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Optimism abounds heading into the 2024 football season among WVU fans.
There are some sound reasons for enthusiasm. The Mountaineers return starting quarterback Garrett Greene, who had a breakout season in 2023, along with thunder and lightning running backs CJ Donaldson and Jahiem White. Six of the top seven receivers are back, and they add another quality wideout through the transfer portal. Two starters from an excellent offensive line have departed but plenty of experience remains with an aggregate 113 career starts.
West Virginia averaged 229 rushing yards per game last season, with nearly 1,000 of those total yards coming from the quarterback position. The passing stats weren't nearly as glossy, but QB Greene showed some moxie with several scoring drives in the final minutes of the first half and end of games.
Defensively, questions remain as only five starters return but a number of players stepping in have logged significant playing time and 3-4 transfers could have starting roles. Coach Neal Brown has expressed optimism about the talent level.
The Big 12 has a different look in 2024 with the departure of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC and four new members from the old Pac-12. There are a number of very good teams but none in the preseason Top 10 so the conference race will be wide open. As many as 6-8 teams have a legitimate shot at making the championship game in Dallas, the winner of which will automatically qualify for the expanded 12-team college football playoff.
While many high profile schools pad their non-conference schedule with patsies, WVU faces a challenging non-conference slate with Penn State and Pittsburgh as well as nine league games.
We all know that many unforeseen variables can impact how a season will play out. Injuries can play a key role for teams like WVU, which doesn't have the overall talent level of the Ohio States and Georgias to adequately replace starters lost to injury. And game-ending scenarios can often be unpredictable. Fans will recall last-second wins last season over Texas Tech (goal line stand in final seconds), TCU (blocked FG with 32 seconds) and Baylor (game winning TD with 23 seconds). Then there was the crazy loss at Houston when the Mountaineers appeared to have pulled out a miracle win on a TD with 12 seconds remaining only to lose on a Hail Mary on the final play.
A lot will have to go our way but my crystal ball is telling me another nine-win season is achievable.
THIS SATURDAY: For 46 consecutive seasons Penn State appeared on the WVU schedule but the relationship ended in 1992 when the Nittany Lions joined the Big Ten. Those of us old enough vividly recall the one-sided nature of this former rivalry, and last season's road loss at State College brought back unpleasant memories.
Penn State brings a preseason Top 10 team into Morgantown and is a nine-point favorite. The Lions have an elite defense which yielded only 13 points per game last season, as well as a returning starting QB and strong rushing attack of their own. This will be an uphill climb for the Mountaineers but they have a puncher's chance for an upset. I'm taking a big swing.
WEST VIRGINIA 24 PENN STATE 21.