It is widely believed that 19th-century Irish novelist Margaret Wolfe Hungerford coined the phrase, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
While this saying is not typically used to describe a football season, it provides food for thought when assessing West Virginia football’s 2024 campaign following this past weekend.
The Mountaineers secured a 31-21 victory over UCF on Senior Day, clinching bowl eligibility for the season. However, whether fans view this as a success remains a contentious topic. WVU senior safety Anthony Wilson Jr. emphasized the difficulty of achieving postseason eligibility, a feat that can often be taken for granted.
“At the end of the day, winning in college football is hard. It doesn’t matter what level you’re at, or where you’re at,” Wilson remarked after the game. “Winning is hard, and winning six or more games is a blessing. People are going to have their opinions regardless—that’s just how fans are. But winning more than six games, or at least six games, is a blessing, and just being able to continue into the postseason is not something every team in the country can say they’ve done.”
WVU Head Coach Neal Brown, whose tenure has faced significant scrutiny, may find some validation in the team’s postseason berth. After weathering calls for his dismissal—including a billboard campaign demanding his firing—and firing his defensive coordinator midseason, Brown has led his team through a turbulent year.
Still, Brown acknowledged that the program has fallen short of its internal goals. Despite fan frustration and external criticism, he highlighted some positive milestones.
“We still have a lot to play for,” Brown said after Saturday’s win. “We can get to seven wins, we have an opportunity to win six conference games in the Big 12, and we have a chance to achieve the best back-to-back years with our Big 12 record. Going 6-3 in consecutive seasons would mark the best two-year stretch since we joined the conference, and I think people overlook that—but it’s important to us.”
A win against Texas Tech next week would give the Mountaineers a 7-5 overall record, and while not ideal, it would mark only the fourth time WVU has secured six or more Big 12 wins since joining the conference in 2012. It would also be the first time they’ve achieved this in consecutive seasons.
Historically, a 7-win regular season is notable for WVU. Former head coach Dana Holgorsen surpassed this mark just three times during his eight-year tenure, and only twice during WVU’s time in the Big 12.
Moreover, the Mountaineers remain mathematically alive in the Big 12 title race, albeit with less than a 1% chance. With some favorable results across the league, WVU could still make a shocking run for its first-ever Big 12 Championship Game appearance—a testament to the unpredictability of the 2024 season.
Brown acknowledged the challenges and growth of his team, adding, “I’m just happy for our guys, really. I’m happy for our seniors, happy to get to six. We’ve been up and down—I don’t hide from that. But if we can get to six Big 12 wins, that’s something we’ll feel good about as a program. It’s never been done in back-to-back years, and we’ll feel good about that.”
As the season nears its conclusion, debates about the program’s future will intensify within Mountaineer Nation. While fan expectations and donor opinions may vary, a win against Texas Tech could provide a lens through which to view the 2024 season more positively.
WVU running back CJ Donaldson Jr. reflected on the team’s mindset, sharing a metaphor inspired by the film Gladiator: “Everybody around the arena is watching the fight, but we’re the ones inside the fight. The only thing that matters is what we’ve got going on. If we’re happy, then we’re happy, and that’s the only thing that matters to us.”
Even with its flaws, the Mountaineers’ season showcases resilience and progress, offering fans a reason to look forward while recognizing the challenges they’ve overcome.