If Neal Brown and the West Virginia football program is indeed going to take a step forward this season it’s going to be in spite of pre-season predictions.

That’s because the Mountaineers were picked 14th, or dead last, in the preseason media poll with just 129 points. That’s almost 100-points lower than the 13th place team in newcomer Cincinnati with 202.

In fact, all four of the newcomers were slotted above West Virginia which is a sign of where the media currently see the football program heading into the season. The good news is that preseason predictions aren’t set in stone and the Mountaineers are going to have 12 chances to change minds.

Especially in a transfer portal era with so much roster turnover and unknown across the board on the majority of teams across the country. There will be opportunities, for sure.

TCU, who represented the league in the College Football Playoff last season, was selected seventh while the actual champion of the league Kansas State was fifth prior to the start of the year. The year before the eventual champion Baylor was picked eighth prior to the start of the season.

The point being while certainly a talking point in the summer months, the preseason predictions and polls won’t carry weight once the actual games begin.

“We’ve got to get better and give ourselves an opportunity to win and we’ve got to finish these close games. That’s something that we’ve got to get over the hump and do that because in this league you’re going to play close games,” Brown said.

Brown hasn’t avoided the fact that this is a significant season for him and his coaching staff after sitting 22-25 through four seasons in Morgantown. It’s time to win and they understand that.

In fact, Brown acknowledges that while he isn't afraid to discuss issues around the program he doesn't shy away from what has unfolded or the expectations.

“I’ve never made excuses, I don't shy away from it. I talk about the truth,” Brown said.

Despite those outside the football buildings not having many expectations for this year’s team, those inside it are excited for the opportunity to prove that they’re ready to take a step forward.

The Mountaineers were able to hold together the bulk of the roster this off-season after struggling in that department the past two years and Brown believes they did enough with bringing in talent to put themselves in a better position to compete especially on the defensive side.

But just like the predictions themselves, talk is cheap. It’s up to Brown and his coaching staff to prove that they indeed are ready to take the next step.

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