Deposit Instantly Using Your Credit Card at Sportsbook.com!

2008 West Virginia Football Picks & Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd

Rich Rodriguez is no more in Morgantown, but with QB Pat White still leading the charge, new head coach Bill Stewart figures to inherit a Big East Championship caliber team. Find out just how far the Mountaineers can go in Jimmy Boyd’s college football picks inside his 2008 West Virginia Mountaineers season preview.

Offense

The only change new head coach Bill Stewart plans on making is to lessen Pat White’s number of carries. Stewart feel 197 carries is too many for a signal caller and points out that WVU’s only two losses last season came when White left early with injuries. Don’t worry Mountaineer fans, Stewart isn’t going to completely scrap White as a runner. The best athlete on the team will continue to make big plays. White showed considerable improvement as a passer last season and should enjoy the first 2,000-yard passing campaign of his career. Running back Steve Slaton may have departed a year early for the NFL, but the Mountaineers will remain in good shape behind the sophomore stud Noel Devine. He was as heavenly as his name suggests last season averaging 8.6 yards per rush on his 73 carries. WVU also has reliable targets to atone for the loss of leading receiver Darius Reynaud. Dorrell Jalloh, Wes Lyons, and Tito Gonzales will carry the load. With the line returning nearly intact, just about anything the Mountaineers do should work again in 2008.

Defense

The defense was surprisingly good last season, ranking seventh nationally in total defense, but the graduation of seven starters will make it impossible to duplicate that performance. While a setback is inevitable, returning linebackers Reed Williams and Mortty Ivy, the team’s top tacklers in 2007, will do their best to make sure WVU holds its own. The front line is going to have to step up to allow these two to roam unblocked so that they can continue to make plays. Four of five starters are gone from the secondary. Safety Quinton Andrews returns and is one of the Big East’s hardest hitters, but an inexperienced group could prompt teams to take to the air against the Mountaineers.

Special Teams

Pat McAfee is the kicking game for the Mountaineers and he is one of the league’s best. He connected on 13 of 19 field goal attempts and averaged 42.7 yards per punt while handling both duties. Devine was a terror in the return game, averaging 23.3 yards per kickoff return. Ellis Lankster and Quinton Andrews are in the mix for the punt return job and either one could fill in for Devine who may get bumped because of his full-time duty at tailback.

Prediction – 1st Big East

The defense is down and there is a new head coach on board, but there is no reason to think that West Virginia won’t win its fifth Big East title in six years. Led by White, the offense will once again be among the nation’s best. Another 11-2 season is easily in the cards with an outside shot at the national title again as this team is better than both South Florida and Pittsburgh. West Virginia is listed at 4-5 odds to win the Big East Conference title.

Do all of your Big East football betting with Jimmy Boyd and beat the college football odds in 2008. While the numbers and the accomplishments don’t lie, it’s the amount of money Jimmy has won for his lengthy list of customers that speaks the most highly of his successes in the football handicapping business. It’s time you started getting in on the act.

Buy football picks from top sports handicappers!

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in: