Sunday Morning Thoughts: A Few Reasons Why to Still Trust the Climb
Saturday night's 42-6 loss to No. 9 Iowa State said a lot about the current state of the West Virginia football program but it didn't tell the whole picture. I know it's easy to get caught up in one blowout loss, but brace yourself as it may happen again next week when the Mountaineers play host to the Oklahoma Sooners.
Coming into the season, head coach Neal Brown said he wanted to be the most improved team in the country. That's not to say that he didn't want to win the Big 12 in 2020, but he was realistic with his expectations and sometimes there's too much of a knee-jerk reaction from the fan base over a loss and I get it. There's nothing wrong about being passionate about your team and there's also nothing wrong with having your opinion on a head coach and his staff. Folks agree and disagree with my takes all the time and I have no problem with that. The only thing I want people to keep in mind is that this is only year two of Neal Brown holding the keys to the WVU football program. And there has been significant progress that has been made since last year on both sides of the ball.
Rebuilds in college football don't happen over night - they take time. Not to mention, Brown is still using and starting many of Holgorsen's recruits. As a matter of fact, only four of Brown's recruits are current starters (QB Jarret Doege, OL Zach Frazier, LB Tony Fields II, S Alonzo Addae). Four out of 22 starters equates to just 18% - just think about that. Some guys like Winston Wright, Nicktroy Fortune, Dreshun Miller and a few others have only played under Brown but were guys that were already committed to the previous coaching staff that he had to re-recruit.
Patience is one of the toughest things for us as humans to have. You look at a program like Iowa State and think why can't West Virginia be there? Well, they can but once again, there needs to be patience. It's hard to tell Mountaineer fans to be patient as they've waited their entire lives to see a champion whether it be on the football field or basketball court. I totally understand the frustration, but Neal Brown and his staff were not a part of that. They only make up 21 games of the 129 years that West Virginia University football has existed. Giving up on a coaching staff in year two of a rebuild is premature in my eyes. If 2022, 2023 rolls around and the program appears to be stagnant, then a case can be made that Brown might not be the guy. You also have to remember that this team, as many others around the country, are not as good or as sharp as they would have been had there been no outbreak of the coronavirus. The pandemic has altered everything and did not allow these guys to do everything they normally would have done in a normal offseason.
No offense to the guys on the roster, but looking at this group pandemic or not, did you really think this was a Big 12 championship caliber roster? Look at the depth, look at the experience across the board compared to the likes of Iowa State. It's night and day.
Heck, Matt Campbell went 3-9 in his first season on the plains and even lost to FCS opponent Northern Iowa. I think he turned out just fine. Give Brown and his staff a couple of years to get their guys in and see what happens. Embrace the ups and the downs, which is why this staff wants you to "trust the climb."
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