QUESTIONS WITH THE ENEMY: West Virginia Q&A

My responses are posted here.

1. It's been a bit of a rough start against Div I opponents. Have the fans mailed it in on the season, or is there still hope in Morgantown?

It depends on who you talk to. There are certainly different factions of fans at this point. Some want to run Holgorsen out of town on a rail. There is still hope, but even the most reasonable of fans are getting anxious. I, for one, am among the hopeful. The defense is light years ahead of where it was last season and I can see where the offense is really close to putting it together. There's just something that we can't quite put our fingers on that's missing. Regardless of the hope, getting to bowl eligible will be a struggle unless the offense can flip a switch and soon.

2. Dana has had quite the beginning to his coaching tenure...displacing Bill Stewart rather unceremoniously...riding Smith/Bailey/Stedman to a decent last season in the Big East, then a disappointing first season in the Big 12 that actually started with so much hope. What happened at Texas Tech that flipped the switch, or was it a bit of smoke and mirrors up to that point?

Actually what caught up with them was a lack of quality depth on the roster, especially on defense. The previous staffs did a good job recruiting for the Big East, but the Big 12 talent is on another level even on the two and three deep. The offense was able to hold its own as long as our running game was serviceable, but when Alston went down with an injury, the offense really became one dimensional after the Texas game.

3. I would guess Dana's honeymoon period is over...so where are the fans now? He's only had one full recruiting class to this point, so are folks showing at least a little patience? I know we discussed this on the podcast, but you explain it so well...

I think that as long as President Clements and AD Oliver Luck are around, Holgorsen is relatively safe. Luck is a football guy who even still spends time watching film and he's pretty smart in his own right (Rhodes Scholar finalist). It feels like the ones who are calling for Holgorsen's job the loudest are among the least influential, at least from my perspective. Most realize that the Big 12 is going to take some time for the program to get up to speed with the rest of the programs to compete consistently.

4. QB play has always been Holgorsen's trademark, in that almost any QB can thrive in his system. While the QB's have posted pretty similar #'s, what would you mostly contribute their struggles to?

Indecision and inexperience are major factors. Receivers with the drops and inconsistent offensive line play are also of concern. We've had to replace the entire interior line and we're on yet another line coach (seems to have been somewhat of a revolving door since Rick Trickett left for Florida State after the 2006 season).

5. If OSU is going to be concerned about one player doing some damage, who would that be...Dreamius Smith?

Based on the first four games, he's the best candidate. His playing time has been somewhat limited due to some blocking deficiencies though. Charles Sims certainly has the potential as well. There are a couple of receivers who certainly have the talent: Kevin White, Ronald Carswell and Daikeil Shorts come to mind. Unfortunately, all of these guys are "potential" and none have established themselves as a reliable "go to" option as yet.

6. Why does David keep yapping about the pepperoni roll with no cheese or sauce? Everyone knows cheese and sauce are the difference makers (coming from someone who has never had a pepperoni roll).

You would honestly be surprised how good a pepperoni roll without the cheese and sauce can be. If you have cheese and sauce, you'd most likely would want the roll to be warm, whereas a plain pepperoni roll can be enjoyed at any temperature deliciously.

7. Have you attended any of West Virginia's Big 12 conference road games? Is there one in particular that you would like to visit? One that you really don't care to ever visit?

I haven't had the chance yet. I plan on trying to hit Austin next season, if I have enough vacation days available. I'm honestly dying to hit all of the sites...except Lawrence (for football, I'll admit to wanting to visit for hoops, though). Virtually all (...virtually, not all) of the Big 12 folks we've encountered, both in person and through the SB Nation blogs have been awesome. This Big 12 move, despite some of our struggles, really feels like a group of schools that we fit in well with. Even with the loss of some traditional rivals, our fanbases never meshed well with them.

8. As I stated, I really like the daily "Ms Throwdown." Is there a certain set of criteria you look for in candidates for this title? Any chance there could be a "Mrs Throwdown" somewhere out there?

First criteria is actually quite simple...you tube video available. There are a ton of deserving ladies who I've had to pass on recently because there hasn't been a decent embeddable video that I can use. Second criteria is a gallery of pictures (SFW, obviously) that most would seem to enjoy. I try to mix it up as much as possible and try not to repeat too much. SI Swimsuit models and Victoria's Secret models are some of the usual suspects, especially for repeat honoring. There's a Mrs. Throwdown out there somewhere. Until then, the future Mrs. WVUIE97 remains Candice Swanepoel. But if that miracle ever happened, I wouldn't share anymore.