Beyond the Record: Why West Virginia's Year Wasn't Wasted, But a Vision Realized

You know, there's always that immediate rush to judge a football season purely by its final win-loss tally. And for West Virginia, a 9-4 record might look good on paper, perhaps even a pleasant surprise to many. But dig a little deeper, step past the surface numbers, and what you find is far more compelling than mere wins. In truth, this past year wasn't just a successful season; it was, dare I say, the tangible proof that a long-held vision is finally, beautifully, coalescing.

For so long, the whispers around Morgantown — and frankly, beyond — revolved around Neal Brown's 'plan.' Was it working? Was it even real? Well, if you were watching closely, especially as the calendar turned toward fall and the games got serious, you saw it. You really did. This wasn't some haphazard string of victories; it was a deliberate, gritty, hard-nosed identity taking root. And frankly, that's what makes it so much more than just a 'good year'—it’s a foundation.

Think about the offensive line for a moment. Honestly, it feels like just yesterday we were all wringing our hands over its struggles, remember? Yet, here we are, talking about a unit that isn't just competent but, you could say, a genuine strength. That kind of turnaround doesn't happen by accident. It's a testament to sustained coaching, yes, but also to a roster that's bought into the grind, the dirty work that wins games in the trenches. And from that, of course, flowed a running game that was not just productive, but often downright dominant. A bruising, relentless attack that set the tone, that ate clock, that imposed its will.

But the 'vision,' if you really think about it, goes beyond just X's and O's, doesn't it? It’s also about the spirit of the team. We saw a resilience, an undeniable 'stick-to-itiveness' that wasn't always present. When things got tough, they didn't fold. Instead, they adapted. Consider the defense, for instance; moving from a 3-3-5 to a 4-2-5 isn't some minor tweak, it's a fundamental shift, and it takes time for players to truly grasp and execute. Yet, they showed growth, improving as the season progressed, proving that even mid-course adjustments can bear fruit when there’s a unified belief in the process.

And, for good measure, let’s not forget special teams. Often overlooked, but truly, a reliable special teams unit can be the silent hero of a close game, can't it? And WVU's was just that: solid, dependable, preventing those momentum-killing mistakes that plague lesser teams. It's all part of the same mosaic, these pieces fitting together, creating a picture of a program that understands what it wants to be: tough, physical, and above all, cohesive.

So, was 2023 a 'wasted year' for West Virginia football? Not by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, it was quite the opposite. It was a year where the vision stopped being just words and started becoming, for once, undeniable reality on the field. It laid a clear, compelling pathway for 2024 and beyond. And honestly, for any fan, that's a whole lot more exciting than just another winning record.