West Virginia Football: Can Mountaineers Defense Survive in Beefier New Big 12?

The West Virginia Mountaineers are on the move toward new horizons and bigger challenges.

But football in the Big 12 is different.

It's not Pitt, Syracuse, UConn and Cincinnati; it's Texas and Oklahoma. 

The offense should not be a problem. Geno Smith and electrifying wide receivers Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey return from a record-breaking 2011 regular season and Orange Bowl.

The question is whether the defense has enough beef to stack up with the new-look Big 12.

Defensive Line

For the second straight year, there are serious concerns along the defensive line.

Will Clarke and Jorge Wright both failed to impress last year.

In fact, production-wise, the top five players from defense were seniors last year.

The unit won't be any more effective than a second-tier team in the Big 12.

Linebackers

Much like the defensive line, the linebackers lost their key playmakers to graduation. Strong-side linebacker Doug Rigg and middle linebacker Jewone Snow return, but the two only combined for 28 solo tackles in 2011.

The Mountaineers may immediately need the services of incoming freshman Sam Lebbie, one of the best recruits in West Virginia's 2012 recruiting class.

Even if the Mountaineers were in the Big East, the lack of talented players at linebacker is definitely a concern that needs to be addressed before fall.

While it is not a huge jump from the Big East to the Big 12, there is definitely a talent gap and the deficiencies in this unit just can not be overlooked.

Secondary

The secondary is by far the most experienced and most talented unit on the defensive side of the ball for West Virginia. Ball-hawking seniors, Pat Miller and Terence Garvin, return as the anchors of the defense in 2012.

While several of the units have serious flaws, ultimately a solid secondary is the most valuable asset in the pass-happy Big 12.

While the offense should carry the team over several of the conference opponents, the defensive line and linebackers will have to be improved by the time the Mountaineers take on Texas and Oklahoma.

An offense will get you far, but a defense is needed to win it all.

If Dana Holgorson's squad wants to compete for a conference title in 2012, the Mountaineers defense will have to develop more talent and get beefier.