College Football Rankings: Top 25 entering spring games
By Brad Weiss
West Virginia Mountaineers
2016: 10-3, Big 12
West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen needed a big season to save his job in 2016, and he certainly delivered one for the Mountaineers faithful. The Mountaineers won ten games last season, thanks to the play of superstar quarterback, Skyler Howard. In 2017, Holgorsen is going to have to replace Howard and his production, and he will look to a former Florida Gators quarterback to do so.
Will Grier was once considered the future of Florida football, but after being suspended for a year for PED use, his time in Gainesville was over. Grier went 6-0 as the starting quarterback for the Gators, looking like a future Heisman candidate in the process. While there is still no word whether he will be cleared to play in time for the Mountaineers huge opening week matchup against Virginia Tech, Holgorsen is going about his business like Grier will be under center on September 2.
Luckily for West Virginia, the slate gets pretty easy after the Hokies, as they take on Delaware State, visit Kansas, and then have their bye. All eyes will be on that final regular season game when they travel to Oklahoma to play a very good Sooners team. That game could decide the Big 12 and could be the difference between a regular bowl, and a New Year’s Six bowl game for the Mountaineers.
Aside from Grier, this team is going to need to gel as a unit, as they have lost eight starters from their defense a year ago. Running back Justin Crawford should be in for a big season, but the team also lost their top two wide receivers from 2016. The defense will be led by defensive end Adam Shuler, but with most of their better cornerbacks gone, this is a team that is going to have to come together fast before the season gets out of control.