I've written it before.
Yes, WVU head coach Dana Holgorsen is on the proverbial hot seat. Yet the upcoming Mountaineer schedule sets up as well as the coach can hope for considering membership in the Big 12 and College Football Playoff scheduling demands. In short, it's as good as it gets, brother.
It's time for WVU's football team to show up. It's time for it to finish drives and games. It's time to avoid month-long collapses. It's time to win tossup games.
And it seems WVU has a chance. The reason: what I saw way back in April when Holgorsen displayed a ton of offensive threats, including Ka'Raun White, Daikiel Shorts, Shelton Gibson, Elijah Wellman, Mike Ferns, Kennedy McKoy, Rushel Shell, Jovon Durante, William Crest... Many impressive, moving parts for defenses to try and handle.
That written, there are two question marks. One centers on Mountaineer quarterback Skyler Howard; the other centers on the team's defense, especially now that Dravon Askew-Henry is out for the season. Can the former take a step forward and the latter, with many new faces, stay away from allowing the big play? Understand that WVU's 2015 defense, with all that NFL talent, was No. 61 nationally overall and No. 82 in passing yards allowed. Also, WVU plays five of last season's top 24 passing teams (No. 2 Texas Tech, No. 7 Oklahoma State, No. 17 Oklahoma, No. 21 BYU and No. 24 Baylor) this season.
Let's check it out.
n Sept. 3, Missouri at WVU - Good timing for West Virginia. At first, I thought Mizzou could surprise the Mountaineers. Remember, the Tigers won the SEC East back in 2013-14. Also, ex-four-star back Alex Ross of Oklahoma transferred to Missouri. But Missouri's strength, its defensive line, took hits when Harold Brantley and Walter Brady were dismissed. The team's lone returning starter along the offensive line, Nate Crawford, had to give up football for medical reasons. And the SEC media picked Missouri to finish sixth in the seven-team East. Expect WVU's defensive front to have a good day. WVU, 35-27.
n Sept. 10, Youngstown State at WVU - You're sooo 2006 if you think Youngstown State is a serious threat. That year was the last time the Penguins made the FCS playoffs. They finished 5-6 last season playing in the Missouri Valley Conference and were picked this preseason to finish fifth in 2016. Jody Webb, a 5-foot-9 running back, is their guy. WVU, 48-21.
n Sept. 24, BYU vs. WVU (at Landover, Maryland) - An off-week beforehand will benefit WVU. BYU, meanwhile, will be coming off back-to-back-to-back games against Arizona, Utah and UCLA before the long flight east. The Cougars, though, will want to show well against a possible future Big 12 peer. New coach Kalani Sitake has talent, including a nice 1-2 punch at quarterback with Tanner Mangum and Taysom Hill. BYU, by the way, has moved to a 4-3 defensive scheme after finishing No. 23 in total defense last season. BYU, 40-38.
n Oct. 1, Kansas State at WVU - I think K-State will be the surprise team in the Big 12. That doesn't mean the Wildcats will challenge for a Big 12 title or CFP berth, but they have 16 starters and 46 lettermen returning. Keep in mind that coach Bill Snyder is 4-0 versus WVU. Still, if the Mountaineers aren't incredibly motivated after the 2015 regular-season-ending face-plant in Manhattan, something is seriously wrong. WVU, 40-27.
n Oct. 15, WVU at Texas Tech - The Red Raiders, like the Mountaineers, will certainly be entertaining this season. Coach Kliff Kingsbury has turned QB Patrick Mahomes, now a junior, into a record-setter. The problem has been on the defensive side. In a word, horrid. Even if second-year defensive coordinator David Gibbs gets Tech to improve a bit, it shouldn't be enough to handle WVU's offense. Yet the Mountaineers' defense will struggle mightily too, especially now with Henry out. And the game is in Lubbock. Texas Tech, 42-41.
n Oct. 22, TCU at WVU - I'm not as bullish on TCU as many others. The Horned Frogs didn't make my Top 25 ballot. They have the fewest returning starters in the Big 12. Trevone Boykin and Josh Doctson are gone. Much will be on the shoulders of Texas A&M transfer Kenny Hill at quarterback. Yes, Gary Patterson is a terrific coach and the defense could be stout, but WVU's offense should break through and allow the Mountaineers to surprise. WVU, 33-30.
n Oct. 29, WVU at Oklahoma State - Even though OSU lost players like defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah and receiver David Glidden, the Cowboys still have as much talent as any in the Big 12 aside from Oklahoma. Quarterback Mason Rudolph isn't, say, Brandon Weeden, but he's won at places like Norman and, yes, Morgantown. Would it be a shocker if WVU left Stillwater with a win? No. Still ... OSU, 37-28.
n Nov. 5, Kansas at WVU - I like Kansas coach David Beaty. I kind of like Jayhawks QB Ryan Willis. That's about it. Kansas surrendered 46.1 points a game in 2015. No more to say. WVU, 52-20.
n Nov. 12, WVU at Texas - Looking for a game Holgorsen needs to win? Here ya go. The Longhorns are now recruiting well, but are coming off consecutive losing seasons. The time for WVU to strike is now. Texas has some talent on defense, but is putting in a new spread offense. That takes time. If Mountaineer defensive coordinator Tony Gibson can steady his defense just a bit, West Virginia should walk out of Austin victorious. WVU, 28-27.
n Nov. 19, Oklahoma at WVU - Milan Puskar Stadium should be lit for this one, and West Virginia could raise heartbeats with an early flurry. But the Sooners have far and away the most talent within the Big 12, especially on offense. (Four words: Baker Mayfield. Samaje Perine.) Yes, defensively, they lost Eric Striker and Charles Tapper, but return perhaps the nation's best back end. Oklahoma, 42-28.
n Nov. 26, WVU at Iowa State - There has been nice recruiting rumbling going on in Ames. New young coach Matt Campbell seems to be doing well there after replacing Paul Rhoads. He inherits a nice running back in Mike Warren. But the Cyclones are going through a serious rebuilding process. WVU, 38-24.
n Dec. 3, Baylor at WVU - Reports from Waco are the wind was simply knocked out of Baylor's program because of the recent scandal. Coach Art Briles is gone. Huntington native Jim Grobe is in. Top-flight recruits reversed field. Not good for Baylor's future. Yet much talent remains for 2016. On offense, QB Seth Russell, running back Shock Linwood and wide receiver KD Cannon are back. Defensively, though, Andrew Billings and Shawn Oakman, among others, are gone. Baylor, 45-35.
Final WVU regular season record: 7-5.
Contact Mitch Vingle at 304-348-4827 or mitchvingle@wvgazettemail.com. Follow him on Twitter @MitchVingle.