Poll: Would Close Loss to Penn State be Moral Victory for WVU?

A team’s record will only show wins and losses. Moral victories don’t count. Some don’t believe they even exist. But as WVU heads into one of the program’s toughest season opening games ever, there’s a growing debate about what the realistic expectations should be for West Virginia fans.

The game will kickoff with Penn State ranked as the number seven team in the country and with a roster many are labeling the best James Franklin has ever had since arriving in State College. The Nittany Lions are a 20.5-point favorite for a reason.

Oddsmakers Say WVU Has Absolutely No Chance to Even Compete with Penn State

Conversely, the Mountaineers are coming off a 5-7 season as Neal Brown looks to get things turned around, realizing this will likely be his last season in Morgantown if success doesn’t start happening on the field.

All of that brings up the question what would constitute a “win” on Saturday night. Would you be happy if West Virginia loses, but stays competitive and hangs with one of the best teams in the country? Would you consider that a “moral” victory of sorts? Or, despite the elite status of Penn State and the recent struggles of WVU, would you still say that nothing but who wins and loses matters?

West Virginia and Penn State will play for the first time since 1992 on Saturday night. The game is set to kickoff from Beaver Stadium at 7:30 pm ET.