On Monday, WVU president E. Gordon Gee flew to The Greenbrier to give a speech.
His schedule remains busy - even when his school's football program isn't flying so high.
Yet he knows. That football program has become an issue in the Mountain State. And many are asking if coach Dana Holgorsen is set to receive a golden parachute.
If you follow this column, you know my take: Holgorsen is down to the last of his nine lives and his team now has to finish the season strong. At the very least, the Mountaineers have to go 4-1 against a schedule that has Texas Tech and Texas at home, Kansas on the road, Iowa State at home and Kansas State on the road. The schedule-makers taketh; the schedule-makers giveth back now.
Going 4-1 is going to be difficult, however, considering two facts: 1) WVU is 3-4 overall and 0-4 in Big 12 play, and 2) the Mountaineers have given up 102 points in their last two games and 179 over the last four games. Yes, the opposition has been the nation's Nos. 2, 5, 12 and 14 teams, but West Virginia has allowed an average of 44.75 points against that opposition. The team is scoring an average of 24.5 points.
Oh, and up next? Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes, No. 3 nationally in total offense and passing yards a game. The Red Raiders have the nation's No. 2 pass offense, averaging 413.2 yards. The saving grace for WVU: Tech's defense and most of its special teams are terrible. The Mountaineers are, correctly, favored.
It is, though, an important game for Holgorsen. The proverbial dam is cracking from pressure.
Thankfully for him, Gee has experienced such pressure in the past.
"Shoot," Gee cracked, "I got some critical emails at Ohio State when we went 14-0."
The former Ohio State president went through very tough times in Columbus with ex-coach Jim Tressel, who was forced to resign in 2011. Gee has been at Vanderbilt. Heck, he's held more university presidencies than any other American. Ever.
So now?
"Well, we're in the middle of the season," Gee said of Holgorsen's status. "We've had a tough road here. The Big 12 is the only Power 5 conference with four teams in the top 15 - and we've played them all.
"We're a little bruised and battered, but I have every expectation we'll play great in the coming weeks."
Gee said he hasn't been inundated with calls for Holgorsen's job.
"Not that many," he said. "I've received a few, but you always receive some. I expect more go to our athletic director."
(Gee, by the way, took a moment to praise Shane Lyons. "I really like our new AD," said the university president. "He has a good soul as well as being a very competent athletic director.")
But back to the emails and letters.
"I love the passion of our fans," Gee said. "When you have passion, it's not irritating."
Overall?
"We've been through a very tough schedule," said the school president. "Let's see what November brings."
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Gee is not only WVU's president, he's also a member of the Big 12's expansion committee. I bring that up in case you haven't noticed that a couple possible league expansion candidates have been faring very well this season. Memphis is up to No. 15 in the most recent Associated Press football poll and Houston is No. 18. Might the rise help those teams' candidacy?
"We're being very cautious," Gee said. "Right now we're happy with 10 teams. There's no template to measure anything."
He referred all other comments to Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby. One note to keep in mind on a couple different levels though: Houston coach Tom Herman was once hired by Gee at Ohio State. Herman was the offensive coordinator there.
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And finally . . .
Yes, I had to ask Gee about his Halloween costume. If you didn't catch it, Gee and WVU hoops coach Bob Huggins dressed up as each other and posted the picture on the Internet.
"Coach and I have a great personal relationship," Gee said. "I joked with him that he dressed as me last year and then went full bore this year. I said, 'Why not dress up as each other this Halloween?'
"It blew up the Internet, that's for sure."