MORGANTOWN - If No. 14 West Virginia doesn't roll Saturday at home against 1-7 Kansas, it'll be a shocking result.
Consider that Texas Tech put up 59 points in a loss to Oklahoma. And, last week, Kansas could score but three points against the same Sooners defense.
So understand this column isn't about WVU's immediate future. It is, however, about this Mountaineer team's long-term future and, to a smaller degree, its recent past.
Squint hard if while watching a replay of WVU's loss to Oklahoma State and you can see what I mean. Check out the offensive line.
There was left guard Tony Matteo playing 69 snaps. There was right guard Kyle Bosch playing 77. There was center Tyler Orlosky playing 80. Ditto left tackle Adam Pankey.
The extent of their time on the field is anything but optimal, although all are redshirt juniors or seniors.
Yet also check out right tackle Colton McKivitz. The redshirt freshman also played a whopping 80 snaps. That's not a recipe for success in the heat of Stillwater, Oklahoma, or one going forward with games against Texas (in Austin), Oklahoma or Baylor.
Upper-level FBS teams have to be able to give their linemen - whether on offense or defense - a break, at least for four or five plays here and there. That's especially the case for a young guy like McKivitz.
So I put it to WVU offensive line coach Ron Crook. I asked how many of his guys he feels comfortable with sending onto the field.
"Right now I'm at seven and I need to do a better job with that," Crook said. "It's something I don't feel I've done a very good job at the last few weeks. I'm working to fix that."
Understand that's two reserves to spell five positions.
"[Right tackle] Marcell [Lazard] is going to be on the field this weekend," Crook said. "He's started a lot of games here. We've won a lot of games with him. He deserves to be out there.
"And [right guard] Grant [Lingafelter] has been coming along. All season long he's been improving and playing better. Those two guys practice hard and it's important to them."
Lazard, of course, is a former starter. Both are redshirt juniors.
After that?
"Sylvester [Townes, a redshirt senior] is still there playing left tackle and getting a lot of reps in practice," Crook said. "Some of the young guys, Rob [Dowdy, a redshirt freshman] and Matt [Jones, a redshirt freshman] have been there. Rob has been on some of the PAT/field goal stuff. We've had him in some packages where he's on the field. All that stuff helps."
Yet?
"Right now, Marcell and Grant are the two we feel good about putting on the field and having them play at a high level," Crook said.
Orlosky, the All-America candidate, was asked about the situation.
"We've had a lot of snaps," he said. "We haven't been rotating in like we have in years past. But I've always been one who doesn't believe in rotating a lot of guys. Coach Crook is a big rotator. He wants to get fresh bodies in there.
"In years past, the center position doesn't get rotated a lot because there's the connection between the center and quarterback. So I'm used to playing the plays. But I think our guards are doing something they're not really familiar with doing, in playing as much and the same with our tackles."
Orlosky added that "after the second quarter [against Oklahoma State], we didn't rotate anymore. I think guys understood why. I thought we did a good job knowing what we had to do."
Neither Crook nor Orlosky placed any blame on the heat in Stillwater. Yet McKivitz, for one, looked gassed at game's end. And it's understandable. That's why it would be smart for WVU head coach Dana Holgorsen, Crook and company to unleash an all-out blitz on recruiting offensive linemen, if you'll forgive the twisted description.
"It always is [an emphasis]," Crook said. "I just got done talking about it with a couple of our guys. It's always an area in which you try to build more depth."
He said the Mountaineer staff even has a few possible immediate starters on its recruiting board wish list.
"If we can get those guys here, great," Crook said. "We become better."
And create opportunities for more breathers.
Contact Mitch Vingle at 304-348-4827 or mitchvingle@wvgazettemail.com. Follow him on Twitter @MitchVingle.