good news; Big 12 College Football Team Preview 2024…..
At this same time last year, Neal Brown was at the center of scrutiny. He led West Virginia to three straight losing complete seasons and, in the only bowl WVU made, his team was crushed 18-6. Without a real answer at quarterback, the Mountaineers appeared to be in trouble. But Garrett Greene emerged as not just a satisfactory starter, but a real answer at the most important position in sports. WVU won nine games and Brown saved his job for a few years to come.
That team came out of virtually nowhere. This year’s team does not have the element of surprise. West Virginia received 17 votes to be included in the preseason AP Top 25 and Greene is a known, if not fully appreciated, asset. In 2024, West Virginia won’t be sneaking up on anybody.
With expectations now on their shoulders, how do the Mountaineers respond?
West Virginia Mountaineers Football History
West Virginia isn’t widely considered a blue blood of the college football world. This section isn’t to convince you otherwise, but WVU lands 15th in the FBS in all-time wins (781). That number puts them ahead of Texas A&M, Washington, and Florida and just behind Clemson (798).
The key? West Virginia never really had a miserable stretch of years. A 4-8 2013 season quickly turned into 10-4 by 2016. 3-8 in 2001 turned into 9-4 the next year and, eventually, three-straight 11-win seasons under Rich Rodriguez. Be it in the Big East or the Big 12, WVU always finds a way to win football games, decade in and decade out.
While the leash was far from short for Brown, the winning history does explain why he was firmly on the hot seat after a four-year stint that never broke six wins (23-25 overall before 2023). Four of the previous six coaches won 10+ games at least once and one of the exceptions, interim-turned-full-time Bill Stewart, went 9-4 in three consecutive seasons (2008-10).
In its history, WVU has 15 conference titles while occupying a conference for just 50 of its 113-year history.
