West Virginia vs. Syracuse

The West Virginia Mountaineers opened the season at 5-0, and were averaging 52 points per game, and looked like their first season in the Big-12 was going to be a big one. That splash became more like a belly flop as they went on to lose their next five games, and their defense was exposed in a big way. It wasn't the offense that was being talked about anymore, it was their porous defense, which during the five-game losing streak was torched for just shy of 50 ppg. Unlike West Virginia, Syracuse opened the season at a sluggish 2-4, but their offense began to click over the second half of the season, leading them to a 5-1 mark down the stretch. The offense, under the guidance of QB Ryan Nassib, went from scoring 22.8 ppg in their first six games, to 35.8 ppg in their last six. The Mountaineers have had big problems defending, and winning against teams that can move the ball as well as they can, simply because their defense can't get the needed stops to keep pace. Play this one on Syracuse.