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Storm clouds are brewing over Morgantown.
West Virginia fans in 2019 were asked to Trust the Climb. But what we are seeing instead is a crash through the floor to the basement of the Big 12. You know, the place that was formerly occupied by Kansas for the last 10 years. But they have departed, leaving only a few random Jayhawk feathers to be found. It is ours for the moment.
No, WVU is not going to commit four turnovers every game, and they can't always play this poorly. And yes, there are opportunities to overachieve as occurred just 11 days ago in a home game with Baylor. But realistically we can't watch what happened at Lubbock on Saturday and not recognize where this team now rests in the pecking order of a very good Big 12 Conference. Optimism is gone. Trust has been lost. And this feeling doesn't now just rest with the fans, but inevitably also with the players who wear the gold and blue and must perform the remaining five Saturdays on the 2022 schedule. They read the comments online too.
The game Saturday seemed a foregone conclusion from the beginning. The Mountaineers could do nothing well. Running the ball, a key to success, was unsuccessful against a defense that been mediocre this season stopping the run. Receivers down field could not gain any separation. A completion more than a few yards past the line of scrimmage was achieved only by making a great catch in traffic. Unfortunately, three of those catches were also made by the defenders.
Defensively, West Virginia was hopeless. Texas Tech ran at will and threw at will, piling up 594 yards, 33 first downs, and converting 6 of 7 fourth down attempts. Missed tackles were the norm. Receivers were wide open. But what was worse was Texas Tech physically manhandled WVU all afternoon. More than once a runner or receiver was seen dragging several Mountaineer defenders down the field. The Red Raiders dominated and bullied us, and we had no answers.
West Virginia has shown it has the ability to play well at times during the season, but this has been the exception rather than the norm. In the final analysis you are what the record says you are, not what your potential is. The Mountaineers now sit at 3-4, with a daunting schedule remaining. If this downward slide continues, as is more probable than not, the storm clouds will only darken.
THIS SATURDAY: TCU has a new coach and was predicted to finish 7th in the Big 12. All they have done instead is go undefeated, gain a Top 10 ranking and become a playoff contender. They have demolished Oklahoma and then came from behind by 17 and 18 points in victories over Oklahoma State and Kansas State. The Horned Frogs have an exceptional quarterback and speed everywhere.
There is no reason to believe the Mountaineer defense can handle the onslaught they will see. TCU 51 WEST VIRGINIA 28.