Neal Brown addresses the Big 12's preseason poll debacle in West Virginia and his ruined vacation ahead of the 2023 season

West Virginia Mountaineers football coach Neal Brown had a chip on his shoulder entering the Big 12 Media Days. Earlier this month, the Big 12 preseason media polls were released and had the Mountaineers finishing last out of the 14 teams.

While speaking to ESPN, Brown talked about how it ruined his vacation to see the poll and how he frankly doesn't believe its validity:

"It really kind of pissed me off, because I really think it's kind of lazy reporting in some senses. We won't finish where we're predicted to finish."

Brown is facing some pressure to turn things around this season after finishing 5-7 in 2022. He relinquished play-calling duties last year for the first time in his career as offensive coordinator Graham Harrell called the plays. The offense averaged 30.8 points per game. However, Harrell left for Purdue, and during spring practice, Brown and new offensive coordinator Chad Scott shared the playcalling.

"The decision goes back to, we're in a year where we need to have success," Brown said. "That's not something I try to hide from. ... Really, in a pivotal year, you fall back to your strengths. Last year didn't go the way we wanted to. We underachieved, especially on the offensive side of the ball."

It will be interesting to see how this team looks in 2023, but are they going to surprise people this season?

Is Neal Brown too optimistic for the West Virginia Mountaineers in 2023?

In short, Neal Brown is not too optimistic for the West Virginia Mountaineers in 2023. Brown is correct that this team is being undervalued in the Big 12. Looking at the last three games, they defeated both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Their schedule is not too difficult as they should be close to .500 this season.

With four new teams joining the conference and facing their toughest competition yet, why are they ahead of West Virginia? The Mountaineers have a veteran offensive line that has started 132 combined games and expect running back CJ Donaldson to return from a lower leg injury. He had four 100-yard games last season and should make this offense dynamic.

The defense is the biggest question for the Mountaineers as they gave up almost 33 points per game in 2022. The only program to allow more points in the conference was the Kansas Jayhawks with 33.8 points. If they can do just a little better on the defensive end, Neal Brown should be correct and be closer to the middle of the pack in the Big 12.