Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which is starting to find its swing again. But spring and summers are weird around here, and the news generators we could once rely on are spinning slowly and churning out silly stuff. Take the Big 12 for example: It’s provided and proposed conversation and chaos and everything in between in recent years. The waters are still this time around, only now they don’t run too deep.

Satellite camps are fun to talk about, but there’s nothing formative to the discussion.

The Big 12 won’t mandate at least one highly visible opponent for every football team every season, and Baylor, it would seem, got the hint and is revisiting he 2016-20 schedules.

So the sights are locked on — prepare yourself — sportsmanship.

Hey, it’s where they are now, no matter how much we might scoff and how much snark we might throw their way. So now there are punitive measures in place to react to situations and hand out penalties. There’s no in-game application of this, and if we’re being honest, these are small and not unnecessary maneuvers that wouldn’t be getting nearly as much attention and reaction in other years with bigger diversions.

But court/field storming is a matter the league needed to address. I’m on #TeamFun and I think it’s part of the college experience I’ll forever champion, but that Kansas State in the winter was concerning. I don’t see why ugly chants can’t be touched and shaped by the rule book. And yesterday’s news — excessive on-site replays of controversial plays will be subject to punishment — is fine by me. You can’t tell me big screens don’t whip fans up into a frenzy and/or affect officials.

In an ordinary year with bigger fish to fry, this doesn’t make the menu. This just isn’t an ordinary year. What’s wrong with cleaning up the games? Nothing. What’s wrong, in a matter of speaking, is the Big 12 doesn’t have any other messes to clean up this time around.

Anyhow, that lack ‘o news has kept us sedated here, and my mind has wondered. When I’m not vacationing and submitting the top American time in a 5K in Brugge, I’m taking on city hall and later making a meal out of dormant fire hydrants (Update: After three weeks of the battle, we have a winner!) And I’m teaching a summer class, too, which keeps me busy in the mornings and even leads me to discoveries about myself writing, the craft and the past.

So seeing as if we have some time, can we talk about this for a moment?

Long story short, my summer class is about storytelling (media writing, to be precise). I get a mix of journalism majors, though, and invariably you can see me teaching print skills (lede writing, inverted pyramid, AP style, etc.; it’s the focus of the syllabus) while the advertising and public relations kids are thinking The heck does this have to do with my major? 

It’s a good question, and this is why I spend time showing them the skill is the same across all forms of media. You have to tell a story for broadcast news, photo journalism, advertising, public relations, so on and so forth. We all do it with words, be it a script, ad copy, friendly quotes or pointy opinions. Even pictures, which have no words, tell a story, and the best ones are worth several hundred and perhaps a thousand words. If they can gasp this build-a-story technique, they’re set conceptually the rest of their way through the college of media.

So the early part of the semester is telling the students this, and one part of one day goes toward print, radio and television commercials. We look at, listen to or watch some, identify the story and continue to work in reverse until we arrive at the start. I spend some time researching, which is how and why I found that PBR ad. It’s amazing. I’ve watched it hundreds of times, which is why I haven’t been around here as much as I ought to. I can’t even blame it on the Big 12 or coaches on vacation or not having games to cover. It’s Swayze and the hair and the mannerisms. Like, why is he aggressively almost brushing up against the wall as he exits the apartment? How can I get my hair to do that? Wouldn’t this commercial work right now?

I can sit here and talk about this for a while. Or we can pore over WVU football’s scheduling philosophy, which has two major goals: No more FCS opponents and getting the band back together. “Without a doubt,” he said, “we’d love to reignite the Backyard Brawl.”

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, prioritize.

I love you, Doug! said:

I see five pretty-guaranteed wins:

– Georgia Southern
– Liberty
– Maryland
– At Kansas
– Iowa State

That means they need three wins from the following:

– At Oklahoma
– Oklahoma State
– At Baylor
– At TCU
– Texas Tech
– Texas
– At Kansas State

Only possibilities I see are Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and at Kansas State.

Oklahoma State’s going to be really good relative to expectations. I was shocked at the O/U of 7. I think that’s over easily. It helps WVU gets the Cowboys, and Texas Tech, at home, though.

Karl said:

Eight seems right. I agree with Doug’s list of the five likely wins. I could see us stealing four wins from the bottom group, but I wouldn’t bet on it. I think we’ll beat TCU. Their reaction to our style of defense didn’t strike me as a fluke. This year, we’ll be better at it and hopefully have a healthy QB to finish the job in the second half. Oklahoma, OSU and Baylor look like losses to me. But Kansas State could be in for a letdown year and Texas isn’t all the way back just yet.

The biggest variable there is the second-half health of the quarterback. Dana hasn’t had that since Geno, and we have no idea how Howard will absorb two-quarters, never mind three-quarters, of a season of hits. The second biggest variable: WVU rediscovering a home-field advantage. Being great at home would help a whole lot this season, and if you’ve got a veteran defense with a ton of confidence and an offense that can easily gain momentum, it’s attainable.

Joe Dryler said:

4 must-to-avoid-catastrophe wins:

– Georgia Southern
– Liberty
– At Kansas
– Iowa State

2 must-to-get-to-a-bowl wins:

– Maryland
– Texas Tech

Take 1-2 of remaining quality home games:

– Texas
– Ok. St.

Steal 1 Conference Away Game
– At Oklahoma
– At Baylor
– At TCU
– At Kansas State

And there you go, 8 wins. No problem, right?

None whatsoever.

Shoot4Show said:

With the losses on offense and uncertainty at key positions in HCDH’s system, the defense will have to be special — nay, Special — to get 8 Ws.

“Special,” or even just “special,” is a subjective term in the Big 12, isn’t it? What’s good enough? How much does that have to do with the success of your offense? I feel like there’s a sliding scale. Baylor’s defense gets a ton of credit and plays behind that offense. Kansas State’s offense is never as exotic, and it’s defense is usually just as good and almost always more disciplined, but doesn’t get as much credit because the wins and losses differ. Why do they differ? Offenses, right?

Drew said:

I’m afraid the defense is being overestimated.

Rushing the passer and stopping power runners will be problems. The secondary should be good. The linebackers should be good against the pass as well as against most rushing attacks – just probably not those of Oklahoma and Texas.

Don’t get me wrong, the defense will be good. What it won’t be is dominant.

I think it will be good enough to slow down most offenses we face, but I don’t see it making up for a struggling offense by completely shutting down opponents.

I don’t disagree with the concerns. The reality? I just don’t know yet. And I hope we all see this little change: WVU used to get by with a stout defense and a good-to-great offense in the Big East, where because of the other conference offenses WVU’s defense ranked highly and WVU’s good-to-great offense was the best in the league. Now WVU has (presumably) a stout defense and will need outstanding offense in the Big 12, where because of the other conference offenses WVU’s defense won’t rank as highly and WVU’s offense has to be even more outstanding to tip the scales the right way. It’s kooky.

Sid Brockman said:

I remember one of my best friends telling me right after the Big XII move that one of the best parts of the move was “enjoying winning 8 or 9 games again.” He meant that, similar to Mack’s post above, getting past the idea that 10 wins was unacceptable (which was life in the Big East).

I am hopeful for an eight-win season. And I, for one, will enjoy it if the cards fall that way.

Also kooky.

Mack said:

Back when I used to read Phil Steele’s preseason magazine, it was clear that one of the biggest indications as to how good a team will be is the experience it brings back. Even if WVU’s defense isn’t great (it isn’t) it’s certainly experienced and will probably be a top 50 defense. Thus, as long as the offense isn’t a train wreck, it should definitely be in the running for 6, 7, 8, 9 wins. It’s college football. It’s not the NFL. You don’t have to be the Seattle Seahawks to rack up wins.

You no longer read Phil Steele?

chocolate covered bacon said:

First, some of those formations looked very familiar. Perhaps the “pipeline” flows both ways.

Second, a couple of those punt return highlights have me worried. While they worked out great in the highlight reel, you just know once Durante straps on the Old Gold and Blue, not so much. They weren’t exactly clean catches. Just saying.

Miramar’s mimicked WVU for a while now, so it ought to look familiar. As for punt returns, Durante’s got ball-in-the-hand skills, but I’d consider it highly unlikely he’s a punt returner so early in his career. Unless you’re a savant, it’s a veteran’s skill. 

Bobby Heenan said:

As down as I am about the WR corps this year, I’m very optimistic about the crew next year.

I think Ka’Ruan and Durante will be very good, but in my opinion their ceiling this year is just role player/depth. First year WR’s in Dana’s system need some time.

However, if there was ever any year where a lack of upperclassman explosiveness led to some openings for newcomers, this is it. I just remain skeptical that a couple of kids just now stepping onto campus will have any major impact this year – but next year a Gibson-White-Durante-Shorts crew has some promise.

Rational expectation, but it’s a new game now. We’re in the second year of the expanded summer opportunities where coaches and players can be together more. Kids who get here next week — and that’ll be most of them — get a head start. I think Ka’Raun’s got an even larger head start and thus a chance to do something this first season. In addition to playing in a similar offense at the juco level, which is closer to the FBS level than is the high school level, he’ll be on the field because he has three years and three seasons left. What happens from there, and perhaps with Durante or Greg Jennings, is as much about what he/they does/do and what happens with the other outside receivers. (Also, let’s not assume they’re all outside receivers, either. Durante has slot size/skill and White played slot at Lackawanna. Jennings seems like a fit outside, though.)

Bobby Heenan said:

Storming the court is one thing, but policing chants is another.

I’m not proponent of vulgar chants at games, but come on…there are bigger issues at stake than this right now, surely.

I can’t name many. I’m certain there are a few, Shirley, but it’s not like they’re not being addressed. They’re not as exotic so they’re not as publicized or championed. There’s a novelty to this sportsmanship initiative and the novelty has earned attention. The big item was the title game, and that was settled weeks before these meetings. A thin docket isn’t bad. 

Sid Brockman said:

I’m starting to get tired of the SEC’s sort of “holier than thou” attitude on this issue. Satellite camps cant’ be this big of a deal. It’s not like a bunch of GA and FL kids flipped to PSU last year. You know what’s not right, SEC coaches? Grayshirts that don’t involve injuries.
/rant over

Where you been, Sid?

philip said:

how about the other three power five leagues put it in terms their sec and acc brethren might understand: “if you ain’t cheatin’, you ain’t tryin’.”

Bang!

Mack said:

The thing that cracks me up about the NCAA is they seem to create a rule where the intent is to keep colleges from recruiting off campus. Then, the colleges exploit a loophole and become “guests” at another school’s camp… and the NCAA throws its hands up in the air and says “What ya gonna do?” If the NCAA doesn’t want schools to recruit off-campus, then close the loophole and move on.

What cracks me up, beyond all these points, is how the procedures in place to close the loopholes are just impossible to enact. The whole thing — I mean, the entire rule book — needs to be erased and rewritten. One reason we’re constantly pointing at rules and kicking and screaming is because the book is so old and in need of revisions. One reason the NCAA is so behind on legislation and subject to loopholes and exploitation is because so much time goes to making changes. 

tls62pa said:

About as much noise as Dave Hickman just made about DH drinking Crown T his house and someone having a camera.

Hmm, do we need to go about this one? I don’t mind. I’m just not sure even see a mole hill here. 

Ryan said:

One of my favorite Mountaineer Field memories – Several years ago at the Backyard Brawl, a father and his preschool son were sitting in the row in front of us. Before the game even started, the students were already doing THAT chant. A lady sitting next to us leaned forward and said to the dad – “I’m so sorry you can’t bring your son to a game without him hearing that” Without missing a beat, the dad leaned back and said to the lady “Ma’am, if he’s going to learn that word, that’s the context where I want him to learn it!”

Solid.

Mack said:

One of my favorite WVU memories occurred just last year as we were entering the Georgia Dome for the WVU/Alabama game. The masses of Alabama fans were chanting “Roll… Tide!” Eventually, the next thing I heard was a lesser number of WVU fans (but still a lot of them) chanting “Eat sh*t Pitt!” Loved it.

Didn’t Oliver Luck, himself, admit that there was nothing WVU could do to stop people from wearing West “Lucking” Virginia shirts, due to freedom of speech issues? Just seems weird because whether the WVU administration wants to admit it or not… they’ve promoted the WVU football atmosphere for years and years. I can’t imagine people being thrown out for chanting the Pitt chant, but whatever.

I laughed at the NCAA Tournament when the Buffalo pep band played “Sweet Caroline” and flinched when the WVU fans got involved. Luck and his fashion police nevertheless tried and offered people with Those shirts alternative T-shirts for free. You can try to do anything. Doesn’t mean it’ll work, or that it has to. The Eat [It] Pitt chant isn’t going anywhere. All the Big 12 seeks to do is fine schools and add severity for future offenses. 

I love you, Doug! said:

I’m of somewhat-split mind on this. I oppose limits on public free speech, but strongly believe that not all free speech is fit for every venue. I won’t go to an NFL game anymore because the last couple I went to were so profane, coarse and borderline violent that they were not enjoyable. So far, I’ve not had that experience at a Mountaineer game, despite encounters with drunks, who have generally proven pretty affable and non-combative. But I’d like to take my daughter to a game someday and do hesitate a bit.

I’d like to think that’s the inspiration for this idea. The television audience plays a part, too, but I’d prefer to think it’s a way of getting people back to the arenas and stadiums.

Dann White said:

Caz,
What Iowa State thing? I have never heard a peep of this potential rivalry anywhere; except when you mention it. If this is something you feel strongly about, I would be eager to hear why. Really though, true rivalries don’t pop up overnight, the Pitt thing had taken 100+ years to reach its intensity as probably the greatest college football rivalry in the nation. Its still inconceivable to me that it was allowed to die. Some things aren’t explainable, especially when Pitt is involved.
I think my funniest memory of MPS was somewhere in the late 80s when I had to give up my regular seat to a friend and sit high up on the SE side, several seats over from the student section. In front of my son and I was a fellow who quite obviously was not an alum, a bit under the weather, and not happy with the score.
This cat kept jumping to his feet and cursing the students who were really enjoying themselves as they normally do, chanting and jeering the opposition.
For some reason this guy felt that WVU needed to ban students from the stadium during games, he loudly voiced that opinion and kept asking security to throw them out. He became really indignant when I asked him to explain his reasoning that held students ineligible to attend what basically was a school function. Not all idiots are from Pittsburgh.

Oh. It’s not a new thing from me. Iowa State is WVU’s closest conference opponent. They play football on the weekend reserved for rivalries (four straight years now). Paul Rhoads is on that other sideline, for at least one more season. You got basketball dudes kicking and clotheslining each other. Fans from both schools (also on the basketball side) single out and harangue opposing players before and during games. There’s something there, I promise. It just needs time and the unrelenting effort of inspired opinions to make it happen.

Sid Brockman said:

If the officials adjust to the new rules like they looked for travelling out of a trap, then I expect no changes at all next year.

I see you working.

netbros said:

If things do shake out like the NCAA wishes, it seems to me that puts a premium on team speed and quickness. Teams with speedy guards and lithe wings that can get up and down the court will fare well.

Why, it’s almost like WVU is on the front foot here. After a really weird first year in the Big 12 with a Big East roster and the wrong idea about how to defend and attack Big 12 personnel, the Mountaineers look like they’re built to fit into the league and the modern game.

Shoot4Show said:

Someone should make sure the NCAA understands the difference between FIBA and FIFA, and from what we know of the NCAA, we shouldn’t take for granted they do.

Enjoy the weekend.