West Virginia Can Prove They're For Real Against Oklahoma On Saturday

There are a lot of reasons to be excited about West Virginia University football this year. The Mountaineers rolled through their nonconference schedule in most impressive fashion. However, a new test is coming for the Mountaineers on Saturday.

By Michael Miller@uncle_drank Sep 30, 2015, 9:10am EDT

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Football:

WVU can prove it’s ‘for real’ on Saturday | The Daily Athenaeum
There are a lot of reasons to be excited about this year’s West Virginia University football team. The Mountaineers rolled through their nonconference schedule, beating Georgia Southern, Liberty and Maryland in most impressive fashion. Their defense has statistically been the best in the nation, and after their 45-6 demolition of Maryland last weekend, West Virginia has moved into the top 25 for the first time this season, ranking No. 23 in the AP Poll. All of this is great, and the Mountaineers and their fans should be proud. However, those accomplishments came against Georgia Southern, Liberty and Maryland, and a new test is coming for the Mountaineers on Saturday.

West Virginia prepares for grueling October schedule | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
West Virginia’s 3-0 start to the 2015 season has inspired hope, quelled doubts, heightened expectations and raised more than a few eyebrows, not just because the team has won, but how it has won, steamrolling opponents by an average of 35.7 points per game.

West Virginia preps for noisy atmosphere at Oklahoma | Pittsburgh Tribune Review
No. 23 West Virginia was an impressive 4-1 on the road last season, including 3-1 against Big 12 opponents. Entering Saturday's conference opener at No. 15 Oklahoma, coach Dana Holgorsen said the Mountaineers will follow a similar script.

Holgorsen sounds unconcerned about Oklahoma noise | WV MetroNews
While he frequently emphasizes West Virginia players familiarizing themselves with the atmosphere of road games, coach Dana Holgorsen isn’t worried about crowd noise becoming a factor Saturday against No. 15 Oklahoma.

WVU’s Dillon, OU’s Darlington have lasting bond from days as teammates | Charleston Gazette-Mail
If not for Ty Darlington, K.J. Dillon might not be on the field Saturday. West Virginia’s defense, which leads the nation in points allowed, would be without one of its best players. The 23rd-ranked Mountaineers would be at a disadvantage in one critical individual matchup in their first road game of the season, a noon affair with No. 15 Oklahoma.

What to Expect From Oklahoma's Offense vs WVU | Crimson And Cream Machine
he Sooners offense was seemingly unstoppable last time we saw them, but Baker Mayfield and the offense are going up against maybe one of the best defenses they'll see all year in West Virginia. The Mountaineers have allowed just 23 points through three games, which puts them at number one in the whole nation in points against.

West Virginia's veteran secondary dissects its prime responsibilities against Oklahoma. | Blue Gold News
It’s not simply the uniqueness that makes West Virginia’s odd stack set difficult for spread offenses. It’s also the execution and element of surprise.

With its best on-paper match-up against OU since joining the Big 12, who will WVU rely on? | Blue Gold News
West Virginia has arguably its best all-around team in the Dana Holgorsen era. But without any proven superstars, it must function as just that to knock off No. 15 Oklahoma on the road.

Sooners defense up and down | Charleston Gazette-Mail
No defense in the country has allowed fewer points than West Virginia’s this season, but Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen took time at his weekly news conference Tuesday to discuss Oklahoma’s defense.

Holgorsen, Riley go back a ways | The Exponent Telegram
This may get a little bit confusing, so find yourself a quiet corner when you have a few minutes before diving into this twisted web that leads to West Virginia’s meeting this Saturday at noon with Oklahoma in Norman.

Holgorsen not concerned with rankings | The Exponent Telegram
West Virginia showed up in the national rankings at No. 23/21 this week for the first time since Nov. 2 of last year, so naturally someone decided to ask coach Dana Holgorsen about it, expecting him to gush over his team’s dramatic improvement over last year’s second-half collapse.

Rushel Shell ready to prove himself on the field this season | The Daily Athenaeum
In 2013, redshirted freshman running back Rushel Shell transferred to West Virginia University from the University of Pittsburgh after a productive freshman season. Shell ran for 641 yards and four touchdowns for the Panthers before sitting out for the 2013 season for NCAA transfer rules.

Basketball:

Men’s Basketball Ticket Information | WVU Athletics
Tickets for WVU men’s basketball non-conference home games and mini-packages for Big 12 home games will go on sale Monday, Oct. 5, at 9 a.m.

West Virginia Athletics:

Mountaineers 12th at Graeme McDowell | WVU Athletics
The West Virginia University golf team posted its lowest score of the tournament with a 298 in the final round to take 12th place at the Shoal Creek Invitational hosted by Graeme McDowell at the Shoal Creek Country Club on Tuesday in Birmingham, Alabama.

WVU faces old coach Kramer and TCU tonight | The Daily Athenaeum
Tonight, the West Virginia University women’s volleyball team will continue its conference play against the TCU Horned Frogs.

Mountaineers Rank No. 13 | WVU Athletics
The West Virginia University cross country team is ranked No.13 in the third United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Poll, released Tuesday.

Local runners are key to WVU’s cross country success | The Daily Athenaeum
West Virginia University is known for recruiting in-state students, for better or for worse – but for the WVU women’s cross country team, it’s certainly for the better.

Around The Big 12:

Buckle Up for Another Season of Unapologetic Big 12 Bliss | Grantland
Over the next five weeks, the Mountaineers face the guts of this conference, one after another: Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech. It’s a long shot, but hell, this is a conference built on long shots, which is why, at this point, the best bet may be on the wildest possibility of them all.

Big 12 exonerates officiating crew | Austin American-Statesman
The Big 12 officiating supervisor on Monday night admitted "a couple" of incorrect calls in the Texas’ loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday but basically exonerated the officiating crew and didn’t rule out the crew working future Longhorn games.

Judge: Oklahoma State-Joe Wickline case will go to trial | Austin American-Statesman
The Payne County judge in the Oklahoma State case against Texas assistant coach Joe Wickline denied a summary judgement request and the case will go to trial in March.

Around The NCAA:

If the season ended right now, these 4 teams would be in the College Football Playoff | SBNation
With the first month of the season in the books, let's figure out the class of college football.

College football power rankings: Utah takes No. 1 after Week 4 | SI.com
The season still feels like it’s just getting started, but except for the few teams who had an early bye week, the regular season is already a third of the way over. We have enough games now that we can really begin phasing out preseason expectations from our analysis.

The ACC might be college football's second-best conference right now | SBNation.com
Elsewhere in the weekend's best numbers, Arkansas' streak reaches 14, Michigan's defense might be really good, and is Stanford suddenly rid of its biggest weakness?

HATIN' ASS SPURRIER HATCHES A CONSPIRACY | Every Day Should Be Saturday
OH TENNESSEE. OHHHHHH, WE GOTTA TALK, TENNESSEE.