Ranking OU football's opponents in 2023: West Virginia

Editor’s note: This is part four in a series previewing each of the Sooners’ opponents in 2023. OUInsider will rank all 12 games by their significance, difficulty and entertainment value on a 1-10 scale. The previous installments focused on Arkansas State, Tulsa and Iowa State. This article previews West Virginia, which is ranked No. 9.

It’s been a tough four years for West Virginia coach Neal Brown.

The Mountaineers have had one winning season in four seasons under Brown, posting a 22-25 overall record during that span. It was another losing season in 2022, when the Mountaineers finished 5-7 (3-6 in Big 12) and ninth in the conference standings.

However, they did beat the Sooners, 23-20, at home with a game-winning field goal. It was the first time the Mountaineers defeated the Sooners since joining the Big 12 in 2023. That, in addition to the Sooners leaving the conference after next season, adds a little intrigue to their matchup in 2023, which will be played in Norman on Nov. 11.

It’s hard to know how much better the Mountaineers will be in 2023. They have the 44th-ranked recruiting class in the country, per Rivals, though they did add 12 players via the transfer portal. They also lost several key contributors from last seasons team.

Here’s an overview of West Virginia and what the Sooners can expect.

Significance: 6

Difficulty: 4

Entertainment value: 5

All time: OU leads series 11-3

Last meeting: Nov. 12, 2022, Morgantown, West Virginia (WVU won 23-20)

2022 stats

Offense: 30.6 points per game (51st nationally)

Defense: 32.9 points allowed (116th nationally)

Key departures (2022 stats):

QB JT Daniels (2,107 passing yards, 61.2% completion, 13 TDs, 9 INTs)

RB Tony Mathis (135 rushing attempts, 562 yards, 7 TDs)

WR Bryce-Ford Wheaton (62 receptions, 675 yards, 7 TDs)

WR Kaden Prather (52 receptions, 501 yards, 3 TDs)

LB Jasir Cox (62 tackles, 6 TFLs)

DL Jordan Jefferson (31 tackles, 9.5 TFLs)

Key returners (2022 stats):

QB Garrett Greene (769 yards, 12 total TDs)

LB Lee Kpogba (92 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks)

LB Aubrey Burks (66 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 INT)

RB Justin Johnson Jr. (98 carries, 430 yards, 4 total TDs)

RB CJ Donaldson (87 carries, 526 yards, 8 TDs)

Key additions (2022 stats):

WR Noah Massey, Angelo State (52 catches, 682 yards, 4 TDs)

WR Devin Carter, NC State, (25 catches, 406 yards, 2 TDs)

DL Tomiwa Durojaiye, Kentucky, former three-star

* Can the defense rebound from last season?: Though they limited the OU offense to just 20 points, the Mountaineers struggled mightily on defense last season. They allowed 31 points or more in eight of their games last season and surrendered an average of 37.7 points per game to conference opponents. They were particularly bad at defending the pass, ranking ninth in the conference.

They do return several key defensive contributors from last season, and they added five players via the portal who were three-star prospects out of high school. If the Mountaineers hope to improve in 2023, it’s gotta start on defense.

* The Mountaineers’ passing offense: The Mountaineers ranked ninth in the Big 12 in passing offense last season, averaging 227.5 yards per game. To make matters worse, they lost their three receiving leaders during the offseason.

A big part of that was Daniels’ inconsistency at quarterback, though it’s uncertain how much better that position will be in 2023. The Mountaineers did add 2023 three-star QB Sean Boyle, but they are presumably rolling into next season with Greene as their starter. Greene, who’s more of a running threat, played in nine games last season, completing 43-of-78 passes for 493 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions.

The Mountaineers scored at a decent clip last season, but they’re gonna need Greene to develop more as a passer in 2023.

Yes it was in Morgantown, but the Sooners’ loss to West Virginia may have been their lowest point of last season. The Mountaineers did a solid job adding talent on both sides of the ball, particularly at wide receiver, but the Sooners will still have the talent advantage and they’ll be the home team in 2023.

Time will tell how good the mountaineers are in 2023. But it would be a shock if the Sooners lose at home.