WVU seeks proof ‘it’s not an afterthought’

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The nattering nabobs of negativism came out in unfiltered bluster after WVU managed only a teetering tidbit of trivial triumph against William & Mary. One of the few sure-fire victories on this season’s schedule remained a tussle into the final three minutes before the Mountaineers survived for a win that was immediately filed under “meh.”

Now, ready or not, comes the Week 2 trip to Soonerland, where Bud Wilkinson won 47 straight games, Barry Switzer stockpiled trophies atop scandal and John Blake nearly crippled the empire. Though Bob Stoops restored Oklahoma to its national championship perch, the Sooners now occupy an uncomfortable rut—four seasons removed from contending for the top spot, and not much indication that they can avoid a fifth.

Oklahoma sits No. 16 in the AP poll and sounds genuinely pleased by a 34-0 trouncing of Louisiana-Monroe—the type of outcome to warrant its own “meh” from more ambitious Sooners teams of the past. Pounding a Sun Belt team may be a start, but this crew is still only one game removed from being ginned in the Cotton Bowl, and it marches behind a redshirt freshman quarterback, Trevor Knight, who’s capable of shearing the Mountaineers or gagging hard on his first prime-time platform.

The latter would involve West Virginia bringing significantly more pressure than it did in Week 1, and moreover, reverting to a level of defense it hasn’t shown since 2011. The three-touchdown spread feels enormous, but  hardly unreasonable, given WVU’s reliance on personnel that has yet shown more potential than productivity.

West Virginia’s coaches seemingly possess an inkling their squad isn’t the eighth-best in a 10-team league, and they’re irked by perceptions the program has been in freefall mode since last October. Witness Dana Holgorsen on Thursday night, describing the OU game as “a chance to prove to the nation that we’re not just an afterthought.”

Funny, because on a slightly grander scale, Stoops and his program are trying to prove the same.

Pick: Oklahoma 28-17

Ranking the other Big 12 games:

1. No. 15 Texas 30, BYU 21: (Longhorns -7) Mack Brown’s players worked out in elevation training masks for this matchup of future Big 12 members—yes, we’re still beating the drum for some LDS inclusion. BYU already fits the Big 12 profile after running 93 plays at Virginia last week, though the Cougs’ somehow turned all those snaps into a measly 16 points.

2. No. 13 Oklahoma State 38, Texas-San Antonio 14: (Cowboys -26) The Roadrunners are a second-year FBS program coached by Larry Coker, meaning that even if they spring a monumental upset, Butch Davis will get all the credit.

3. Kansas State 30, Louisiana-Lafayette 21: (Wildcats -10) While Mark Hudspeth has steered ULaLa to consecutive nine-win seasons, we’re more impressed that he recently benched 225 pounds 25 times. We’re hoping he’s cautious with Bill Snyder during the postgame handshake.

4. No. 23 Baylor 54, Buffalo 21: (Bears -27.5) Last week the Bulls netted $1 million while absorbing a 23-point loss at Ohio State, and now comes another cash-for-smash game in Waco.

5. No. 24 TCU 37, Southeastern Louisiana 10: (no line) Can the Horned Frogs stop Michael Vick? Considering this one’s a 270-pound offensive lineman for SLU, yes, they probably can. The bigger question is can TCU slow down Bryan Bennett, the Oregon transfer who three years ago came out of high school as Rivals’ No. 15-rated quarterback.

6. Kansas 34, South Dakota 17: (no line) Losers of 11 in a row, the Jayhawks can’t wait to take out their frustration on the Coyote Uglies, who last season went 1-10, essentially making them the Kansas of the FCS.

7. Texas Tech 66, Stephen F. Austin 17: (no line) Question: After the Lumberjacks surrendered 50 points to Weber State, how many single-game records can the Red Raiders offense expect to smash Saturday? Answer: As many as they wish.