Welcome to life in the Big 12 - where the highs are exhilarating, the lows come fast, and there’s barely time to catch your breath in between.
West Virginia just got a crash course in that reality. After a statement win at home over perennial powerhouse Kansas - their third straight over the Jayhawks - the Mountaineers were flying high. The WVU Coliseum was rocking, the fanbase was buzzing, and for a moment, it felt like this team was ready to turn a corner.
Then came the trip to Houston.
Three days later, West Virginia found itself on the wrong end of a defensive clinic, posting its lowest point total in over a decade. That’s the Big 12 grind in a nutshell: one night you’re celebrating a program-defining win, and before you can even process it, you’re staring down a double-digit deficit on the road against another top-tier opponent.
Now, the pendulum swings back to Morgantown, where the Mountaineers (11-6, 2-2 Big 12) host Colorado (12-5, 2-2) in a pivotal bounce-back opportunity. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m., and for WVU, this isn’t just about getting back in the win column - it’s about showing they can handle the emotional whiplash that defines life in this league.
The Mountaineers have been resilient this season, going 4-1 after losses. That’s no small feat in a conference where every game feels like a heavyweight bout.
But the challenge now is managing the valleys as well as they’ve managed the peaks. Beating Kansas was big.
But what comes next - how they respond to the Houston loss - might matter even more.
Head coach Ross Hodge liked some of what he saw, even in the loss.
"I thought our togetherness was good, even in the midst of a difficult game and difficult stretches," Hodge said. "I thought the communication in the huddles and timeouts was good enough."
That’s a sign of maturity, and it’s something WVU will need in spades moving forward. Because the Big 12 doesn’t offer many breathers.
One night it’s Kansas. The next it’s Houston.
And now, it’s Colorado - a team that brings its own set of challenges and sits right alongside WVU in the conference standings.
For the Mountaineers, this is about more than just one game. It’s about proving they can ride the rollercoaster of Big 12 play without getting thrown off.
The Kansas win was a high. The Houston loss was a gut punch.
Now comes the response - and in this league, how you respond might just define your season.