MAILBAG: Regional Host Odds, Tempo, Football Title Push, Last Spot for Hodge + More

Good Tuesday morning, Mountaineer fans! It's time to crack open this week's West Virginia On SI mailbag.

From @WVUJeffSpicoli:

Q: Last year's tempo was killed by injuries and inexperienced players. Do you think Rich and company go back to the no-huddle offenses this year, or do you believe he’s calmed it down to situational uptempo?

A: Oh, it'll be uptempo for sure. That's the way he wants to operate, and now that he has the horses to do it, he's really going to put his foot on the gas. You probably wouldn't believe it because no opposing defense really felt the effect of the tempo, but WVU was one of the fastest teams in the country to snap it last year. They ranked 3rd at 21.8 seconds per snap. That number may increase, though, simply based on slowing things down in the second half of games when they're trying to sit on a lead.

From @skinner2781:

Q: Is WVU football a national champion material with new additions at all 3 sides of the ball and with new coaches?

A: Not quite yet, my friend. They still have a long way to go, but I do believe this freshman class they just brought in is going to be what pushes this thing forward. As they go, the program will go. I know we are all impatient when it comes to sports, but give them two more years to gain experience, develop, and build two strong high school and portal classes on top of it.

From @wvufan2023:

Q: What do you think Hodge and company will do for the last spot on the roster, and how do you feel about the team overall on paper?

A: Ideally, another hybrid small forward/power forward would be great to balance out the roster, but I'm not so sure that's where they land. Ross said last year, when it was clear they needed another center, that they were going to take the best player available, and I think that will be the case again this year. Most of the top options are off the board, so instead of forcing something to fill a need, you're better off taking the best player you can get, even if it's another guard.

From @joedaboys:

Q: What does the baseball team have to do to host? Do they have to win the Big 12 or get to the finals?

A: I don't think it will take much, to be honest. And no, they don't need to get to the Big 12 title game. They don't weigh the results of the conference tournaments nearly as much as they do in basketball, particularly when it comes to the top teams in the country. As long as you don't suffer a bad loss that really dings your RPI, you'll typically land where you are projected.

From @rapidfirewv:

Q: What does baseball have to do to host a regional? Also, what could push them into hosting a super regional as well?

A: Removing all doubt? Sweep TCU and win at least one game in the Big 12 tournament. Take it out of the committee's hands by going a step further and winning the series against the Frogs and making it to the Big 12 title game. But in all honesty, as long as they win this series against TCU and aren't a one-and-done in Surprise, I'd expect them to host. Oh, and by taking it out of the committee's hands, you're also pushing for a super regional host seed. To achieve that, I'd guess a sweep of TCU + winning the Big 12 title.

To participate in next week's mailbag, send me a DM on X (@Callihan_) reply to my tweet asking for submissions on Saturday, or place your question in the comments section under my post on Facebook.

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