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Rich Rodriguez and West Virginia have had arguably the most entertaining offseason of any team in college football. They, as of now, will have 75 brand-new players and an almost entirely new coaching staff.
With this comes a lot of questions and a lot of different scenarios. Let's break down what a realistic, disappointing, and dream season would look like.
Realistic:
A realistic season for WVU involves an offense that scores points and a defense that struggles with all of the roster turnover. One thing Rich Rodriguez has always done is run an offense that scores. Even if it takes a little while to get going, I expect the Mountaineers to average at least 30 points per game. The rushing attack will be lethal, and the passing attack will be explosive. However, the defense will hold the team back as they are a group with no chemistry and 11 brand-new starters. WVU will defend its home field for the most part, but will struggle to find any wins on the road.
Record: 6-6
Disappointing:
A disappointing season for WVU will happen if they are unable to figure out the offensive side of the ball. This will happen if the quarterback or offensive line play is subpar. Rich Rodriguez is known for his offensive brain, and if the Mountaineers struggle to score, it will be a very long season. The defense will not be in a position to carry the team, and the team would be lucky to win two conference games.
Record: 3-9
Dream:
Now, for the fun scenario, in order for WVU to have a dream season, the defense will have to exceed expectations. The Mountaineers do not need a top 10 defense, but if they are able to simply play good defense, then this season can be special. They will need to create turnovers and consistently get off the field on third and fourth downs. If you pair that with the offensive firepower, WVU can have a season that ends in the Big 12 title game. They would dominate the home field and steal multiple road games in the conference. Most importantly, they would likely beat Pittsburgh by 20 or more points.
Record: 10-2
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