After a full season away from Stillwater, West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen will finally have his reunion at Oklahoma State on Nov. 10.
The Cowboys enter the season ranked No. 19 by the Associated Press.
Head coach Mike Gundy led Oklahoma State to one of its best seasons of all-time last year, as his squad was on the outside looking in on the national title game because of one overtime loss to Iowa State.
OSU still won the Big 12 Conference title and finished 12-1 after defeating Andrew Luck and Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl.
Quarterback Brandon Weeden and wide receiver Justin Blackmon—both first round NFL Draft picks—combined to give OSU the No. 2 passing offense and the No. 2 scoring offense in the nation.
Blackmon had 1,522 yards receiving and 18 touchdowns as Weeden threw for 4,727 yards.
Obviously they're both gone now, which will result in a serious offensive drop-off in Stillwater.
Fortunately, OSU returns Joseph Randle, who will be the top running back in the conference in 2012.
[caption id="attachment_872" align="alignright" width="206" caption="This year in Stillwater: Out with the old..."]
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Randle went for 1,216 yards and 24 touchdowns as the Cowboys finished No. 3 in the nation in total offense.
He'll be the centerpiece for the offense this year, as OSU will start a true freshman under center.
[caption id="attachment_873" align="alignleft" width="248" caption="...in with the young."]
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That's right, Wes Lunt, a four-star recruit according to Rivals, has been handed the keys to one of the best offenses in the country.
The Rochester, Ill. native won't have Blackmon or even No. 2 receiver Josh Cooper at his disposal, so the expected No. 1 receiver is senior Tracy Moore.
The 6-2, 215-pound wide out had 672 yards and four touchdowns last year, at an average of 14.9 yards per reception.
In front of Lunt will be a mostly new offensive line, as three starters Nick Martinez, Levy Adock, and Grant Garner have all graduated.
Left guard Jonathan Rush will be one of the two returners, as he was granted a sixth year of eligibility after going down with an injury last season.
Joining him from last year's line will be senior right guard Lane Taylor.
Two other seniors are expected to start along with junior Parker Graham, so things could be worse.
However, depth is still a question on the line for OSU.
Last season, Oklahoma State didn't necessarily stand out in any department on defense, but stil had one of the best overall defenses, finishing No. 4 in scoring defense in the Big 12.
[caption id="attachment_874" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Senior CB Brodrick Brown will lead an experienced OSU defense in 2012."]
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This year, the biggest strength will be at cornerback, where OSU has two of the top players in the conference, Justin Gilbert and Brodrick Brown.
Overall, Oklahoma State will have one of the most experienced defenses in the conference, as it is expected to start juniors and seniors all the way across the board.
That's all fine and dandy, as is running back Joseph Randle.
However, the big question stands with the true freshman signal caller, as OSU's offense is centered around the decision making by its quarterback.
Last year, the 28-year-old Weeden led the Cowboys to their most successful finish in school history.
Now, Lunt—who is literally a full decade younger will lead the offense. Lunt was born in October of 1993 and Weeden in October 1983.
In a couple of years, Lunt may touch 4,000 yards passing in this offense, but he won't in 2012.
Randle will be good, but unless Lunt is able to slice through the learning curve in Stillwater, OSU's offense will be nowhere near what it was last year.
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