2012: Mountaineers Year In Review

2012: A Year of Optimism

As the new year of 2013 begins (despite the Mayans), it is time to take a look back and reflect a bit on the Mountaineers season before we start to wonder where we are headed.

2012 was a year of great change and great expectations. It was a move from the decaying Big East to the fortified, respected Big 12: a move from the little leagues to the pros. For Mountaineer Nation, it was an opportunity to take the next step and show the world that WVU was indeed ready to be one of the nation's elite. The Air Raid (or 'EER Raid) offense was predicted to be nearly unstoppable after a 2011 campaign that ended in a 70-point explosion that rewrote the NCAA bowl record for scoring and sent Clemson licking their wounds. 2012 would feature Heisman front runner Geno Smith and his dynamic duo of Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey, expected to be phenoms in their second year under Holgorsen.

Everything, it seemed, was finally falling West Virginia's way. Even ESPN couldn't get enough of WVU, airing two national commercials and providing in depth analysis of the team before they even stepped on the field. WVU fans who once felt spurned by the lack of national attention, were now inundated, and they took in every ounce until they were drunk with optimism. We would win the Big 12 in our first year, beating out history-rich programs like Texas and Oklahoma. We would prove that the Fiesta Bowl was not a fluke. Geno Smith would win the Heisman. And maybe, just maybe...we would get our first crystal football.

But great expectations often result in great disappointments, and hype does nothing but make the fall from grace that much harder. Many realists expected as much. They knew there was too much hype, and that nothing is ever as good as it seems.

But behold! A 5-0 start, capped by a signature win over a ranked Longhorn team in front of their largest ever home crowd of 101,851. Geno was the hands-down favorite to take the Heisman.

Then it happened. Not slowly, but with a quick, loud thud. 49-14. The #5 Mountaineers were trounced in their first loss of the season, to unranked Texas Tech. Sirens go off, but not the air raid horn that signals a Mountaineer touchdown. No, these sirens were ones that signaled that there were serious problems with WVU football team, and that they could no longer hide behind a great offense.

Then excuses. Immediately, fans were pointing out the atrocious defensive play that had hindered the team all season. But that wasn't all. It was windy and Bailey was hurt. It was a fluke and you would see the Mountaineers now more determined to prove that. The Big 12 was still the Mountaineers' to lose. It seemed too, that the media agreed. WVU dropped only to #13 and Geno, who hadn't thrown a pick, was still the favorite for the Heisman.

Undefeated #4 Kansas State was up next, and this time they were headed to Morgantown. This was the game where WVU would get back to form and regain their poise. Tech was just a bump on one long country road that would go down as one of their best seasons in history.

Then the death knell tolled. Kansas State thoroughly embarrassed WVU 55-14 in a similar fashion as Texas Tech. But this time there was no wind, and it was at home where West Virginia is known for being hard to beat. There were no excuses and no optimism to hide the blaring warning sirens this time. This season was not what we expected.

Over the next three weeks the losing streak extended to five games and WVU was 5-5. A season once filled with the highest of expectations, now hinged on winning one of the final two games to become bowl eligible. Fingers were pointed at everyone from Holgorsen to DeForest to Smith. Overrated and overlooked were words that became more common than touchdown or Heisman.

And so, WVU limped to the finish, winning its last two games against Iowa State and Kansas to become bowl eligible. The 'Eers were selected to play in the Pinstripe Bowl against former foe Syracuse.

Finally, something we knew we could win. We may have struggled in the Big 12, but we were playing with the big boys. Syracuse had been muddling around in the Big East, a cesspool of mediocrity. We would come out on top, because that's was Mountaineers do: fight when faced with adversity. Despite an underwhelming season, we would cap it off with a victory for the seniors and Geno would secure his position as the number one QB heading into the NFL draft.

But one could say that the Pinstripe Bowl was a mirror of the season. High expectations followed only by struggle and heartache. The game, seemingly without explanation, never went WVU's way and ended 38-14. There wasn't a phase of the game where a bright spot could be found. In fact, the only positive was that there would be no controversy regarding where the Schwartzwalder Trophy belonged (Syracuse has stated they would retain the trophy regardless of the winner).

And so the book was closed on the 2012 Mountaineers. And the final record read a disappointing 7-6 in a year when so much more seemed not just possible, but predestined.

What We Learned in 2012:

In short, don't believe in hype. No one knows how a team will fare until they perform on the field. So, what happened in 2012?

1.) WVU's offense was vastly overrated. The 70-35 Orange Bowl victory was a major culprit for the overconfidence. That single victory expunged the fact the offense had been inconsistent for the majority of 2011. The 5-0 start didn't help much either. But still, the evidence was there: the Air Raid was hot when it worked, and a liability when it didn't.

2.) WVU's defensive worries were swept under the rug. Mainly a product of the overrated offense, the defense was an afterthought. Why do you need a defense if you always win the scoring race? But the defensive struggles were worse that expected, and several time throughout the season WVU was ranked dead last of the 120 teams in FBS. They finished 117. Perhaps Jeff Casteel's 3-3-5 and consistent defensive presence provided a sense of security that was no longer there when he left. Perhaps WVU fans were used to something that deserved more praise than it received.

3.) No running game. Early injuries didn't help, but the lack of a consistent running game made throwing the ball harder. Combining no running game and no defense meant that there was simply no way the Mountaineers could win if the Smith-Austin-Bailey trio were anything but stellar for any period of time.

4.) Coaching staff changes. With an entirely new coaching staff, and Holgorsen only being in his second season as a head coach, many overlooked the growing pains that are inherent there. While Holgorsen is a great offensive mind, there are many aspects of the head coaching job that are learned with time. Joe DeForest was ridiculed for wearing a hat that read "relax" while his defense consistently underwhelmed even those with the lowest of standards.

5.) Big 12 competition. Simply put, the quality of competition in the Big 12 was greater than anything WVU had experienced in the Big East, save a few schedules with Miami, Virginia Tech, and Penn State a while back. Games against Oklahoma and TCU were very winnable, and against Big East competition the ball would have fallen WVU's way more than it did in the Big 12. That's worth at least one or two more wins.

6.) Lack of toughness. Whether this is a product of the Air Raid offense, known more for finesse than for power football, or whether it is attributable to the coaching staff or players themselves is unknown. But, many have noted that the physicality, toughness, and "never quit" attitude that Mountaineer teams seem to always possess was not there. WVU teams don't lose by double digits often because of their toughness and grit, but this year they lost by 41, 35, 24, and 21. Some have suggested that a lack of pride is the cause. Holgorsen is not a West Virginian, and that message of pride may not get across. Essentially, Dana is a coach from Iowa talking about WV pride to a group of kids from Florida.

That's it for our look back at 2012. Next is our look ahead at 2013 and beyond, including:
How long until WVU returns to greatness? Is Holgorsen the right coach for WVU? What's next in conference realignment?

Stay tuned.

TCU accepts Big 12 offer

TCU officially accepted an invitation to join the Big 12 conference during a press conference at 7pm Monday night. The Horned Frogs will become members of the Big 12 in all sports effective July 1, 2012.

This announcement was a poorly kept secret, with media outlets across the country speculating that the school would accept the invitation. Most were surprised TCU waited until Monday night after receiving the invitation last week. The move makes sense for the Horned Frogs in all aspects for their athletic program. Old rivalries will be renewed, and travel will be easier than it would have been in the Big East. The Big 12 deal will also be a financial gain for Texas Christian in an era where the dollar rules the college football landscape.

The addition of TCU increases the Big 12 membership to ten, but there is speculation as to how long that will last with the possible defection of Missouri to the Southeastern Conference. The added stability of snaring the defending Rose Bowl champion TCU may entice Mizzou to stay, but money is driving expansion decisions, and a recent financial study suggests that Missouri has much to gain by jumping to the SEC.

The expansion drama continues, but now with one less actor. Next up in the spotlight are SEC and Missouri, with the Big East hoping it doesn't have to exit stage left. That may happen if the Big 12 decides to fulfill its name by getting back to twelve members, or if Mizzou decides to leave. In either case, Big East schools Louisville and West Virginia are prime for picking, and could push the Big East further towards destruction.

Big East commissioner John Marinatto responded by stating that the Big East is "disappointed with the news that TCU is joining the Big 12." He also confirmed that the Big East will begin taking action towards conference expansion "in the near future."

If Marinatto and company don't start moving soon, the "near future" may be one that doesn't include the Big East.

Reports: TCU to Big 12, Air Force thinking Big East

TCU officials are scheduled to meet later today and make an announcement this evening on whether or not to accept an invitation to become a member of the Big 12 conference. TCU was scheduled to join the Big East in 2012, but with recent defections to the ACC by members Syracuse and Pittsburgh, the conference is quickly losing stability as a football conference. Many believe that the TCU meeting is no more than a formality, and that the move to the Big 12 is a foregone conclusion.

If the TCU move becomes official later today, it could set off another round of expansion chaos as the Big East struggles to survive. Although the Big East commissioner has been granted permission to "aggressively pursue discussions" with other schools, no invitations have been extended. East Carolina publicly submitted an application to join the Big East, but the school is not believed to be high on the conference's list of choices. Several schools including Navy, Air Force, Central Florida, Temple, Houston, and Southern Methodist have been listed as possible targets by the Big East. It's likely that the TCU departure would force the Big East to push the panic button and start handing out invitations.

Hans Mueh, the athletic director at Air Force, recently told the Denver Post that his school is very interested in the Big East with hopes that the other service academies, Army and Navy, will also join. Several sources including NBC Sports and Boston Globe reported that the Big East is also considering the addition of Boise State for football only. Both schools are an odd fit geographically, with Air Force located in Colorado Springs and Boise State in Idaho. More than 2,000 miles separate Boise State from Big East schools Rutgers, Connecticut, and South Florida.

Regardless of the TCU decision, the Big 12 conference may be looking to add even more members. No one is certain if the Big 12, currently at nine members, is aiming for ten or twelve schools. Add in the fact that Big 12 member Missouri is currently discussing their conference alignment options, and heads begin to swirl at the interconnected nature of this realignment business. Missouri has publicly stated in the past that they prefer the Big Ten conference, but the school was spurned last year when the Big Ten added Nebraska and Colorado. If they wish to leave the Big 12, it appears Mizzou will need to pursue the 14th spot in the SEC that opened up when the conference added Texas A&M in late September. Big East schools Louisville and West Virginia were also reportedly hoping for that opening, but many speculate that Missouri is higher on the list. Regardless, SEC commissioner Mike Slive has stated that he sees no problem remaining at thirteen members for the 2012 season.

What does all of this mean for West Virginia? It means that WVU could end up in any number of conferences by the time the dust settles, and guessing where they land is like playing roulette. The most likely destinations appear to be the Big 12 or a reconfigured Big East, with glimmers of hope for a spot in the SEC. It all depends on timing and how many teams the power conferences decide to add. It's a waiting game of sorts, and right now all eyes are on TCU and Missouri.