Last season, Big 12 schools ranked Nos. 1, 2, 4, 7 and 14 nationally in scoring offense and Nos. 28, 43, 64, 78 an 87 in scoring defense. This season, nine teams, including four of those five offenses, return a quarterback. The exception is TCU, which says hello to former Texas A&M quarterback Kenny Hill. A lot of defenses took significant hits thanks to graduation and the NFL draft, including West Virginia, which was one of the aforementioned “top” five defenses.

Preseason practices begin tomorrow with the Mountaineers looking for eight new starters on defense, including all three linebackers and both cornerbacks. Tony Gibson has seen what others have forecast, and the Big 12 figures to again be filled with pass-catch combos, but he’s set his expectations before he gets started.

“I don’t get caught up in yards and all that stuff,” he said. “People are going to get yards. Our three biggest things are third downs, three-and-outs and turnovers. If you’re good at those three things, you’re going to be OK on defense.”

That’s been Gibson’s focus since he was promoted following the 2013 season, but he’s about to be challenged like never before.

The Mountaineers have virtually no experience at cornerback after losing their top three players from last season, two to graduation and one to the NFL draft a year earlier than expected.

The Mountaineers have 10 cornerbacks on scholarship and zero favorites to snatch a starting spot.

“If somebody came out of the spring clearly ahead of the others, then maybe we wouldn’t be in this spot right now, but I don’t think anybody stood out to where I can say, ‘Wow, he’s a guy I feel really, really confident in right now. He can go out and lock somebody up for 80 snaps,’ ” Gibson said.