Week 14: Neal Brown's Weekly Hot Seat Rating
By Joshua Petry
This week's upcoming game against Texas Tech may feature an abundance of emotions not experienced last week on Senior Night for the West Virginia Mountaineers. Not only will this be the last regular-season Big 12 game for the seniors, but it could very well be Neal Brown's last game as head coach of the Mountaineers.
Will this be a thought for some of the underclassmen? How could it not be? Will the Mountaineers play complacent football, knowing they are already eligible for a bowl game with six wins? Because after a disappointing season of ups and downs, we certainly still have a lot to play for. But pride shouldn't be one of them.
That's because pride and grit should be worn by the Mountaineer faithful on every snap, and you can argue it is as far as the product on the field goes. But perhaps not so much on the sideline. After the win to secure bowl eligibility against UCF, some would speculate that Brown was not happy as "Take Me Home, Country Roads" was sung -- that he looked exhausted and defeated. Of course, this could be due to his senior recruits playing their last game at Milan Puskar Stadium.
This week's Neal Brown Hot Seat Rating hasn't changed -- just like last week, the rating is 8 out of 10. Despite the win and there being reasons for excitement, the vibes are uncertain around Brown's future in Morgantown.
Either way you spin it, where there are rumors, there is also often the truth. Given that this truth must be verified, it is all still speculation at this point. I'm positive that the WVU players want that seventh win. It could be the difference traveling-wise between having a bowl in Texas and having a bowl in Florida or New York. There is also a long shot at the Big 12 title and back-to-back 6-win seasons in league play on the line.
This may very well be the last game that Brown coaches at the forefront of a Big 12 football team, but whether you're a fan of his or not, you want this team to get to a bowl game and win it. It could mean all the difference in the world for young players gaining momentum for the 2025 campaign.