After watching both games twice, a few things really stick out when looking at the future of Neal Browns WVU Football team...
In order for WVU to get back to that level of play, Neal will need 4-5 years of continued recruiting progress, by the end of that 4-5 yr period averaging in the 24-28 range, which is the highest realistic range possible for WVU, considering all the factors at play. Assuming player skills match the ranking they receive(Which is not the case, but you get my point)... Aside from overall talent improvement, one thing thats glaringly obvious, it'll always be difficult to deploy similar schemes as BlueBloods going against 4-5 star players, however..... Theres a few work-around solutions... If Brown would place a heavy emphasis on recruiting overall team speed & shiftiness, those are two attributes thats very difficult to scheme against, even when you are playing vs a more talented team. If they cant catch you, they cant tackle you. As long as Brown & Company continue with quality player development, sometimes talent can be beaten, but probably not a norm, unless you have a solid edge/Alpha..
When we think back to when WVU had an edge, it was during a time when WVU had a very fast + hard nosed Defense & a faster offense, combined with a creative scheme.
WVU has to find an edge, even with a more talented roster, I hope Brown heavily pursues hard nosed & fast+shifty players, which will help negate more talented but lesser developed opponents..
Speed, Shiftiness, & Heart combined with creative scheme is the way forward for WVU to compete at that(CFP) level of play. Same thing goes for raising assets for the MAC, WVU should deploy more creative ways to increase outcome, because WV will never be as wealthy or populated as LSU, OU, UT, AL, etc... Not that $$$ equates to W's, but it does help make the path a bit easier.
Its generic, but creativity & attention to detail are usually what draws the creme to the top, but if you combine those teacher characteristics with skill set attributes that are difficult to scheme against, you have a winning recipe..
Everyone has an opinion, and this is mine, but all in all, I Trust Neal Brown and whatever direction he chooses. I think as long as we are patient and as fans do OUR PART to support our team, he'll take us where we want to go. In his first recruiting class, he's already out-recruited DH, imagine what he will do a few years from now.
(Not in any order, just a list of schools better positioned for recruiting then WVU)
1. Bama 2. Clem 3. LSU 4. UGA 5. UF 6. OU 7. UT 8. USC 9. TAM 10. Tenn 11.Wash 12. OSU 13. PSU 14. Mich 15. FSU 16. Miami 17. OleMiss/MissSt 18. Oregon 19. Baylor/TCU 20. Auburn 21. ND 22. NC/VT
Realistically once Brown has some success and time to establish more recruiting relationships, I could see WVU averaging in the 23-28 range, thats enough talent to compete at CFP level with the right combination of culture, player development, scheme, & skill-sets.. Personally I hope he gets us back to speed & shiftiness, so much fun to watch WVU run circles around bigger+slower 4-5 star guys... In the 2020 class, you can see he's placing a heavy weight on diversification from an offensive perspective, and speed from a CB perspective. Sam Brown, Reese Smith, & David-O are probably three of the faster players in this class, hopefully we land a shifty APB, like L Webb or A Sparrow(4.38 40yrd), a bit more speed in the backfield & for the love of all things good PLEASE deploy more zone stretch blocking schemes... Something I did not see much of this year, or in years past, which is surprising given that scheme can help RB's find lanes behind inexperienced O-lines. Something we saw a lot of in the CFP Semi's, I would say 30%-40% of all runs by an RB were Zone Stretch.. Maybe something Brown didnt want to explore this year, who knows, but one thing is certain, we GOTTA improve on the OL in both talent & scheme if we are to compete at that level, something we would all agree is also obvious.
side note:
I never have any hard feelings about players who choose to transfer, esp when a new staff arrives, but one that kind of bothers me a bit is Josh Sills.. I thought Josh was a Mountaineer in his bones and would finish his career as a Mountaineer, does anyone know why he choose to enter the portal(not rumors, but facts)?? There are some players you just grow attached to as they display their fire in Morgantown, and Josh was always one that I loved to watch, so this one stings a bit.. That said, I still wish him the very best, wherever his heart guides him.
Congrats to Huggs & our Basketball team, what a MONSTER Victory today! LETSGO!
chEERS & Happy Holidays!
In order for WVU to get back to that level of play, Neal will need 4-5 years of continued recruiting progress, by the end of that 4-5 yr period averaging in the 24-28 range, which is the highest realistic range possible for WVU, considering all the factors at play. Assuming player skills match the ranking they receive(Which is not the case, but you get my point)... Aside from overall talent improvement, one thing thats glaringly obvious, it'll always be difficult to deploy similar schemes as BlueBloods going against 4-5 star players, however..... Theres a few work-around solutions... If Brown would place a heavy emphasis on recruiting overall team speed & shiftiness, those are two attributes thats very difficult to scheme against, even when you are playing vs a more talented team. If they cant catch you, they cant tackle you. As long as Brown & Company continue with quality player development, sometimes talent can be beaten, but probably not a norm, unless you have a solid edge/Alpha..
When we think back to when WVU had an edge, it was during a time when WVU had a very fast + hard nosed Defense & a faster offense, combined with a creative scheme.
WVU has to find an edge, even with a more talented roster, I hope Brown heavily pursues hard nosed & fast+shifty players, which will help negate more talented but lesser developed opponents..
Speed, Shiftiness, & Heart combined with creative scheme is the way forward for WVU to compete at that(CFP) level of play. Same thing goes for raising assets for the MAC, WVU should deploy more creative ways to increase outcome, because WV will never be as wealthy or populated as LSU, OU, UT, AL, etc... Not that $$$ equates to W's, but it does help make the path a bit easier.
Its generic, but creativity & attention to detail are usually what draws the creme to the top, but if you combine those teacher characteristics with skill set attributes that are difficult to scheme against, you have a winning recipe..
Everyone has an opinion, and this is mine, but all in all, I Trust Neal Brown and whatever direction he chooses. I think as long as we are patient and as fans do OUR PART to support our team, he'll take us where we want to go. In his first recruiting class, he's already out-recruited DH, imagine what he will do a few years from now.
(Not in any order, just a list of schools better positioned for recruiting then WVU)
1. Bama 2. Clem 3. LSU 4. UGA 5. UF 6. OU 7. UT 8. USC 9. TAM 10. Tenn 11.Wash 12. OSU 13. PSU 14. Mich 15. FSU 16. Miami 17. OleMiss/MissSt 18. Oregon 19. Baylor/TCU 20. Auburn 21. ND 22. NC/VT
Realistically once Brown has some success and time to establish more recruiting relationships, I could see WVU averaging in the 23-28 range, thats enough talent to compete at CFP level with the right combination of culture, player development, scheme, & skill-sets.. Personally I hope he gets us back to speed & shiftiness, so much fun to watch WVU run circles around bigger+slower 4-5 star guys... In the 2020 class, you can see he's placing a heavy weight on diversification from an offensive perspective, and speed from a CB perspective. Sam Brown, Reese Smith, & David-O are probably three of the faster players in this class, hopefully we land a shifty APB, like L Webb or A Sparrow(4.38 40yrd), a bit more speed in the backfield & for the love of all things good PLEASE deploy more zone stretch blocking schemes... Something I did not see much of this year, or in years past, which is surprising given that scheme can help RB's find lanes behind inexperienced O-lines. Something we saw a lot of in the CFP Semi's, I would say 30%-40% of all runs by an RB were Zone Stretch.. Maybe something Brown didnt want to explore this year, who knows, but one thing is certain, we GOTTA improve on the OL in both talent & scheme if we are to compete at that level, something we would all agree is also obvious.
side note:
I never have any hard feelings about players who choose to transfer, esp when a new staff arrives, but one that kind of bothers me a bit is Josh Sills.. I thought Josh was a Mountaineer in his bones and would finish his career as a Mountaineer, does anyone know why he choose to enter the portal(not rumors, but facts)?? There are some players you just grow attached to as they display their fire in Morgantown, and Josh was always one that I loved to watch, so this one stings a bit.. That said, I still wish him the very best, wherever his heart guides him.
Congrats to Huggs & our Basketball team, what a MONSTER Victory today! LETSGO!
chEERS & Happy Holidays!