The weekly Neal Brown Hot Seat Rating is back, and the temperature is rising.
Let's get straight down to business this week, shall we? Entering last week, it seemed the temperature on Brown's hot seat after back-to-back wins was down to a 4 out of 10.
But after another demoralizing loss in a big game atmosphere to a ranked opponent and some concerning press conference quoteables, Brown's hot seat rating has shot right back up to a scorching 7 out of 10 entering Week 8.
Some Mountaineers fans have been more patient with Brown than others, but I believe that ship is now sailing out into the deep sea. It's possibly sailing back to a Group of 5 program like Troy, where Brown was before taking the job in Morgantown.
I'm sure by now you may have heard Brown's comments during his presser the Monday after the team lost to 11th-ranked Iowa State under the lights during a special "Coal Rush" themed game. The coach would be asked about giving a statement to the fans after another disappointing opportunity to give them a reason to turn out for the upcoming Kansas State game -- another prime-time under-the-lights home matchup with ranked opponent.
"I get that they want to win," Brown said. "But what I would say is, did they have a good time? Did they enjoy it? It was a pretty good atmosphere. You know, I'm assuming they probably had a pretty good time tailgating."
"So if they're in the deal for enjoyment, then I would come back. I looked at the weather, and it's going to be nice again. It's a night game, and we need them to provide a home-field advantage."
These comments were taken out of context, and the media tried to portray Neal Brown as someone who has given up and no longer cares about winning. This part of the story couldn't be any further from the truth, and it would be best if you watched his answer in its entirety. Could Neal have chosen a different route for the answer, or left some statements out? Sure. But, with the state of this team, naysayers and doubters alike will look for anything to bring in a new regime at the helm of WVU football.
Looking at the season, the team's current record of 3-3 is unacceptable. Yes, the three losses have come to three teams that have yet to lose a game. It still doesn't make the debacle any easier for a fan. WVU football is expected by many fans to win at least nine games a season, or it is considered a lost season.
It looks like this isn't the case with Neal Brown at the forefront of the program, and it never will be. Aside from the comments shedding a negative light on the team and himself (taken out of context or not, the quote was picked up by ESPN), Brown cannot go out and make better decisions at quarterback; he cannot help the team increase the sack numbers, turnovers, etc.
The Weekly Hot Seat Rating is at an all-time high since we recently started the weekly series. If WVU cannot win this Saturday under the lights against another ranked team in Kansas State, it will be time to pull the plug. Kansas State will be coming into the game with one loss, so there is no more justification for only losing to teams with undefeated records. Mountaineer Nation deserves better, the climb has been more of a slow descent for too long.