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Since 2005, WVU has had its most successful run in program history, with a record of 96-45 under three coaches in the past 11 years. However, this success has come with some up-and-down expectations from the fan base and the media. Jason Lisk of The Big Lead ranked the most overrated college football programs since 2006, a list on which WVU is ranked No. 8.
"Slam too many Red Bulls, you end up here. The Bill Stewart era was better than fans appreciated. The largest chunk of this comes from the 2012 season, when the Mountaineers entered at #11 in their first year in the Big 12, but finished at 7-6 and unranked. The program has not been in either the AP pre or post Top 25 since. I'd like to think it's the curse of Baby Holgorsen."-Bill Lisk
According to Lisk, WVU has been ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 poll six times, and in the postseason poll five times. That doesn't sound like too much disparity, but for some reason, the Mountaineers land at No. 8, more overrated that Virginia Tech, but behind LSU (No. 7), Texas (No. 5) and Oklahoma (No. 4).
| Year | Record |
Preseason
Ranking
|
Postseason
Ranking
|
| 2006 | 11-2 | 5 | 10 |
| 2007 | 11-2 | 3 | 7 |
| 2008 | 9-4 | 8 | 23 |
| 2009 | 9-4 | NR | 25 |
| 2010 | 9-4 | 25 | NR |
| 2011 | 10-3 | 24 | 17 |
| 2012 | 7-6 | 11 | NR |
| 2013 | 4-8 | NR | NR |
| 2014 | 7-6 | NR | NR |
| 2015 | 8-5 | NR | NR |
Most WVU fans will tell you that our high rankings in preseason polls usually came after very successful seasons. For example, after an 11-win seasons in 2005 and 2006 campaign, WVU entered the next season with a top-10 ranking. In both 2006 and 2007, WVU finished in the top 10.
Similarly, we entered 2008 at No. 8, but finished at No. 23. That was the biggest fall until the 2012 season, where we entered ranked No. 11 and, after a 5-0 start, sputtered to 7-6 and finished unranked.
On two occasions, WVU rose in the rankings at the end of the season. In 2009, the Mountaineers were unranked and finished at No. 25, after a 9-4 season. In Dana's first season, 2011, his WVU team was ranked No. 24 in the preseason and finished at No. 17 after a beat-down of Clemson in the Orange Bowl capped a 10-3 season.
All told, I'd say this ranking is a little unfair to the Mountaineers. We have the second fewest appearances in the preseason top 25 of teams on the list (UCLA has four), and two of our "falls" still kept us in the top 10.
Is WVU football really that overrated or is this another example of the media trying to make us look bad?