I don’t vote in the AP poll and I don’t do prediction columns, not because there’s anything wrong with either or because I champion neutrality, but because I defer to the experts.

Like this guy, who forecasts 10-2 and considerable motivation.

There’s another factor at work as WVU begins the season, too. The players love Stewart. They could be playing for him this season – which could be his last.

I’m not saying the veteran coach’s job is squarely on the line, but it could be. If the Mountaineers stumble badly (don’t count on that), or Luck decides Stew must go to make any NCAA sanctions more palatable, the coach could be gone.

Or, although he’s a strong fighter from way back, Stewart might just decide he’s really tired of all of the fan negativity surrounding him and chuck it. Considering the blather out there, it’s tough to figure what many WVU followers want more from this season – a BCS berth or Stewart’s exit, for whatever reason.

Those issues are for later. The pick from this longtime pressbox-sitter (and AP poll voter) has West Virginia going 10-2 in the regular season (6-1 conference), then playing in the Big East’s new No. 2 postseason slot, the Champs Sports Bowl against the ACC’s No. 3 pick (Virginia Tech? Florida State?) in Orlando.

I know we did Big East predictions earlier, but things have changed. Preseason practice has started and, in essence, finished and we know now more than we knew before, and for bothbetter and worse.

Records, please?