OU-West Virginia storylines
BY GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
Saturday, November 17, 2012
11/17/12 at 3:16 AM
Mountaineers mess
How can a team so lethal the first five weeks of the season go straight into the tank the last five? Geno Smith was a Heisman candidate, running the flashiest offense this side of Oregon's, when the Mountaineers were overshadowing their pitiful defense and laughable special teams. Then they went to Texas Tech Oct. 13 and got punched in the jaw for the first time. They haven't punched back since.
Moonlight madness
This shapes up as the toughest environment the Sooners will encounter all year. A night game in front of fans who don't mind getting a little crazy, fans who have been gearing up for this matchup since the schedule came out. Of course, Texas Tech and Iowa State were supposed to be dangerous for the Sooners, and they handled business professionally. Bob Stoops swears by the maturity of this year's team. It will come in handy on Saturday.
Sooners, start your engines!
There's nothing like a quick start to silence a hostile crowd. Or to turn that hostility onto the host team. The Mountaineers were booed during their last home game, an overtime loss to TCU two weeks ago. Their players showed poor body language as last week's OSU game slipped away. It might not take much for OU to score an early-round KO, provided Landry Jones comes out sharp and takes full advantage of West Virginia's leaky defense.
