After a crushing defeat to Baylor in another losing effort at home, where does West Virginia football and the fanbase go from here?
The short answer is always going to be up. But the reality is it could always get worse before it gets any better. What if the team loses to UCF this Saturday in yet another home loss? What if this team cannot go on the road and beat Texas Tech? Will a record of 6-6 be a minimal 'win' for this season's debacle? Could the team miss bowl season altogether?
Honestly, at this point, the fanbase is only expecting a record of 6-6 at best, and being bowl-eligible is a relief after the heartbreak this season has caused. Regardless of whether the team does manage to finish at 6-6 or 7-5, it is and always will be unacceptable in the eyes of Mountaineer fans.
The coaching staff as a whole needs to be addressed. The play-calling has been abysmal at best. A few were mentioning that quarterback Garrett Greene should not have gotten the start against Baylor. It's not that the reason for the shape this team is in falls on any individual, but this loss certainly was not on the shoulders of Greene. The grit and determination to extend plays time and time again was remarkable from Greene. But, he should not be put in a position to have to roll out of the pocket on 75% of WVU's plays.
This goes back to play-calling, with Brown's penchant for quarterback draws and RPO's. It's surprising that Greene wasn't hurt more significantly sooner in his career because of Brown relying on him too heavily. Just because you can do something doesn't necessarily mean you should do it as much as this staff has.
So, in closing, yes, Greene should probably finish his last season in Morgantown as starter, just not running for his life. But WVU will still need to address the defensive side of the football and figure out how to give their plethora of running backs more successful opportunities in the run game. So, where does this team go from here? The answer has to be up.