West Virginia football: 3 bold predictions vs. Oklahoma State in Week 13
By Phil Poling
1. Neal Brown gets another win vs. the Top 25
During four seasons as the head coach at Troy, Neal Brown went 1-3 against opponents in the Top 25, losing to No. 24 Wisconsin, No. 2 Clemson, and No. 22 Boise State. He notched a win against No. 25 LSU — in Death Valley — that earned him a large amount of respect as a non-Power Five coach. Having beaten No. 24 Kansas State, Brown could pull his record to .500 vs. Top 25 teams with a win against Oklahoma State. And I believe he will.
RELATED: 5 bold predictions for WVU in November
The last outing for the Mountaineers at home was a disappointing one, to say the least. They lost to Texas Tech by three touchdowns, and it would’ve been much worse if the Red Raiders kept their foot on the pedal in the second half. Brown — and his players alike — will want to give Mountaineer Nation one last thing to cheer about in the final home game of the 2019 season, and a win would surely do so.
This will force Brown & Co. to pull out all the stops — trick plays, seldom used formations, etc. Players who aren’t producing could likely be on a short leash, too. Although Brown would surely enjoy getting game experience for more young guys late in a lost season, that won’t trump winning. If the game’s close, expect to see the most productive players on the field. On the other hand, though, if the contest seems lost, Brown could easily throw upperclassmen into the game as it’ll be their Senior Night and final game in Morgantown.
Next. Ranking college football's top 50 fanbases. dark
With quarterback Jarret Doege proving himself to be the No. 1 option, the defense standing tall, and Brown notching his second Top 25 win at West Virginia, the Mountaineers will be fighting for bowl eligibility against the TCU Horned Frogs on Nov. 29. Now that’s a bold prediction within three bold predictions, but the Mountaineers have always been a bold bunch. Trust The Climb.