MAILBAG: Future Opponents, State of O-Line, Offense vs. Defense, Nine Wins? + More

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

From @coalcountrywvu:

Q: A question you asked last year, “Why not WV?” I don’t expect to be competing for a conference championship in year 1, but I also expect both our offense and defense to be better than last year. Pair that with no PSU on the schedule, and we get our biggest game at home (Pitt). Why can’t West Virginia get to 8-9 wins even if it is year 1?

A: I'm stunned you remember that, so brownie points for you! But you're absolutely right! A lighter non-conference schedule should help to some degree. The problem is the league schedule. Playing Utah, BYU, TCU, Arizona State, and Texas Tech is not a walk in the park by any means, which I think we can agree on. Then again, one or two teams who are expected to finish high always fall. The beauty and dangerous thing about this WVU team is we just don't know. We don't know what they're capable of and we don't know what issues they're going to have. Winning eight or nine games is certainly possible; it just shouldn't be the expectation.

From @wi_thompson:

Q: Regarding football season, which side of the ball will need time to gel, and will it be by week 3?

A: Offense by a mile. That may be a little surprising to you, but typically, the defense is always ahead of the offense, even in situations like this when you have a whole new unit. Firstly, Rich Rod needs to find his quarterback, and while we all assume that will be Nicco Marchiol, we just don't have that answer for sure. The offensive line's two deep was completely wiped out, so finding the right five will be a chore, let alone finding the next five. Guys are coming from different schemes and may be asked to play on the left side when they've played on the right in the past or vice versa. They could also be asked to move inside to play guard when they've been a tackle or vice versa.

Defensively, there will absolutely be bumps in the road, but some of their mishaps can be covered up. The d-line has some new faces, but also brings back most of any position on the roster with Edward Vesterinen, Hammond Russell, Asani Redwood, Corey McIntyre Jr., and Nate Gabriel. They have some experienced linebackers, and although they may come from different backgrounds, it's not as big of a transition for them as other positions as long as they get the verbiage down.

From @wvufan2023:

Q: In regards to the basketball team’s non-conference schedule, who would you want to see them play that’s not already on the schedule?

A: I highly doubt they'll schedule another high major this year since they already have Pitt, Ohio State, Wake Forest, and then the Charleston Classic, so I'd say Marshall at home, but that probably won't happen if I had to put money on it. Next year, though? How about this....Indiana. Could you imagine that environment in the Coliseum? Whew. The problem is, you know Indiana would never agree to do that, so the only way it could go down is if there's a Big 10/Big 12 challenge and the two are picked to face one another. And for a more realistic one, I'll go with Syracuse. WVU has played some of its old Big East foes since joining the Big 12, including the Orange, but that was in the NCAA Tournament. You asked for one and I gave you three, haha.

From @DebastianiIsaac:

Q: Potential for future neutral site series like the Wake Forest one we have on Dec. 6th, other teams you think would be fun to play in the same setting? I would think NC State would be a good one.

A: NC State would make a lot of sense. You want to make sure it's not a big-time program that you're pulling away from the Morgantown crowd, so you're on the right track. Maybe Memphis, Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech, Providence - somewhere in that neighborhood. Teams that will draw a crowd in Charleston and that you don't mind pulling from Morgantown. I do believe we'll see this become a more regular thing too. It may not be every year, but they'll get back to playing in Charleston more often.

From @han34277412:

Q: Is the offensive line built to succeed?

A: Your guess is as good as mine, my friend. I wish I could give you this really in-depth answer that would make you feel comfortable with the state of the group, but I'm not even sure Rich Rodriguez or Jack Bicknell Jr. could do that for you at this point in time. As far as the talent goes, yes, it's there. As a matter of fact, I believe the floor for this group is much higher when it comes to the second unit. The depth, on paper, appears to be much stronger compared to what the previous regime had. My guess is that they will figure it out and be an average to slightly above average unit this fall.

From @dylansemones03:

Q: Do the stickers return?

A: Yes. They are 100% coming back. Okay, maybe I'm just trying to speak it into existence here, so that's unconfirmed. Considering how much WVU has turned back the dial, it would be the next thing on the to-do list, right? I can't think of anything else uniform-wise that they would do before that. I know folks want the NASCAR numbers back, but that's not happening.

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 poston Facebook.