West Virginia gets a chance Saturday night to keep turning heads when it welcomes Oklahoma State to town in the Big 12 opener, and Phil Steele is siding with the Mountaineers.
Steele has been bullish on WVU since the preseason, and the early results haven’t changed his view. He pointed to the second half against Coastal Carolina as the only real letdown so far, noting that West Virginia didn’t cover in that game. Outside of that, he said the Mountaineers have mostly matched the level he expected.
“I’ve been extremely high on West Virginia this year, and they have not disappointed me. The second half against Coastal Carolina was probably my only disappointment - they didn’t cover in that game.
But they’ve pretty much played to the potential that I thought. And I thought Cam Cook looked really good last week.
He had a couple, I thought, key third down runs keeping drives alive early, which really kept the game a battle. I’ve just been impressed with West Virginia all year.
I think they’ve got the players on defense. I like Michael Hawkins at QB, dangerous runner/passer - the perfect fit for the Rich Rod system.
Love the addition of Cam Cook. Love the addition of the offensive line coach Rick Trickett.
This is a really good team. With Oklahoma State, they showed some flaws against Tulsa, then they dominated Oregon.
It was a different situation. Oklahoma State was at home; Oregon had destroyed them the year before.
Maybe Oregon just didn’t take that game seriously after beating them 69-3 the year before, plus it got delayed. It was a strange game.
I think that West Virginia is the better team, and they’re at home, and they’re only laying two points here, so I like the Mountaineers to get this win at home, and I think the Michael Hawkins/Cam Cook combo is going to get it done.”
Steele also reminded listeners that his read on WVU has been strong for a while. Last week, he said he liked the Mountaineers getting 10.5 or 11 points against Virginia, and he said an upset would not have surprised him.
Beyond the West Virginia-Oklahoma State matchup, Steele also weighed in on a number of other major games across college football this weekend.
In Other News...
WVU Gets Much Needed Relief Ahead Of Oklahoma State Game
West Virginia got a little breathing room on the injury front ahead of its Big 12 opener against Oklahoma State, with the latest availability report bringing some encouraging signs for a roster that has been managing several minor knocks. Cornerback Nick Taylor was added as probable because of a minor injury, but the Mountaineers also cleared two players from the list, a useful bit of housekeeping as they get closer to kickoff.
The receiver room looks steadier, too, with Jaden Bray and Prince Strachan both listed as probable. Bray is working back from a recent hip injury, while Strachan is positioned for an expanded role, giving West Virginia a little more flexibility as it heads into a conference game that should offer an early read on how ready the offense is to handle its depth challenges. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Saban Just Put More Weight On WVU's Big 12 Opener
Nick Saban added an unexpected layer of attention to West Virginias Big 12 opener this week when the Alabama coach and Mountaineers native weighed in on the matchup during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. Saban backed West Virginia to beat Oklahoma State, pointing to his confidence in the Mountaineers running game and noting the pride people in the state have in the team and coach Rich Rodriguez.
The pick carries a little extra intrigue because Saban had gone against West Virginia a week earlier when he chose Virginia over the Mountaineers. Now his latest nod gives Saturdays game a bit more buzz, even if it changes nothing about what West Virginia still has to handle on the field as it opens conference play. [Read more 🡒]
WVUs Oklahoma State Test Turns On A Brutal Late Collapse
West Virginias trip to Oklahoma State turned into the kind of game that can swing on a single mistake, with the Mountaineers hanging around deep into the second half before the whole thing started to unravel. The simulation had plenty of offense on both sides and enough back-and-forth scoring to keep the matchup tight, setting up a finish that felt every bit like a Big 12 shootout.
In the end, the decisive play was as brutal as it gets for a road team trying to survive in Stillwater: a late fumble return touchdown that broke the game open and sent Oklahoma State to a 42-34 win. For West Virginia, the result in the simulated report serves as another reminder that in this league, one untimely turnover can undo a nights worth of good work in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]