Country Roads Confidential: A WVU Mountaineers podcast

In their debut appearance on Twitter Spaces, Chris and Mike review the developments of the first week of WVU football practice and field questions from the online audience.

As we approach the start of the 2022 season we take a different look at the West Virginia roster. Where could a former player help the most? Does picking one position abandon others in need?

As we approach the start of the 2022 season we take a different look at the West Virginia roster. Where could a former player help the most? Does picking one position abandon others in need?

WVU begins preseason football practice on Monday and we conclude our preview of the Big 12 with a look at the Mountaineers and what they have to offer and what they have to prove in 2022.

No Big 12 team had more preseason all-conference picks than Kansas State, and a new quarterback, an new offensive coordinator and a fierce front seven on defense could life the Wildcats to the top of the standings.

TCU is going to look and maybe even act a bit unusual in 2022, beginning with a focus on offense and a new-look defense as the program looks toward an exciting future in the new Big 12.

One of the best stories and best programs in the Big 12 in recent years belongs to Iowa State, but many of the mainstays have moved on. Is it possible to learn more about Matt Campbell, his staff and his roster this season?

Steve Sarkisian's debut season was bumpy down in Austin, but the offseason has been stellar. The offense is loaded. The defense has sneaky support. The arrow is pointinh up again for Texas.

Texas Tech has a new coach, an accomplished staff, a reputable recruiting class and plenty of talent on offense and, for a change, on defense. Will it be enough to reach a bowl in 2022?

Maybe the record or the final standings won't chance too much for Kansas in 2022, but the expectation is the Jayhawks will be better and more competitive as head coach Lance Leipold uses transfers to create a winning culture for young talent.

The Cowboys return the top quarterback in the Big 12, but there are questions on offense and new leadership on defense. Can new names and faces keep Oklahoma State at the top?

There have been many ups and downs for Baylor football the past several seasons, but coach Dave Aranda and his capable staff are attempting to stabilize things and sustain the success they started as the Big 12 champs last season. It won't be easy, but the Bears have ammo.

The 2022 season could be the last chance for West Virginia to beat Oklahoma in a Big 12 game, and a lot about the Sooners has changed since the last time these two played down to the wire in Norman. Through it all, Oklahoma remains talented and one of the safest bets to win the league.

If we're heading toward a new era of college football with a split in the FBS and a split from the NCAA, then there might be some exclusivity in who makes the cut ... and there might be some surprises about who doesn't want to participate. How do the decision-makers build the new leagues?

The Big 12 leads off college football's media days with its festivities Wednesday and Thursday. We'll learn more about the present and the future in Dallas, but we already know a little after the all-conference team and preseason poll.

WVU basketball has been applauded for its offseason acquisition through the transfer portal, and if nothing else, the Mountaineers had a plan and carried it out. Yet the most recent 247Sports Big 12 power rankings put the new-look team near the bottom of the standings.

USC and UCLA are leaving the Pac-12 for the Big 12, and everyone and everything else in what we now call the Power 5 feels more wobbly than ever before.

After Chris was unable to win his Little League World Series, Mike was unable to avenge the setback in the TBA Classic. The two review his muay thai debut, his fighting style, his future plans and their inevitable feud.

WVU's 2023 recruiting class is growing with quality players and familiar names. A worthy part of the class is the batch of legacy recruits who have followed in the footsteps of their fathers and committed to the Mountaineers. It sounds like easy for assistant coaches, but they're particular about the process.

A handful of commitments for not one recruiting class but two recruiting classes served as the punctuation mark of a very promising June at WVU.

As the summer recruiting season winds down, it's time to take a look at one aspect of WVU's 2023 class: The defensive line has come together quickly and impressively, and though the work may not be done, the Mountaineers know who and what they want.

The Backyard Brawl is back and back in style. WVU unveiled special uniforms for the season-opener on the road against Pitt, and it's hard to to like what we see.

West Virginia will have eight first=year players and just five incumbents on the 2022-23 roster, so the chances are the starting lineup will feature a fresh flavor. It's hard to predict what direction Bob Huggins will choose, though there are many reasons. We try to make sense of the situation.

Former Texas guard Courtney Ramey has trimmed his list of destinations to just two, and WVU made the cut. If he chooses the Mountaineers, what are they getting, who are they losing and why are the Mountaineers better in the end?