So, how do you run a 3-3-5 for 14 seasons and stay ahead of opponents who you’ve beaten and frustrated and are intent on catching up to your scheme? If you’re Tony Gibson, you do what you have to do to keep secrets secret.

The West Virginia defensive coordinator is beginning his third season in charge and in command of the odd stack as he has tailored it.

He needs eight new starters and depth behind those bodies. He’s the linebackers coach, and he not only needs three new starters there, but he has to come to grips with using at least a few freshmen.

The top three cornerbacks from 2015 are gone, and of the 10 scholarship players he has at that position, only two have ever played for the Mountaineers. Six arrived on campus in the spring or summer.

But Gibson is also aware that some adversaries are confident they’re on his heels.

In June, ESPN Insider used quotes from anonymous Big 12 coaches to provide a candid conference preview. One head coach had concerns about the future of the 3-3-5.

“Their system was an advantage, but more people are doing similar things,” the coach said. “A few years ago, we’d see that look maybe 20 to 30 percent of the time. This year, we’ll probably see it 70 percent of the time.”

Gibson welcomes more of those confident dismissals, but he also completely disagrees.

“Here’s the good thing about that,” he said. “It was us and Arizona running it. Arizona — Jeff’s no longer there. We were the only two Power 5 schools who were doing it, and we’re never going to keep running the same things we always run. We’ll always tweak our stuff.”