The 2013 season was not great for West Virginia, and the program took and needed time to get back on track. From a distance, one that’s all but gone now with players reporting today and practice beginning tomorrow, it would appear the Mountaineers again have all four wheels on the road.

Does the defense need to identify starters and establish depth? Yep. But are there options? There are many, and only a few are freshmen. The quarterback must be more accurate and efficient, but is he surrounded by talent? It’s as good as it’s been since the first Big 12 season, and if we’re talking about overall quality, it’s likely better.

Yet the Mountaineers find themselves in an interesting predicament. They just have to score more to win more in the Big 12, and that might require a bit of a cultural change as Dana Holgorsen eyeballs a big number.

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.

Players report today and practice begins tomorrow at West Virginia. This is Mountaineer Field, which as you can see no longer has a crown. That’s a big deal. But a lot of things are happening outside the stadium, and it looks liek the east side of the stadium, as planned, will be ready to go for the opener. Won’t you have a look?

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So many options, so little time.

Let’s get through today and tomorrow safe and sound. Sunday’s Gazette-Mail has a lengthy feature about Dana Holgorsen turning back the clock with the 2016 offense. A day later, we arrive at the eve of the 2016 season. Camp opens Tuesday.

Get your rest now.

He is the state’s top-rated prep prospect in the 2017 class, but Derrek Pitts also staged a commitment announcement at a popular Charleston restaurant Wednesday and picked Penn State. 

But the rising senior made no apologies to WVU fans, some of whom were at the restaurant on Wednesday.

“I love West Virginia,” Pitts said. “But as of right now, I’m doing what’s best for me and my family. If some people can’t understand that, then they don’t want the best for me. That’s what me and my family understood at the end of this process.

“I do what’s best for me and my family and if you don’t understand that, you didn’t like me from the beginning. If you don’t understand that, you will never understand me.”

Stones. I like his future.

But do we need to talk about this? I think we need to talk about this.

Sources tell Gazette-Mail WVU and Florida State talking, close to finishing deal to open 2020 season in Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta.

— Mike Casazza (@mikecasazza) July 26, 2016

Barring some 11th hour hiccup — like West Virginia being made responsible for too many tickets … and I think it’d take a bigger hiccup than that — this will happen. Hot take: Who’s doing a better job with non-conference scheduling than the Mountaineers? Are they the best? Probably not, but we’re still talking about a serious stretch of non-conference games. Hard to find someone taking a tougher path, which is somewhat ironic…

First, a change: No more Tuesday Taboo. It had a good run, but it’s the odd thing out this season. Save your tomatoes. There might be other additions and subtractions. I’ll explain later.

Second, a reminder: Play Preseason Bingo! I sent out the first batch of cards last night. I’ll do so again tonight.

Third, a reset: This is it for me this week, unless circumstances warrant otherwise. I did send two stories in last week to be used in my absence this week, but it appears they’ve already made it to print:

• Skyler Howard is ready for the season, and it doesn’t sound like he’ll rest until it arrives. “Mentally,” he said, “I’m as prepared as I can be.”
• Dana Holgorsen is back to talking about Jovon Durante, and that’s good news for the offense. “He’s not just a guy,” Holgorsen said. “But he’s not one of the four everybody’s talking about right now, which is on purpose.”

But, hey, it’s Tuesday. And what does that mean?

As promised Friday, something new and unusual today as we more or less begin our 2016 football season right here and right now. Welcome to Preseason Bingo!

We’ll get to the rules in a moment, but trust me when I say it’s as easy as it sounds. It’s probably going to be just as fun. But why are we doing it? Why do we do any of the things we do here?

There’s no answer to that question, and that means there’s no wrong answer. Why do we do TFGD? The Good and the Bad? Chats? F Doubles? I don’t know. But it feels right. And this idea feels right.

I’m not naive or conceited enough to think I’m the only one who can cover West Virginia or give you information that you need to know about the Mountaineers and their preseason camp. Here’s a way to encourage you to search for, discover and enjoy more during camp, which begins Aug. 2.

I am excited to announce the hiring of @chuckmcgill as our new Assistant Athletic Director for Fan/Donor Engagement and Communications.

— Mike Hamrick (@TheHerdAD) July 8, 2016

So, that was two weeks ago today, and you know what that means. Today is Chuck’s last day at the Gazette-Mail, a place that’s meant a lot to him for a long time, a place that gave a stage to one of the best storytellers I know, a place he’s run with clarity and conviction for, if you’re asking me, more than just these past 11 months.

Cheers to Chuck, the four-time sportswriter of the year for work like this, his last piece at our shop.