The first time the West Virginia Mountaineers traveled to Austin, Texas, as Big 12 members, they exited on an absolute roll.
Coming off a victory over one of the league’s flagship programs, it looked as if West Virginia just might plow through the Big 12 in its maiden year in the conference.
Instead, the Mountaineers soon began to fall apart, underscoring how far they still had to go before contending in the Big 12.
This weekend, 16th-ranked West Virginia will head back to Texas with a Big 12 championship on the mind again. The Mountaineers won’t be bringing superstar offensive talents Geno Smith or Stedman Bailey or Tavon Austin with them, as they did in 2012.