# BREAKING: He Called Rich Rod A Gimmick... Then Said NEAL BROWN Was Better?!

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/locked-on-west-virginia-daily-podcast-on-west-virginia-mountaineers-football-basketball-7016257/breaking-he-called-rich-rod-a-gimmick-then-said-neal-brown-was-better
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/locked-on-west-virginia-daily-podcast-on-west-virginia-mountaineers-football-basketball-7016257/breaking-he-called-rich-rod-a-gimmick-then-said-neal-brown-was-better.md
Podcast: [Locked On West Virginia - Daily Podcast on West Virginia Mountaineers Football & Basketball](https://stenobird.com/podcast/locked-on-west-virginia-daily-podcast-on-west-virginia-mountaineers-football-basketball-7016257)
Published: 2026-07-23T04:17:11+00:00
Episode link: https://locked-on-west-virginia-daily-podcast-on-west-virginia-mou.simplecast.com/episodes/breaking-he-called-rich-rod-a-gimmick-then-said-neal-brown-was-better-sIS6Chkc
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Duration seconds: 2432

## Resource

A national analyst just dropped what may be the most negative preview of West Virginia football I've seen all offseason, and there is a LOT to unpack. In this episode, I react to several of his biggest claims, including calling Rich Rodriguez's offense a "gimmick," questioning whether the game has passed Rich Rod by, suggesting Neal Brown's offense was actually better, projecting West Virginia to win just 4.89 games, and ranking the Mountaineers near the bottom of the Big 12 in several key areas. But here's where things get interesting... The same preview also praises WVU's offensive line, ranks the running back room among the best in the Big 12, likes Michael Hawkins' fit in Rich Rodriguez's system, and acknowledges the roster is built for Rich Rod's offense. So how do all of those positives lead to fewer than five wins? We'll break down every major claim, separate opinion from context, revisit what happened during last year's injury-ravaged 4-8 season, and discuss whether this preview is missing the bigger picture heading into 2026. Let me know in the comments: Is this fair criticism... or the most disrespectful WVU preview of the offseason? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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