West Virginia Football: Power Ranking the Mountaineers' 2012 Schedule

It's no secret that West Virginia has considered itself a major player in college football for the better part of the past two decades.

Of course there have been a few low moments, but with three BCS bowl wins on the resume the Mountaineers have earned a great deal of credibility. However, the Big East affiliation always hurt.

Now that's all about to change as WVU enters the Big 12 with a whole new set of expectations. The reality is the Mountaineers are talented and have a chance to win a conference championship in 2012. But there's also a good chance the hoopla and tougher schedule will be too much and a nine or 10-win season is on the horizon.

The season doesn't start for another two months, but let's take a look at how WVU's schedule stacks up based on the power of each opponent.

12. James Madison (Sept. 15)

No disrespect to James Madison, but the Mountaineers are looking at this as a chance to deliver a win in front of their Washington, D.C. fans, as this game will be played at FedEx Field, which is about four hours from Morgantown.

But no one around the WVU program is overlooking the Dukes.

James Madison advanced to the second round of the Football Championship Series playoffs last year and lost to eventual champion North Dakota State 26-14.

JMU returns redshirt senior Justin Thorpe at quarterback after he threw for 2,059 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2011. Leading rusher Dae'Quan Scott will try to improve upon a sophomore season that included 1,304 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.

Series record: WVU 1-0

11. Kansas (Dec. 1)

I can't wait to see the T-shirts and signs aimed at Kansas coach Charlie Weis and his rotund appearance.

If WVU is able to pull off a miracle season it will end with the Jayhawks making a trip to Morgantown.

Kansas should be better than last year's 2-10 team as Weis has a good staff and he's attracted some top transfers, like former Notre Dame quarterback Dayne Crist. The offensive line is experienced, so Kansas should be more efficient on offense.

However, even with Notre Dame graduate Anthony McDonald at linebacker and former Dallas Cowboys coach Dave Campo as the coordinator, the defense is weak.

Series record: WVU 1-0

10. Marshall (Sept. 1)

This is Marshall's last chance to beat the Mountaineers—at least for the foreseeable future. It's hard to imagine WVU is going to want to keep the Friends of Coal Bowl going past 2012 ... but who knows what will happen a decade or two from now.

The Herd do not have the horses to go toe-to-toe with WVU, but this rivalry has had its moments, and coach Doc Holliday would love nothing more than to hand his alma mater a huge upset. He almost pulled it off in 2010 (and actually should have).

Marshall went 7-6 last year and won the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl. Holliday has upgraded the talent in Huntington big time. It starts with sophomore quarterback Rakeem Cato and senior receiver Aaron Dobson.

On defense, Marshall loses All-American defensive end Vinny Curry to the NFL, but there is still plenty of talent on the unit. It's just hard to imagine Marshall's defense will have enough to handle the Mountaineers' potent offense.

Series record: WVU 11-0

9. Maryland (Sept. 22)

Randy Edsall's first season at Maryland was an utter failure, and unless the Terps give him some time it's not going to get much better any time soon.

Edsall needs at least two more good recruiting classes to get Maryland back to where it was under Ralph Friedgen. He may have helped himself a bit by hiring Mike Locksley as an offensive coordinator, especially since he's a top recruiter.

The defense has six returning starters, but they are switching to a 3-4 under Brian Stewart. DE Joe Vellano is the one shining star on defense.

The Mountaineers struggled against Maryland last year, but Geno Smith still led WVU to a 37-31 win.

Series record: WVU 25-21-2

8. At Iowa State (Nov. 24)

One week after hosting Oklahoma in Morgantown, Holgorsen's team will travel to the closest Big 12 opponent and will hope to not have a letdown.

The Cyclones went 6-7 last season, but Paul Rhoads has Iowa State playing good football.

Steele Jantz (what a great name) is back at quarterback and he should be better than last season's 1,519 yards passing, 10-touchdown and 11-interception campaign. Iowa State also returns its top rusher in James White (743 yards and eight touchdowns).

This game is also ISU's final of the season and it could be emotional if the Cyclones are fighting for a bowl.

Series record: First meeting

7. Baylor (Sept. 29)

This is not the RG3 Baylor Bears and it is very unlikely we'll see another 10-win season, but Art Briles' team is a bowl team.

WVU would have enjoyed a shot at stopping Robert Griffin III. Instead, they'll get senior Nick Florence. The transition is going to be rough since he doesn't even come close to what RG3 offered.

Baylor's defense was a weak spot last year, but there's some talent returning and DC Phil Bennett is a great coach.

This will be West Virginia's first Big 12 game and the atmosphere will be electric at Mountaineer Field. I can't see WVU letting this one get away.

Series record: First meeting

6. At Texas Tech (Oct. 13)

After pulling off a huge upset at Oklahoma, the Red Raiders lost five straight to finish a disappointing 5-7 last season. Injuries ravaged Tommy Tuberville's unit, but Tech was also exposed as lacking depth and any elite talent.

If Tech is better on defense it should be a tough game for everyone on the Red Raiders' schedule this fall.

QB Seth Doege is talented and his receivers will be tough for any defense to stop. Eric Ward, who had 84 receptions for 800 yards, is the top target.

Traveling to Jones AT&T Stadium will be a challenge for WVU.

Series record: WVU 1-0

5. At Oklahoma State (Nov. 10)

What Mike Gundy has been able to accomplish at Oklahoma State (even with all of T. Boone Pickens' money) is amazing. But can he keep it going now that he doesn't have Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon any longer?

I believe so.

True freshman Wes Lunt is primed to be a huge star at quarterback and Gundy is counting on him to take over right now. He's young and will make some mistakes, but he'll still lead OSU to eight or nine wins.

Another reason the Cowboys will be tough is running back Joseph Randle, who rushed for 1,216 yards last season.

The defense has eight starters back, including a tough secondary (which could be trouble for WVU). It's still hard to figure out how much it matters that there are so many starters returning considering how many yards this group allowed last year.

Series record: WVU 2-1

4. Kansas State (Oct. 20)

Bill Snyder and the Wildcats won't catch anyone off guard this year. Kansas State is still going to be a tough opponent, but the offense will have to carry much of the load as the defense has weaknesses.

WVU should be able to exploit those holes on defense, especially with the game being in Morgantown.

It's still not clear how good West Virginia's defense will be in 2012, so Kansas State may put up some serious points as well.

Collin Klein is the toughest dual-threat quarterback in the nation. He may not be the flashiest player, but he delivers results—including 27 rushing touchdowns last season.

Series record: Even 1-1

3. At Texas (Oct. 6)

Going to Austin for the first time since 1956 won't be an easy task for the Mountaineers. I hear the place has changed a bit in nearly 60 years.

However, the Longhorns have not played up to their reputation the past two seasons, going 13-12. Texas has actually looked soft the past two seasons, but no one can deny the defense improved a great deal last year under Manny Diaz.

The defense could be the best in the Big 12 again this year, especially with a backfield of Carrington Byndom, Quandre Diggs, Adrian Phillips and Kenny Vaccaro.

If WVU plans to win in a hostile environment, the Mountaineers will need to get after quarterback David Ash and force some turnovers.

Series record: WVU 1-0

2. TCU (Nov. 3)

Apparently not a single orientation leader at TCU can carry a tune but the Horned Frogs may turn out to be a top three or four team in the Big 12.

While Holgorsen and his staff realize how tough this game will be, I could easily see the players overlooking this game and taking TCU for granted.

TCU was apparently in rebuilding mode in 2011 and all Gary Patterson did was lead the Horned Frogs to an 11-2 record. The defense improved last season, but the unit may be a bit overmatched by faster Big 12 teams.

Quarterback Casey Pachall leads a strong and potent offense, but they'll be without running back Ed Wesley. He left the team and will try to make it in the NFL.

Depth could be an issue, but it will be for WVU as well.

The Mountaineers will need a near-perfect game to win this one.

Series record: WVU 1-0

1. Oklahoma (Nov. 17)

This is arguably the most anticipated game in the Big 12 this season, but a lot can change between now and Nov. 17.

But if these two enter this game undefeated it's going to be one of the craziest atmospheres in Morgantown history—and that includes some wins over Penn State, Miami, Pitt, etc.

It would almost be a lock that ESPN's GameDay would make an appearance again and that the game would be played at night.

Then, consider that it could also be a Heisman-deciding game between quarterbacks Geno Smith and Landry Jones.

If all of this plays out then it will justify the Big 12's decision to go with WVU and it will also give credence to the $20 million price tag the Mountaineers paid to get out of the Big East.

Series record: Even 2-2