The Big 12’s preseason poll comes out later this morning, and Oklahoma will again be the favorite, the third time that’s happened in the five years in which West Virginia has been a member.

Where will the Mountaineers be? Interesting question.

The smart money is on finding WVU in the lower half. Where exactly isn’t clear.

Kansas will be 10th and Iowa State will be ninth, and I suspect there won’t be much debate about that. But I do think how voters go from Nos. 4-8 — or, when you consider what’s happening at Baylor, Nos. 3-8 — will vary. WVU’s reputation, whatever it is, will send it high or drop it low.

No. 6 would be the top of the bottom half, and that wouldn’t feel wrong. No. 5 wouldn’t feel wrong either. But No. 7 means they’re better than probably Texas Tech and No. 8 means that isn’t the case … and either of those suggests Texas is still Texas, when you really can’t find too many reasons to say these Longhorns are going to be better than last year’s Longhorns or this year’s WVU.

Still, it’s about reputation as much as indication, but there’s a distinct chance WVU does well in today’s polling based on what happened yesterday. The Mountaineers had one offensive lineman and one defensive lineman make the all-conference team. Only one other team could say the same.

Oklahoma.

That’s good company and better news for the Mountaineers, who figure to be at their best up front on offense and defense. More and more, that’s the trend in the Big 12, where offenses have controlled games with the run and defenses have used their line to stop the run, make negative plays and disrupt the many passers.

WVU has become one of those teams, leaning on the run at an unexpected rate last season and building its defense on using the linemen to facilitate teammates who combine to stop the run and control the pass.

The Mountaineers started to make this shift after their first season in the Big 12, when all their pass-catch talent was good for was a 4-5 league record. Now, with their first ever preseason linemen picks, it’s beginning to show signs it’s working. Heck, that’s not even accurate. It worked last season, though not to a level of success with which anyone was satisfied.

Historically — at least, as far back as WVU’s Big 12 history goes — it’s a good sign to have preseason picks on the offensive and defensive line.

That season [2012], Oklahoma was the preseason favorite, and the preseason team had two Sooners offensive linemen and one defensive lineman. When the season was over, Oklahoma and Kansas State had tied for first in the standings. Oklahoma had one first-team and two second-team offensive linemen. The Wildcats had one first-team offensive lineman, one first-team defensive lineman who was named the league’s defensive lineman of the year and two second-team defensive linemen.

A year later, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, TCU and Texas were separated by 28 points in the preseason poll. The top three teams had one preseason offensive or defensive linemen. Texas had one of each. Baylor won the league. The Bears had one offensive lineman on the preseason team, but at the end of the season, there were two first-team offensive linemen, including the offensive lineman of the year, and one first-team defensive lineman.

In 2014, the Sooners were the popular preseason pick ahead of Baylor. They both had one offensive lineman on the preseason team. The Bears and TCU both finished 8-1 in the league. Baylor had one first-team offensive lineman, including another offensive lineman of the year, and two first-team defensive linemen. TCU had two defensive lineman on the preseason team make the first-team after the season and another make the second team.

Last season, TCU was first in the preseason poll, followed by Baylor. The Horned Frogs had two offensive linemen and one defensive lineman on the preseason team. Baylor had one offensive lineman and two defensive linemen. The season ended with the Sooners on top. They had no preseason offensive or defensive linemen but finished with two first-team offensive linemen, one first-team defensive lineman and one second-team defensive lineman.

The Mountaineers are still going to find themselves in the bottom half of the preseason poll when it’s released today, but at least there’s an indication they’re prepared to play above that prediction.