Comments on: Big 12 football: West Virginia transition difficult

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 14:24:29 +0000

Neither WVU nor TCU have the fan base of a Texas A&M. They are not likely to create a rivalry like Texas-Texas A&M or Missouri-Kansas. Both are pretty much middle of the road programs that will win some games against the top schools but most years fight to get to six wins and a bowl. They were brought in because Notre Dame and BYU didn’t want to join and the Big XII needed 10 schools for the TV contract. People who were selling them at the time kept saying they would be better than what the Big XII lost. Those people were just spouting the company line. Texas ran off Nebraska and Texas A&M. Colorado always wanted to go west and Missouri was left with trying to find any place to go after they begged the Big 10 to take them and were left out. This year and the showing by WVU and TCU should at least quiet the calls for expanding and taking Louisville or Cincinnati. Why dilute the conference even further. A bigger conference is not necessarily a better conference. Is the PAC 12 better with Utah and Colorado? Is the bigger Big East better? You have to add quality. The SEC is probably better with adding Texas A&M and Missouri. The Big XII would be a better conference if it had gone back to a Big VIII and not expanded after the loss of 444 teams. The remaining teams could have more easily added better non-conference teams to the schedule, including an annual OU-Nebraska game or keeping the Kansas-Missouri game.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 04:37:26 +0000

I feel like WVU (not WVA, Jerry) is a team that will find its way, but I would compare it to Mizzu, a middle of the pack team that will have good years and bad, but all the possibilities in the world to get better. Like Baylor has been since joining the big12.
TCU on the other hand, is like A&M, not great every year but has the capacity to win the conference at some point. TCU is a very young team, they might be a contender in the next year or two, depending on their depth. Who knows how well they could have done if Pachill would have just got a ride home after those beers! But Patterson is a good coach, I’m glad to have him in the conference.

By: mike

mike — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 03:49:43 +0000

A WVU fan here and we as a team and school just have too adapt. Plan and simple. I think it will take us a few yrs too do this, but i think once we get things together we will be fine. I have no idea whats happened too the offense this yr they’ve just imploded. And the “D” was a ? mark from the beginning since we lost a lot last yr. Just give us time. I still wouldnt go back too the Big East.

By: kent whitwerth

kent whitwerth — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 02:15:13 +0000

According to some of youan’s one would never know that Bob Stoops passed Bud Wilkinson for second most wins in OU history. He must have done it using mirrors.

Willie do you talk just to read your name ??- your anti OU comments need a little bit of work.

By: Tim

Tim — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 00:14:19 +0000

Agree all the way around. OU plays down to the competition. If we couldn’t blow Baylor out, don’t expect us to blow any team left on the schedule out. In fact, it makes no difference if we are at home or on the road…3 teams left and there is no sure victory.

But WVU compared to CU? No way…Colorado was horrible and still is. WVU is more like NEBRASKA and A&M until they got a real coaches…Pellini and Sumlin. Both middle of the road teams. TCU on the other hand is comparable to OSU…both have strong programs and can compete for the conference championship most any year.

By: jeff

jeff — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 00:11:38 +0000

I said from day one that TCU is a joke and people ripped me for standing up for A&M-look where they are at now. Trading out a 40K student AAU school for a small private Texas school was absolutely ridiculous. Sure, some Aggie fans are delusional-like that idiot in the airport, but then again OU has some embarrassing fans as well. West Virginia will be fine.

By: willie

willie — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 22:19:48 +0000

It doesn’t make any difference how bad a team plays or how weak their defense is, Bob will make them look better than they are and might even get beat. Thats been his MO for years.

By: Jerry

Jerry — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 19:57:54 +0000

I agree that the only decent thing WVU puts on the football field each week is the mascot. Sad, but true. This is not the quality program that was talked about as a great replacement along with TCU for the departed Texas A&M and Missouri. And some people want to add Louisville and or Cincinnati? That would be WVA light. Why not just call the league the Big East West? Losing Nebraska and Texas A&M hurt the Big XII a lot. Losing Missouri hurt a little and losing Colorado was a thank goodness they went somewhere else. WVA is a an adequate replacement for Colorado but that is about it. And remember they probably won’t be as good next year as they were this year. TCU is a fill a slot but no better than a middle of the road program in the Big XII. Texas killed one conference and might very well still kill the Big? XII?. The Big XII is not Big and it doesn’t have twelve teams. Talk about truth in advertising.

By: Bob.S

Bob.S — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 18:43:46 +0000

I agree with you Berry, but I disagreed with your opinion last summer about how WVU and TCU would vie with OU for the conference title. I never saw WVU as a legitimate threat, even to OSU and Texas Tech. I was right.