The Sock 'Em, Bust 'Em Board Because that's our custom

About those Oklahoma drills

Still haven’t seen them yet, which is kind of sad because they’re fun and because there was an interesting anniversary a week ago today.

Other things, to get up to speed …

* IMG College is expanding its reach, slowly but surely, inside WVU’s border and outside of it, and has finally added a Charleston affiliate. All the population centers have been addressed and there are a lot of stations and a lot of people covered by a broadly cast net. This continues to elude WVRC, and it seems as though that could exist in perpetuity, as it seemed previously. We’re even starting to hear about the company’s alternative plans for pregame, in-game and postgame programming, presumably with the old WVRC cast as well as a few swipes of fresh paint.

* JaJuan Seider has a lot of helmets to juggle in his backfield, but that’s not something new to him.

A challenge: Can you top this?

Mind you, that comes from the same group of guys who had no idea who Bear Bryant was. But I digress. That’s a solid nickname. Let’s enlighten the world with other nicknames for the 2013 West Virginia football team.

Let’s go deep

Players are still changing positions and injuries are shuffling certain lineups, but now that we’re in the middle of the preseason preparation that precedes the 2013 season, we are starting to get a clue where some pieces fit.

Now, nothing interests me less than writing or reading about how the quarterback competition is still unsettled, as if Dana Holgorsen would tell us something he did not want us to know, but there are ways to make an educated guesses there. We can make much more educated guesses throughout the depth charts on offense and defense.

And yesterday’s sneak preview has to help, though it must also make you think. I mean, Isaiah Bruce at the spur linebacker spot?

So based on what you know, what you think and what you hope to be true, let’s fill out WVU’s starting 11.

I’ll go first …

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Video blog: Day 10

WVU goes live! Mike scribbles down primitive depth charts! Who is No. 40 in blue?

The head coach speaks about the introduction of situational drills and tempo to practice, position changes, the quarterback derby and an alarming majority of the team that has never heard of one of the sport’s legends. Troll Tide.

Interesting to note, as well, that when quizzed Dana immediately and understandably expressed concern about the ordeal at cornerback.

Brian Mitchell’s welcome gift? That’d be an ornate basket wrapped with shiny cellophane, but still containing two position changes, one lingering injury and one new injury to subtract from his depth. He has but six healthy players and only one who comes without some shade of red flag.

Friday Feedback

Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which — CHANGE!

Whispers about defensive line depth are swirling around whichever practice field WVU is on for a given day, and while I think it’s a bit of a reach to say the Mountaineers can roll three-deep, I do think parts can be arranged so that they function similarly. And I’m positive WVU looks better there than it has in years and that Erik Slaughter has better cards to play in his second season than he did in his first.

What does that mean? Literal line changes during the course of play.

 This could happen at just about any point of any series in any game, so long as the players stoke Slaughter’s confidence.

There are some restrictions. If a play goes out of bounds on the opponent’s sideline, WVU can’t sub. If the play stops in the middle of the field, WVU can’t sub.

“There’s no way to do it,” Slaughter said. “You couldn’t get off and on the field and lined up in time.”

If a play goes out of bounds on WVU’s sideline, WVU can sub. If there’s an incomplete pass, WVU can sub. If the opponent subs, WVU can sub. If there’s a long gain by the offense, or if a long gain is called back by a penalty, and the pursuit has wiped out the defensive line, WVU can sub.

“They’ll just make eye contact and point and somebody will run in,” Slaughter said. “They’ll know when to go in and when we can sub. But it’s got to be quick.”

That’s what depth looks like and that’s a luxury WVU needs in the Big 12. Will it work? Well, you need three things. The Mountaineers have the bodies. Slaughter has confidence in the plan. They just need competence to make it effective and not destructive.

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, know what you want.

(By the way, thanks for all the nice things you said this week. My job isn’t hard, but that sort of stuff makes it easier. And it makes my bosses happy. We’re adding to the audience here and your input, and the way you spread the word, is especially inviting. That has a lot to do with that.)

Mack said:

I was hoping Mike would address the polarizing topic known as Texts from Gameday.

Yeah, that’s not going anywhere. People would be mad as hell if I got rid of it. I was stunned some said they could do without it. Not that there’s something wrong with that, mind you, but that’s the one feature I thought people felt most strongly about. I mean, there are people who compete among a circle of friends to see who gets the most texts into the post. Some hurry to name the song I alter for the intro. Others plan their Monday lunch around it. It’s strong. It’s staying put.

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Video blog: Day seven

I had a feeling we’d have a weather issue today and that practice would either be in the rain or indoors and thus not conducive to a Tier 4 production. I pulled the Q&A mailbag out of the playbook and went 20 deep. It gets a little silly.

WVU’s 2013-14 appointments were released today and highlights include uninterrupted Big 12 play, two games in Charleston in close proximity, the chance to claim revenue sports bragging rights from William & Mary and heeded concerns about the complexities of conference travel.

The Tier 3 bird nest

To review: West Virginia Radio Corp. unearthed an alleged ugly incident from a Fourth of July party in 1987 as its cause to have a judge, and his implied conflict of interest with a Team Raese lawyer, removed from one of WVRC’s many litigious tactics against WVU.

None of that is a joke, as much as it may make you laugh.

Well, it worked. A new judge was assigned and now Team Raese is literally asking the court to turn back the hands of time.

I can’t see that one working.

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Mentioned this in the Tier 4 epoch the other day, but now’s about the time injuries start to appear. And injuries have appeared for WVU.

More interestingly, there was an impromptu appearance of an actual and useful discussion about the quarterback competition. That you might enjoy.

Back in a bit with the basketball schedule and a fun look at Tier 3 revenues then and, uh, then. Past and future, I mean.

Then we’ll play 20 questions after the 5 p.m. practice, weather permitting.