen him play previously then I think this UCF team is really dangerous and so that's why I'm kind of buying stock in them is because I'm buying stock and KJ Jefferson yeah I mean that's fair I I I can't disagree with that I just wanna it's another it's like I'm very much of a Prov it guy I've kind of you've heard over the show like and I want to see them have sustained success before I kind of just anoint them because we you saw that with West Virginia their first year in the Big 12 you know they were picked second in the league and they went what was it seven and six the close of the year so I think that you gota you gotta kind of earn it and you gotta kind of do it over time in this league it's a physical tough league and yeah they can run the ball well but they they're small in the defensive line last year they kind of got pushed around so I want to see how how perform in your two moving on and this one is certainly no give me either and it is your regular season finale road on the road tortillas flying winds flying uh at Texas Tech Joey Maguire uh 15 and 11 at Tech they they went seven and six last year Taj Brooks he's the he's the big headliner at running back as you're going to hear throughout the year and you've heard today like there's a lot of good running backs in this league and we have haven't even mentioned CJ Donaldson or Jem white yet so that's a good thing for West Virginia but also like holy crap for West Virginia's defense at the same at the same time but uh big thing is can they stay healthy at the quarterback position right like they've had injuries injuries injuries there and again offensive line is an area that they tried to go out and get help with in the portal um and then their defense uh they lost a lot of production on the defense side of the ball they had the fifth most sacks in the Big 12 last year but they Lo lost a lot up front um they also hit the transfer portal there bringing in a rice transfer and Utah State transfer linebackers are solid they return a couple guys there but lck's not easy uh lck couple days after Thanksgiving isn't easy um and for me it's just like I'm not sure they can go into lck and win because last time they went into LC they got pounded I'm glad you said it I this the Trap game to me yeah it's like it's the game where on paper you're like why West Virginia should win this game and then you think of these two teams in that place to play and you're like West Virginia has no shot is what I like truthfully I feel like West Virginia it's it's gonna be a they have to play almost a perfect game if I think they're GNA go down there and win I think a lot of it at this at the point because we can't see the future you know how are things going with the Texas Tex program fair you have things gone sideways to the point where where Maguire's a little bit on the hot seat because that happened a little bit last year remember this was a preseason ranked team and it things went sideways for him now you mentioned the injuries that's true but uh I don't think it's a definite but I think this is the game you Circle that you know if you're in the Big 12 Championship hunt it's a trap game for you you know if you get to the end of the year and you need to win to get a bowl game I'm not worried about it as much but I I just think it's a game to overlook a little bit because you beat them last year and they played really poorly and town uh you saw what happened as you mentioned last time you went down there I think it's a tough game I I think that West Virginia can go down and win there they've done it before but we'll see uh it's a game that gives me a little apprehension strangely enough I'm I'm almost more worried about that game than I am the trip to Arizona which is sounds weird because Arizona is a better football team yeah I I don't think it's that crazy though just because you our our our theme here has been let's prove it right like we've never seen Arizona prove it but we've seen Texas Tech prove it and they've beaten this West Virginia team they've beaten them soundly and lck is not an easy place to play it just never is not an easy place to get to either no it it certainly isn't but to your point is like if Texas Tech is a team that has five win like let's say they're five and six right and they're fighting for a bowl game they're going to be fired up to try and get to that bowl game but if they are three and something or they have more than six wins like it you just don't know and so many things can change between now and the end of November and so it's it's it's hard to predict right but that's why we do what we do because it's fun and we do it so that's the regular season my my win total transparent I've got them at eight I think eight wins is kind of the spot they're at the losses I I have them losing to Penn State losing to Oklahoma State losing to Kansas State and losing to Texas Tech so those th those are my four or losses I think you you win against pit you win against Kansas I think that Kansas game is big for Neil Brown just because two years ago they had that game one they obviously didn't get them on the schedule last year and so I think this is a very similar type of vibe of early in the season first Big 12 game type deal um I think they go out and beat Arizona and I think they beat Iowa State at home and then I think that month of November is easier especially early and I think that Texas Tech game's the big one where they win that game I think they are most likely have a real chance to be in the Big 12 championship and if not then I I I don't think they make it I think this is the one of the hardest Seasons to predict in a long time for me I really am struggling with it you know I feel just being around the program like like I am you know just being in the everyday boots on the ground type deal that this team's being severely undervalued uh they look better than I've ever seen them and I know that's something you hear you know it's building on itself you know it's something that they've worked on it's it's getting better every year they return a lot of talent you know this is this is by far Neil Brown's most talented team on paper um but then you look at like kind of the Vegas over under six and a half you know this is not a team you know West pick seventh in the Big 12 it's not a team that's getting a lot of Buzz and I know you can point to last year they were picked 14th but you thought you know they didn't get really much Buzz for the preseason top 25 and given what they returned you know given everything that you would think it would be better you know I there's outcomes it's kind of I feel like Doctor Strange right now I'm looking at all the different outcomes trying to pick one but I feel like West Virginia could be anywhere legitimately from six and six to nine and three uh and and I've struggled to F really figure out which one I want to go with you could be the sa I could go safe go eight and four unders shoot you know seven and take a big swing here I think West Virginia goes 9 and three I I really do I've thought about this a lot um Penn State Oklahoma State I think they will lose those games uh the third game I think is a toss up I'm not going to pinpoint a game because I think they they're gonna drop one my question is this you want to compete for a big 12 title you got maybe nine and three is is all you can go do they find a way to drop another to go to eight and four and knock themselves out that is my question because I think that this team is going to I I'm very confident that they'll go over on the over under I would be absolutely shocked if they didn't uh but it's a tough schedule I understand why why the over under is what it is but I I just feel there's some energy there's some excitement there's you know look at the buildup you know this week West just just here in town and I don't remember the last time that West Virginia had an opener like this it's been a long time with the buzz the excitement you know now that could be extinguished in the first quarter yeah States up 35 to nothing but I I I I feel good about this team and I really do believe that they're going to exceed expectations and if if Neil Brown is able to win nine games with this schedule I think you can honestly say that West Virginia started to arrive in the new Big 12 yeah I the biggest thing for me is just that it's hard to win close games I think the biggest thing that stood out for that TCU team that went to the national champ chionship is they were undefeated in one score games and that is really freaking hard to do and so reminds me of that scene out of Tropic Thunder you got luck tattooed your ass that's kind of like how I felt about that team yeah but it's my thing is is like you get kind of a similar Vibe you have a quarterback who's Dynamic you have some experience across the board it's just a matter of can you go and do it when when things get tough and when things get tight and to Garrett Green's credit right like he's been there and done that like last year in two-minute drills he was Elite and it's just a matter of though can your defense hold up and can things stay correct physicality and so I think when you talk about like floor and ceiling as you just were right like the six and a half seems very very low it like truthfully if someone wants to go make some money you might throw a couple bucks on that because it just seems you're gonna make some enemies if something bad happens yeah I will I will but they don't know where I live so it's perfect um uh but yeah so I just I just think that ceiling wise Big 12 Championship right like this team has the talent to get there the question yeah the question I have Wes and I didn't mean to interrupt you but like you're good if it's not gonna be this year when is it gonna be right I mean you return all this stuff you you I love the offseason approach they had you know with with you know they're going to be physical you know I love the everything that they did in that regard that's what a good football team does but if it's not going to be this year you have to question when is it going to be you know when are you going to compete for a big 12 title because this is a senior Laden you know has experienced a team that Neil Brown's had yeah and I I think for me this team kind of gets that 2018 Vibe of there's a lot of expectations now can you go out and do it I mean that 2018 team they had the Tennessee game week one you I I'm not going to compare that Tennessee team to this penate team by any means but it's just that you have that bigname opponent early and then can you go and win in October and November and this October stretch is as tough as I think we've seen in a while for one of these one of these schedules and it's not going to be easy and I think you brought up a really good point and we've talked about this off camera we've talked about this plenty is that this team could be a better team than last year's team like if let's just say you had a copy of this team on Madden or NCA and you had a copy last year team on NCAA like this team would most likely be last year's team but the numerical value of wins might not be greater just because of the toughness of the schedule in the league and while oh you can say that's a good thing it it doesn't it doesn't matter at the end of the day because you are judged by the win and loss column and you bring up a good point right like the big 12 is wide open you lose Texas you lose Oklahoma yeah you bring in Utah yeah you bring in a couple of other Pack 12 schools that could be good but you you're used to this league you're you're you're a vet in this league if you're West Virginia um a decade plus now and so what is going to be that time where you can finally get over that hump and get to be one of the top two teams standing and into the Big 12 Championship yeah my dad always had a saying he picked it up from his grandfather talk is cheap it takes money to buy whiskey and I think that that's kind of where West Virginia's at you know we can set here and sugarcoat you know if this team goes seven and five eight- four six and six well they played really well they just had a tough schedule at some point the fan base is going to get you know they want to see more and I think it's completely you know I just picked nine and three and that's op that's was my most optimistic Viewpoint I could totally see this going the other way because you mentioned it's close games it they're gonna play a lot of close games I think you're a m field goal you're a you're a personal foul roughing the passer penalty like you're you're all these things away from just losing a game you're a dude stepping out of bounds a half yard too early you're a you're a bad spot away You're a need going like there's so many and I think most games are going to be like that Wes I really do once you especially yeah for all you people that love the stress Virginia stuff like you're you're in for you're in for a good one this this fall and I think that's the biggest thing of who's GNA Prevail can Neil Brown dig deep can this team dig deep and win these close games and if you can if you can then you're gonna you're gonna be having a lot of success come November it's time I mean we'll end it with that it's time for this team it's time for this program you know you surprised a lot of people last year Neils talked about it all off season he hasn't sugarcoated it at all you know how do you go from being a nine- win team to perhaps an 11- win team and competing for a conference title the time is now you know can this team show it can this team prove it no if they don't meet that is it a Ab failure no but you want to see growth you want to see progression and this is West Virginia's chance one more thing one more activity we're gonna do uh this activity I like how you say that should should be a fun one I know I sound like a teacher or something got I got big big my wife energy like uh over under on a few guys and stats so I kind of did a little bit of research on stats last year and tried to give good numbers uh I didn't look up any gambling sites to see if there's any real over unders for these guys but I'm not sure if there are in college yeah I think we'll be good so call me call me Vegas but uh Jem white uh last year he 842 rush yards a buck 25 receiving yards over under Keenan you go first a thousand total yards on the ground and through the air it better be over uh I think if it's not over you're wondering what happened this season or he got hurt uh Jim White was just electric you know I had a stat in the offseason I think he's had the highest yards per carry in West Virginia history with over 100 100 carries so I think that that's that's pretty impressive so I he's he's electric you know I've thought this since I saw him as a recruit uh it better be over and West Virginia better find a way to get him and CJ Donaldson for that matter involved in the past game more because that was an area they just did not explore as much as they should have and I think Jem W out of the two running backs with all due respect like he's the fit for the pass game with his speed with his ability to kind of make guys miss CJ's obviously that strong back you're going to hear it probably a thousand times the thunder and lightning right that's what played tight end though remember that he did play tight end though uh but moving along on the offense Cole Taylor he led the team with 35 receptions last year two-part question to this first one is cold Taylor the leading receiver in receptions this year second will he have more or less than his 35 number from last year no yes no yes okay okay I I think I am agreeing with you I think that he will not lead the team in receptions however I do think he gets over 35 I think they're going to pass the ball a lot more truthfully I I I just think people are going to really try and stop the run and they're going to be forced to throw the ball and they're going to want to say let's make G beat us with with him passing the ball rather than with him running the ball and so I think he will be forced into a lot of passing situations um moving on back to a wide receiver now last year there was only wide one wide receiver on this team that had more than 500 yards I'm going to up that total but does a single wide receiver get over the 650 yard Mark yes or no and why this is the toughest one yet for me you know I've had like a springload answers to the first couple but I think yes but it'll be close I think they're going to spread the ball around a lot I don't think there's necessarily gonna be an alpha you know just there you know you're not gonna have Stefan Diggs yelling at people trying to get him the football uh so I think that they're gonna spread the round ball around a lot but I do think you'll have at least one Eclipse that um maybe two getting close because I'm with you like if this offense is going to take the next step you got to be able to throw the football and I think they will yeah I I think one at least one gets over who is it I could four guys right like you could just put put your hand in a hat and pull out an name oh it could work but uh CJ Donaldson 11 rushing touchdowns last year he was used a lot near the goal line but over under 10 and a half rushing touchdowns for CJ this year over over over I'm taking the over just because I think that he's your reliable option down there for as good as Jem is I don't think he's the guy you want to put in the eye at the the one yard line or or anything like that I mean he can do it I'm not taking it away from him but you know when you got a 240 pound running back or whever CJ is like he's he looks good too physically he looks as good as I've seen him since he's been here so I think that he's ready for a bounceback year you know he had a he had a rough year last year and I think that he's gonna prove that on the field I I go over to but big thing with him it's just stay healthy it's it's it's it's just staying healthy staying on the field and not just staying healthy and being available but when you're available still being productive because there was s in October November last year he was available but it just didn't seem like he was his normal self and I think the big thing is is you've got a lot as we talked about you got a lot of dog fights there like he's got to be healthy and ready to go uh couple ones on Garrett here first one rushing yards 772 rush yards last year I put this line at 770 over under truthfully I think it's going to be under I don't think he is going to run the ball as much I think that there is a little bit of freak of nature es of you don't want him to get killed you don't want him to get hurt and I also think last year you didn't have Jem white really for the first fiveish games of the Season you're gonna have him now you're gonna have CJ Donaldson now you're gonna want to throw the ball more and teams are gonna make you throw the ball more so I don't think Garrett gets to that 770 Mark I truthfully don't even know if he gets to that 700 yard Mark which he got to last year I think it depends on how many games they play are we just talking about regular season I think we go regular season cuz if if like let's say good things happen for this team they're playing 14 games and I think he could get there right but let's go regular 12 games I think over but but barely I'm with you I don't think he runs as much but I think it's such a big part of his game that they're not g to try to turn him into a pocket passer yeah I I think the design runs will be fewer but I think the Garrett scrambles will be more that's where I think he's going to get the biggest chunks of his yards because he can rip off 6070 yard runs you know 40 yard runs 50 yard runs doing that I don't necessarily think I'm I'm with you I don't see as much just Flatout design runs but I do think that he's going to get his completion percentage this is the big one this is the one we've heard these two words since December of I'm just waiting for the number like well 53.1 1% was his number last year uh this number would have been the number I'm about to give you would have been the sixth best so legit the middle of all completion percentages in the Big 12 and that is 62 and a half% 62.5 that would be a almost nine n and a half% jump where are you want it you you can go first on this one and bite bite the bullet either way under under I think I think it's close I think it's like 60 53 to 60 is a major jump I think that would be an improvement I know he's talked about getting 65 70 i' I'd have to be able to see him do that first because I mean I think that he's worked hard on this I think it's an it's been an emphasis from from top down for West Virginia but I just I don't I'm going under I'm going under here truth be told in all transparency I've looked at these numbers Keenan has not and there were I think like five or six guys that were between that 62 and 63 Mark last year in the Big 12 with all these decimals in between so I think that's kind of like a big one I think if he I I I'm going under two it's it's hard like and I think the design of this offense is not going to just change just so he can complet more percentages of his passes because why change something that works so well right like he obviously can throw the ball down the field no need to just get trying cute and fancy just so his completion percentage go up so I think he's going to be under that as well uh two defensive ones interceptions were a big thing in 2022 and what they did not do last year they had 11 of them over under 10 and a half do they get to these double digit marks again I I say yes I just think there's a lot of experience back there as we've said a million times um as you guys can tell it's repetitive at this point uh before game start but there's a lot of talent back there there's a lot of experience people are going to have to throw the ball against this team to try and win games because it's not going to be it's not it's not going to be one way to beat this team this year especially with the linebackers I think they're going to help with the physicality up front and so I think teams are gonna have to throw more and so I think they get over that 10 and a half mark and have a good year on the back and I'm with you too and it doesn't just have to be the back end either it could be a tip pass from defensive lineman that ends up could be a one-handed interception from Tyron Bradley yeah could be one of them things so yeah I think I think that I do I do believe that yes they're they're gonna they're gonna hit that Mark and then going up front on the defensive line 33 sacks last year 26 in 2022 and then 28 in 2021 big number here 30 o over under 29 and a half for you do they get to that 30 sack Mark after leading the Big 12 and sacks last year barely over barely over yeah barely over I the thing I struggle with this team I like their Edge rushers like I like Tyron Bradley I like Ty French who's gonna make the plays up front you know they had some guys that last year they could move in there that you know durai for example was a guy that they liked off the edge Jared Bartlett yeah who's going to be that guy now I think Shawn Martin's healthy now I'm interested to see how he can handle things you know I like what they got up front especially against the run but I want I think it's going to be barely over I I'm I'm on the opposite I think it's going be barely under I just think like if you they're not their their their weakness so to speak on the defensive line is just the lack of depth and when you're trying to find guys that you can kind of fit in and it gets late in the season it's hard to sometimes get sacks and there's a lot of guys here too that are mobile quarterbacks and just because they could roll out easily and kind of pressure it's hard to get to that 30 Mark so I think I think they'll get to like 27 28 and I'm not saying that's bad by any means I just I think that 30 Mark is is is high and I'm not sure if they can do it it is high that's why I'm barely over I was almost barely under but I'm gonna go barely over for the sake that I trust I really do trust Jordan Lesley and what and especially AJ Jackson so that'll do it um final predictions final predictions is I think I go eight and four Keo going nine and three I know and it's crazy because I'm usually get I usually get hammered for not being as optimistic but call it drink I bet you're gonna get hammered now for being too optimistic right call it drinking the Kool-Aid call it living in Morgantown smelling the flowers whatever you want to call it I I do think the time is now and not like John Cena but I do think the time is now for this team I think that you know they need to prove it on the field it's a tough schedule but if you want to win big boy football you got to win tough games you don't hear the SEC you know those teams aren't oh well we better pack it up you know Alabama they had to play eight tough teams no h you got to win tough games if you want to get tough places so I think that this is the year now like I said I could see outcomes that aren't as rosy but I'm going with it I'm I'm confidently going with it I think that we'll see how it plays out but nine and three yeah I there's a certain Vibe about this team right now there's a certain Vibe around everything that you just kind of feel like they they might win some games they might surprise people and so I think that's the big thing of we both agree that they're going to win it's just how many will they be able to win when things get tough when things get tight but if you made it this far we do appreciate you listening we are just about at the hour mark I believe so this is our longest Episode by far but I hope we hope you enjoyed it we will have a lot of content coming to you this week for sure obviously also Penn State podcast preview yeah so yeah we'll have our Penn State podcast preview with it we will have an interview I believe with a a reporter from on the Penn State beat and we will obviously come to you with a normal podcast with that but just kind of keep things looking out for that and then obviously the big one is on Saturday and we will get you work in a podcast after that game but keep it locked on West Virginia sports.com throughout the week we will have much coming to you and ladies and gentlemen it is finally here football season is here it is Among Us and I don't think we are we could be more excited like I'm fired up I'm I know Keenan's fired up and I'm as sure as so many of you guys are but it's it's here and it's ready we're ready to go yep it'll be fun guys uh like I said tune in for our coverage all week uh throughout the season we've we've had some good promos I hope you took advantage of those and uh get ready because uh it's here and we're going to be hitting you fast and furious yep so for myself Wesley Shoemaker I am joined by the one and only Keenan Cummings if you made it this far we do appreciate you listening or watching however you get this and this is the West Virginia sports.com podcast