Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which admittedly is not one who should critique scheduling. One more of these after this week, and then things get really weird and infrequent here in July because of vacations. I was thinking of filling this spot on the schedule by outsourcing the feature, because it was oddly terrific last summer when Sheik stepped in a performed a spot-on impression in the comments. (Those comments no longer exist, and I have no idea why that happened…)

He’d be, like, Florida State on the schedule. Good pedigree. Logical connections. Power conference. Dann would be Georgia Tech. Obtuse as heck but tough as a rusty railroad tie and darned effective. The 25314 would be Alabama. Unrelenting, unapologetic, but you can’t argue with the results. Remember Thacker? Army. Dave? Quinnipiac, but it doesn’t exist. I think Karl would be Rutgers. One of the originals. Elicits good memories and seeing him on the docket is always a win. overtheSEC is, I’m sorry to say, Tennessee. Used to be great, but hasn’t been in primetime too much lately … but is this the comeback? Clarence Oveur? I was going to say anyone from the Sun Belt. Underrated and fun to watch, but, nah, it’s the University of Western Ontario.

I could go on and on, but as I did we’d all still wonder the same thing: Who is Mack? I’ll hang up and listen.

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words … nope. In the interest of keeping up the theme, I will let @realbbbb handle this one.

netbros said:

Frankly it’s AMAZING to me that the assistant coaches are still on staff. By all appearances there were some of them even more complicit in this mess than Briles.

It never made sense, until we got the idea this might be a one-year suspension. In that case, you plug Briles in again next summer and play on, which is difficult to stomach. Also, that’s not happening. Not now.

Sid Brockman said:

Baylor is writing the book on what NOT to do during/after a scandal.

In Baylor’s defense, the school has no control over leaked stories. We can assume the story about the regents voting on Briles came from the regents … and there are 39! Certainly one or more among three baker’s dozens had incentive, either for or against the idea of bringing back Briles, to let one slip. And from there, the Baylor people who could and would go on the record had a “Don’t ask me, I’ve no idea where this came from!” response. Where the school did screw up was waiting until the day after the regents met to address the event, and the grand reveal was that there was no vote. Why in the world do you wait to say that? Also, again, Briles ain’t coming back. Not now. He stabbed Baylor in a legal filing yesterday, and I’m hearing he’ll be paid off soon.

Rugger said:

Growling Bear Brewing Company in the town where I live makes an IPA called Arrogant Bear……I just ask for a Baylor. Fruity and bitter all at once.

That had to feel good.

Mr Burns said:

Baylor says the meeting was not for that purpose. Prez admits that some boosters want Briles back. Really? This from a church run institution. How can I be surprised that some people don’t know right from wrong…or don’t care?

To me, Baylor is not unlike a lot of other schools to ascend in that it needed a lot of help from a lot of donors to get to where it is. As a general and often disliked rule, you have to let your money talk lest it walks. You don’t have to listen, but you have to let it talk. Remember, this is still a young program relative to this level of success.

cc team said:

I’m with Huggs on this one, I come to see the Mountaineers, not their opponent.

I don’t disagree, but I think that’s something that sounds good and is increasingly not realistic.

The 25314 said:

If that’s a down year in terms of home schedules, WVU is in a good place. And even if fans aren’t thrilled about that schedule, there’s always excitement surrounding a new head coach.

That had to feel good, too.

Clarence Oveur said:

Got to figure most previews will have us pegged for 7-5, with a one win margin of error.

Is it reasonable to expect anything above 7-5 given the schedule and the losses on defense? I’d argue no. That being said, should we be at a point where the expectations are higher? Where 8 or 9 wins should be expected rather than 6 or 7? You could probably make a compelling argument either way.

For me, he can’t win less than 7 games in the regular season. A winning record despite the losses on defense this season sets up nicely for 2017 with Grier and a favourable home schedule.

6-6 will get Dana fired, of that I’m certain. I’m equally convinced that 8-4 will save his job (at least Bill Connelly seems to think so and I would concur). There’s little to no margin for error here.

Personally, I avoid these conversations before the season gets going because we don’t yet know what’s going to happen with preseason injuries, suspensions, eligibility, etc. What if WVU starts 2-4 and finishes 7-5? What if WVU starts 6-1 and finishes 7-5? What if there are more major in-season injuries? What if the Big 12 is amazing? Now, in an “all things equal” sense, it is hard to see a regular season with six or fewer wins that isn’t met with a December press conference. And that, I think, is because of expectations. I don’t think it’s unreasonable for Shane Lyons to want continued progress, eight or nine wins as more of a norm than an exception and the every-now-and-again season that legitimately pursues or wins the conference title. What’s wrong with that? And if he doesn’t think Dana Holgorsen is capable, it’s his job to find someone who he thinks is capable. If that someone is not capable, then Gordon Gee has a job to do. That’s the business. They all know this. 

I love you, Doug! said:

Haha, MonanaEer.

Call me crazy, I’m seeing 9 wins this year: Mizzou, Youngstown State, BYU, K-State (finally!), Texas Tech, TCU (at home), Kansas, Iowa State, Baylor (at home).

I feel like Texas Tech is a massive game.

ccteam said:

More than 8 wins not gonna happen in the regular season. 8 wins unlikely, 7 possible, 6 more likely, 5 or less unacceptable. That’s the CC Team spring magazine projection.

Vegas.

smeer said: 

it all falls on skyler. will the sky be falling? will he sky to new heights? will we be waiting for the fall? will lighting fall from the sky? will we catch lightning in a bottle?

our record has always been bound to our QB play

skyler is dana’s horse. he won’t win or lose his job over a 4th down call. he’ll win or lose his job based on an undersized QB with a huge chip on his shoulder who plays fantastic when there’s no pressure but has been questionable when the game is on the line

Good conversation points, and to be honest, probably generally true … except there’s precedent that works against you here.

The 25314 said:

Our record has always been bound to our QB play? WVU went 7-6 in 2012 with a QB in the Heisman discussion. Dana’s job won’t be decided on a 4th down call? He wasn’t given an extension after we lost to K. State, which was lost when Dana had his injured, average QB run the ball on the deciding 4th and 1.

Yep. That said, Howard’s win/loss splits were pretty telling last season. He’s a talisman in 2016.

Clarence Oveur said:

Geno’s play went from lights out in first five games in 2012 to more down to earth, to a few occasions where he just wasn’t good, and took him out of the Heisman discussion.

That said, 25314 has a point: our record that season had a lot more to do with our defense (or lack thereof) than it did the offense/QB play.

Dana might have bought himself more time if they win 8 games this year due to Grier waiting in the wings. But that will only go so far: what about the rest of the team next year, what holes have to be filled? You can’t just keep him on because he has a good QB. We have seen what his offenses are capable of with good QB play (Smith in 2012, Trickett in 2014), but what’s to say the team will be good next season based on that alone? Nothing.

Geno went from overrated to underrated like I’ve never witnessed. Remember when he destroyed Kansas? The only incomplete pass was a tipped ball that was intercepted. He was Peak Geno as the season concluded, and then he came undone in the snow.

Sid Brockman said:

I’m not advocating a change at all, but I want to point out that having Grier “waiting in the wings” should also make the job slightly more enticing.

I’m on the record saying Dana doesn’t do a new contract, either by WVU’s or his own volition.

I’m sorry, but I think if Lyons is on the fence, he chooses a coach he believes will do the best for the program over the combination of a coach he doesn’t fully believe in and a quarterback he’s never seen play.

Mr M said:

I suspect Mike subconsciously doesn’t want to leave us; that’s why his job-search highlight reel still contains that goofy cat and Evan Williams.

Not goofy. Not a pink jacket. Fallacies I will never stop fighting.

Mack said:

Mike calls it a highlight reel, but he actually sends out reality show audition tapes.

Now that one, I will not fight.

ffejbboc said:

Somebody educate me…why doesn’t baseball have age limit rules in place like the NFL and NBA do?

…wait for it.

Sid Brockman said:

ffejboc, in baseball you can either start your pro career right out of high school or you must wait until after your junior year of college.

With the minors, not sure they need a more stringent requirement (same with hockey).

Technically, it’s three years of college, not three seasons. You can be  picked after your redshirt sophomore year, but there are different rules for junior college players, too. Also, you can sign an undrafted free agent deal after your third year. WVU just lost Ray Guerrini to the Mariners. No one drafted him, but Seattle nevertheless signed him away. That stings. So that’s the ace pitcher, the arguable MVP and perhaps the top recruit.

Sid Brockman said:

Program building in that sport is so difficult. It’s gotta be tough to have your top recruits never set foot on campus.

Imagine if you’re really good and you’re constantly losing a few prep players. Growing pains. Good ones, to be sure, but pains all the same.

The 25314 said:

We should play an FCS caliber team every year. We’re already playing 11 power 5’s, which is more than most teams. I only have a problem when we play a William and Mary and Georgia State in the same year, or a Georgia Southern and Liberty. Although, most SEC teams play an FCS and Sun Belt team each year.

Bingo. I’m not sure this is related or if it’s a call for a college football commissioner, which I’m kind of against and very certain we’ll never see, but I think college football screwed up majorly by not insisting on uniformity when we entered the CFP era: Same number of conference games, every league has a title game, yes or no on FCS teams and spell out the strength of schedule formula. Remove the variables.

SheikYbuti said:

Playing an FCS team is one thing. Playing a terrible FCS team is quite another. More effort should have been made to schedule a more formidable opponent. If WVU wanted to help the Delaware State football program, it should have made a straight-up donation and taken the tax deduction.

Bang! But, what if WVU tried and couldn’t get a Group of 5? I can’t think of another explanation, because getting the Hornets through any other avenue is very hard to accept. 

CC Team said:

Still seems to me that some of that new conference money from a full Big 12 payout could be used to bring in better competition to Morgantown.

Agreed. WVU is on a different level now financially, so you have the right to have a different level of expectations. Glad many of you are sharp enough to realize that.

netbros said:

Perhaps we should play Lackawanna JC. They seem to be pretty good based on all the recruits we’re getting from there.

A fun scrimmage, at least. 

Rugger said:

I’m hearing Galludet in 2019.

Enjoy the weekend!