WVU Football: 5 Most Important Post-Spring Dates

With a successful spring game in the books, and the team leaving the contest injury free, the Mountaineers are eying the summer. For a college football player, the summer is generally their only sense of a vacation, and the players will be able to unwind after the conclusion of classes in the first week of May.

The Mountaineers are anxious to kick off the 2012 football season, particularly with the hype surrounding the football program. In Mark Schlabach of ESPN's early top 25 rankings, he has WVU ranked at No.7, and Geno Smith is on many experts' Heisman radar as well.

Anticipation at Mountaineer Field is at its highest point since former WVU great Pat White was playing for the Blue and Gold.

As we look ahead to the 2012 season, here are a few important post-spring dates to look forward to.

2012 NFL Draft

Bruce Irvin shocked many people around the world with his selection at No. 15 to the Seattle Seahawks. However, people in Morgantown weren't taken off guard by this pick. Irvin was an animal for the Mountaineers and had 22.5 sacks in just 26 games.

Fellow Mountaineers Keith Tandy and Najee Goode were both drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and they were later joined by long snapper Cody Nutter. 

Other WVU players picked up were Julian Miller, who signed with the Cincinnati Bengals; Don Barclay, who landed with the Green Bay Packers; and Eain Smith, who wound up signing with the Washington Redskins.

July 24: Big 12 Media Day

Head coach Dana Holgorsen will arrive in Dallas at his first Big 12 media day as the man in charge of WVU. He will likely be joined by stars Tavon Austin, Geno Smith and Stedman Bailey as they answer questions from the media.

It will be interesting to see how the players answer questions surrounding the sky-high expectations in their first season in the high powered Big 12.

Fall practice will begin a few weeks after, and this will officially mark the beginning of WVU's first season in their new conference.

First Week of August: Beginning of Fall Practice

The football season will be in full force once fall camp begins, and the team will be able to further install the new 3-4 defensive scheme, while shoring up the offense as well.

The team will be welcoming the rest of their recruiting class, and there is a stable of young talent who will join the fold.

Linebacker Sam Lebbie and receiver Deontay McManus are highly touted players out of Maryland who have the potential to play from day one.

Other notable youngsters are defensive end Eric Kinsey out of Miami and legacy recruit Brandon Napoleon, a talented CB out of New Jersey.

In all, the team will add many players to improve the depth, and the countdown to the season officially begins.

Saturday, September 29 vs. Baylor

This date has been circled on every Mountaineer fan's calender since the release of the 2012 schedule. WVU will host Baylor in its first game in the Big 12, and the atmosphere will be absolutely wild for this game. 

The Bears will get their first taste of Mountaineer field on game day, and the Big 12 will see the Mountaineers in rare form in this game. Geno Smith will play his first competitive game of the 2012 season, as the Mountaineers open the season vs. Marshall, James Madison and Maryland.

Baylor lost a lot of firepower from 2011 as Heisman winner Robert Griffin III and Kendall Wright took their talents to the NFL. WVU, on the other hand, brings back their core on offense and should be very explosive in 2012.

November 17 vs. Oklahoma

This game has the potential to be a meeting of two top-10 teams—and possible national title implications if things go the way Sooner and Mountaineer fans hope. Oklahoma is one of the best teams in the country heading into 2012, but that is nothing new. 

It will be very interesting to see how they answer the bell for a true road test in this game, and WVU will be firing on all cylinders in this one. This game has a great chance to be on ESPN's College GameDay, and if that is the case, Morgantown will be rocking.

This matchup also features two of the top quarterbacks in the nation as Geno Smith and Landry Jones are premier talents. This will likely be a shootout, and I like the Mountaineers' chances in a high scoring, fast-paced game.