West Virginia University Mountaineers vs. Texas Tech Raiders: November To Remember Or Season To Forget?

No need to rehash the brutal October the Mountaineers have just come through here, but needless to say morale for WVU fans across the nation is as low as can be remembered after four straight losses. Fortunately, WVU now faces the "bottom half" of the Big 12 meaning there are plenty of opportunities for redemption, and it all starts this Saturday at noon in Morgantown.

For opposing teams and fans Texas Tech is scary good on offense. Patrick Mahomes is the prototypical Big 12 quarterback in the sense that he is capable of putting up Xbox numbers on any given Saturday. The Red Raiders also possess game breakers such as Jakeem Grant who can take it to the house at any time. Texas Tech is also equally scary bad on defense. Like worse than WVU 2012 defense bad. Two times this year the Red Raiders have scored over 50 points and still lost (and they still have 3 games to go!). Sam Houston State put up 45 on them. Not only that, but they are a completely different team when they are playing away from home.

Overall the game provides an interesting matchup for several reasons. First the game marks a pretty pivotal moment in WVU football. If there was ever a time when the outside volume surrounding the football program needs turned down its now. A win and things quiet down for a week. A loss and there is no telling how many heads will explode across Mountaineer Nation. Second, I am of the opinion that Texas Tech is now the new measuring stick game for the Mountaineers. WVU is 1-2 against the Red Raiders since joining the Big 12. The Mountaineers lone win came last year during arguably there best season in the Big 12. The losses came during the thoroughly disappointing 2012 and 2013 seasons. If WVU pulls out a win on Saturday it could catapult them to a strong finish and bowl game appearance. If they lose, as mentioned before, watch out. Finally, both the Mountaineers and the Red Raiders are a bit of an enigma. How good/bad are they each respectively? The Mountaineers are a few plays away from looking much better than their record indicates, but are they doomed to constantly not put it all together? The Red Raiders, as discussed above, are totally different teams on offense and defense and at home and away. Can they put it all together against a team that just lost four straight? Saturday afternoon will go a long way to providing some much needed answers for both teams.

Kickoff is scheduled for noon with television coverage being provided by Fox Sports 1.