MORGANTOWN - One gets an odd feel in Touchdown City as WVU's football team heads toward its regular-season finale against Baylor.
Call it a relaxed feel. The Mountaineers bounced back nicely against Iowa State after the nuclear bomb that was Oklahoma went off at Puskar Stadium. Yet a College Football Playoff berth is out of reach. Ditto a Big 12 championship.
West Virginia will finish third in its league. All that's up for grabs now is a prettier record, one that could feature a double-digit winning record, and momentum, if you buy into momentum, heading into the bowl game.
Mountaineer coach Dana Holgorsen and his team already have a successful season on their resume. As I've mentioned before, Holgorsen is a prime candidate for Big 12 coach of the year. WVU is a 17-point favorite. BU has lost five in a row since starting 6-0 to get bowl eligible. All seems peachy keen for the Mountaineers.
Which is the perfect scenario for a trap game.
Understand that interim Baylor coach Jim Grobe, a Huntington native and, as Holgorsen called him Tuesday, "a wonderful West Virginian," has said he won't be on the sidelines next season. You know darn well he's going to empty the playbook. (Can't use it in retirement after all.) On top of that, Baylor has maybe one recruit committed to its program for 2017. Because of the school's scandal, this is probably it, folks, in regard to the Bears' foreseeable football respectability. So expect Baylor's players to lay it all out there.
Now, do I think West Virginia will exit the game victorious? Yes. The reason is, Baylor's pass defense is pretty bad. Texas Tech torched it for 586 yards just last Saturday. It's No. 72 nationally and No. 56 in pass efficiency defense.
Yet there's a wild card in play that could give WVU trouble: Baylor's pass offense.
Laugh if you wish. Starting BU quarterback Seth Russell is out after ankle surgery. In his place is freshman Zach Smith, who is averaging 113.4 yards.
"But they're still doing the same stuff," said Mountaineer defensive coordinator Tony Gibson on Tuesday. "What they've done with this kid is put more tight ends and fullbacks in there. They've tried to protect him a little more and then take shots downfield.
"They are playing some pro- and twin sets. I think they've just tried to simplify it for him a little more and protect him a little more."
However, against Texas Tech, which has the nation's No. 1 total offense, Grobe took the training wheels off of Smith. The freshman completed 30-of-46 passes for 377 yards with three touchdowns and an interception in his second start.
"That's the thing about it," Gibson said. "They're still averaging [530.9] yards a game. They've got playmakers. They're explosive. With this kid, it's the next-guy-up mentality. They still do what they do."
What does Smith look like?
"Big," Gibson said.
Indeed, he's 6-foot-4, 235 pounds. He has weapons like junior receiver KD Cannon, who is averaging 90.5 yards a game. Against Tech, Cannon had 132 yards and two scores, while Ishmael Zamora had 155 and one.
Also, WVU's pass defense is now No. 101 nationally, allowing an average of 256.7 passing yards, although is a respectable No. 30 in the more important pass efficiency defense.
Again, do I think West Virginia will fall through the trap? No. But the Mountaineers need to be aware the trap door is there.
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Holgorsen has navigated through what I've called a "gap year" until Florida quarterback transfer Will Grier is eligible. If you've forgotten, Grier was very successful as a Gator until being suspended for taking an over-the-counter supplement that had an ingredient banned by the NCAA.
As the Gazette-Mail has reported, if Grier maintains NCAA eligibility requirements, he'll be eligible to play right away in the 2017 opener. Holgorsen, however, was coy on Tuesday.
"Don't know, but don't worry about it," said the coach. "That's what they told me to say."
I asked how the appeal process works.
"I don't know," Holgorsen said. "It's not my job. We have administrators that deal with it, so you're asking the wrong guy."
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And finally...
WVU has many players either hobbled or out for the season. On Tuesday, Holgorsen revealed wide receiver Ka'Raun White will not return this season. As Mountaineer fans know, almost every running back has been dinged. Word is, fullback Mike Ferns was knocked out on the opening kick of the Iowa State game, although he could return for the bowl.
Also, defensive end Noble Nwachukwu has been hobbled with a leg injury, but has returned. The senior won't miss Senior Day. He will, though, ultimately be missed.
"I've been with Noble for three years as the coordinator," Gibson said. "When I took over I knew he was a great player. He was a big part of what we wanted to do. Last year his numbers were better as far as productivity, but everybody knows about him now. His productivity is down, but he's a tremendous kid. Hate to lose him."