The West Virginia Mountaineers have yet to get their season underway, buta few of their opponentsopened their slate this past weekend.
We've alreadyhighlighted the start to the seasonfor West Virginia's Week 2 FCS opponent, UT-Martin. But they were not the only team the Mountaineers will play that took the field as college football officially kicked off for the year, and both Big 12 foe TCU and non-conference rival Virginia played games. So what did West Virginia learn about their opponents?
Virginia looked dominant against ACC opponent, and could give West Virginia a significant challenge
It feels like lot of West Virginia fans, as well as a lot of college football fans in general, have overlooked the Virginia Cavaliers this offseason. Countless WVU fans are marking the Cavaliers in Week 3 as a win without question on the schedule, and many ACC fans are talking just as much about a James Franklin-led Virginia Tech as they are Virginia.
But the Cavaliers were the ACC runner-up team last season and finished the year 11-3, and despite the offseason disrespect from many, they picked up right where they left off with a 34-8 win over NC State on Saturday. The Cavaliers tallied 258 rushing yards alone while holding NC State to 168 yards and forced two turnovers. Virginia bullied their opponent in every way, and look like they'll be a real measuring stick opponent for the Mountaineers.
TCU struggles in loss to North Carolina in unexpected Big 12 turn of fortunes
Many fans and analysts alike entered the season relatively high on TCU, and many are counting the trip to Forth Worth on the second half of the Big 12 schedule as a loss for the Mountaineers. But such a result might be worth rethinking after TCU's opening game.
The Horned Frogs kicked off their season against UNC, who went just 4-8 last season. But the Horned Frogs struggled mightily against the Tar Heels, garnering very little momentum offensively on the way to a 15-10 loss.
Of course, it was a Week 0 game in nasty weather in Ireland, so maybe too much stock shouldn't be put into it. And TCU has plenty of time to get things put together before the West Virginia game. But while the opening week of football gave the Mountaineers cause for concern about the Virginia game, it also eased concerns about the TCU showdown.
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