West Virginia Football: Is offensive hype out of control for Mountaineers?
It seems like too much may be resting on the fate of the offense for Dana Holgorsen and West Virginia football for the 2018 season.
A ton of hype is building for West Virginia football for the 2018 season, with an extreme lack of competition at the top of the Big 12 outside of the Oklahoma Sooners. Because of that lack of competition at the top of the Big 12 outside of one team, any number of teams could make an appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game this year.
OU looks to be the runaway favorite for the Big 12 this fall, with the West Virginia Mountaineers being one of those teams that could challenge the Sooners. Among those teams that could compete for a spot in the 2018 Big 12 Championship include the TCU Horned Frogs, Kansas State Wildcats, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Iowa State Cyclones, and the Texas Longhorns.
All the hype that is building around the Mountaineers is due to the plethora of talent at nearly every position on the offensive side of the ball. It all starts with senior quarterback Will Grier, who could be the best at his position in the nation. Beyond that, we can look at a pair of wide receivers in Gary Jennings and David Sills V and junior running back Kennedy McKoy.
The real issue for the Mountaineers starts on the defensive side of the ball. No one would really be surprised if West Virginia sports the worst defense in the conference this season. Sophomore defensive back Kenny Robinson and standout defensive lineman Ezekiel Rose are a few bright spots. The bright spots are all too few and in between to make a difference, though.
The Big 12 is an offensive heavy conference, which can benefit the Mountaineers. Yet, the fact that the Mountaineers are generating somewhat mainstream College Football Playoff hype is ridiculous. West Virginia doesn’t have the talent level of that of the Sooners in recent years.
Moreover, West Virginia has a difficult non-conference schedule that features both the Tennessee Volunteers and NC State Wolfpack. Two opportunities to slip up before a long and competitive Big 12 slate makes for a challenging road ahead for West Virginia football.
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The offense for the Mountaineers can only carry this team so far before it falters one week. If the defense is able to step up in any way possible, the overall results are sure to follow. We all saw what happens when Grier is not with this offense last year, and the offensive hype can’t get too much out of control.