Penn State coach James Franklin said he is losing “hair and sleep” over the visit to West Virginia to open the 2024 season, not that he has any more hair to lose. Franklin has already lost some shocking road openingsand Morgantown is scheduled to air Saturday at noon on FOX.

But what about the Mountaineers? After a 9-4 record last season, West Virginia is winning some preseason hits as a Big 12 contender. Plus, the Mountaineers are in high form after losing 38-15 in State College last year. For the Morgantown perspective, we turned to Schuyler Callihan, SI’s West Virginia editor, for this Q&A. For more on the Mountaineers, visit West Virginia on SI.

Question: What is the temperature around the West Virginia football team as this season begins?

Callihan: This is the most optimism fans have had since Will Grier’s last appearance in 2018. While the future looks incredibly bright, there is still reason to be concerned that last year was an anomaly due to a less rigorous schedule. This year will be the true gauge for this program under Neal Brown. Expectations are high, now it’s up to him to deliver.

Question: Where is quarterback Garrett Greene in his development? Is he ready to lead a Big 12 contender?

Callihan: Everyone from the coaching staff to his teammates to the folks at the Manning Passing Academy have raved about Greene’s offseason. Sure, the completion rate looks really low in 2023, but there’s a lot going on. He split workouts with Nicco Marchiol last fall camp, played most of the season with an injured ankle, saw two of his top four receivers leave the team before conference play began, and had to rely on two transfers and a trio of freshmen. And perhaps the biggest factor in the completion rate is how often they made long throws down the field. When you throw that long that often, of course you’re going to have a low rate. That being said, he needs to improve on the easy layups teams give him, and it appears he’s done that.

Question: Who are some of the key offensive players around Greene and what progress has Jaheim White made?

Callihan: Left tackle Wyatt Milum hasn’t allowed a sack in nearly two years. With Zach Frazier now in the NFL, he’s the new leader in the trenches. Tight end Kole Taylor is a big, 6-foot-4 target that Greene likes to target. He was the Mountaineers’ best player in receptions last year and tied for most receiving touchdowns. Wide receiver Jaden Bray, who transferred from Oklahoma State, gets all the attention, and rightfully so, but Traylon Ray and former walk-on Hudson Clement will have big seasons. As for White, he looks like a more complete back. He’s handling pass defense better, is more effective in the passing game, and is improving between the tackles. He may be a small guy, but he can hit.

Question: Penn State will start a new offense that will likely try to run more explosive plays? How will West Virginia’s defense counter that?

Callihan: Since Neal Brown took over in 2019, they haven’t really had enough personnel to play press coverage often. They’ve been primarily a zone team, and when you’re going up against elite receivers in the Big 12, that exposes you. Garnett Hollis Jr., who transferred from Northwestern, is long and has good size at 6’2″, making him easily the biggest cornerback WVU has had under Brown. They’re very confident in his ability to block one half of the field. Meanwhile, Ayden Garnes, who transferred from Duquesne, has played equally well. He’s allowed almost no catch in the first two weeks of camp. West Virginia is more experienced on the back end, so I expect they’ll present a lighter box more often to force Penn State to run. With the linebacker group they have, they’re comfortable setting up the run game.

Question: Is West Virginia a contender for the Big 12 title?

Callihan: I think so. I don’t see them as favorites by any means, but they’re definitely in the conversation. The schedule is brutal, though. The first five games in the Big 12 are against teams that are ahead of them in the preseason poll. If they can get through this stretch unscathed, they’ll have a chance when the second half of the schedule really loosens up.

Question: What does the game mean for Morgantown? And is there a memory of Penn State’s touchdown with 6 seconds left last year at Beaver Stadium?

Callihan: Oh yeah, that touchdown still gets a lot of people excited. Even though Neal Brown never mentioned it in the media, you can tell it’s on his mind. As for the game itself, it’s huge. Winning a game like this on a national stage could be a defining moment for the program. WVU would be the center of attention on the first real college football weekend if they could find a way to win, and that would do wonders for recruiting. It would show that last year’s nine-win season was truly a springboard to becoming nationally relevant again. This is the biggest home game since they hosted Ohio State in 1998, and with this being the last meeting with Penn State for the foreseeable future, WVU wants this game and they want it bad.

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Penn State on SI is the go-to source for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Editor Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, following three coaching teams, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.