As West Virginia prepares to enter their inaugural season in the Big 12 conference, many Mountaineer fans are taking the opportunity to connect with others from their future conference mates. And we here at eerinsider.com are no different.

Last week, we had the privilege of doing a Q&A with Hornsports.com, an phenomenal website dedicated to Longhorn sports. They were gracious enough to return the favor, and let us know more about the Horns, their thoughts on WVU, and what fans can expect when visiting Austin.

Usually, college football bowl projections are saved for the final stretch run of the season. But with the anticipation continuing to brew amongst Mountaineer fans about their inaugural season in the Big 12 conference, I've decided to get a head start.

As time allows, a break down of each individual team will come. However, for this purpose, I've focused on conference records and where each team will wind up.

With the 2012 NFL Draft in the books, eight Mountaineers either heard their named called in New York City or received a phone call with a shot at a free agent contract.

Let's take a look at where guys are heading.

As West Virginia prepares to enter their first season in the Big 12 conference, they do so with one key luxury in their favor - experience.

Yet, with position battles heating up in summer, there are numerous spots where the Mountaineers will rely on youth. Several players from the 2012 recruiting class will be called upon to contribute.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected two former Mountaineers in separate rounds of the NFL draft on Saturday.

In the 5th round, the Buccaneers selected linebacker, Najee Goode. A round later they selected defensive back, Keith Tandy.

West Virginia defensive end Bruce Irvin because the first surprise of the draft, as the Seattle Seahawks drafted him with the 15th overall pick.

Irvin, at 6-foot-3, 245 pounds, had a sensational career in just two seasons for the Mountaineers. Among many eye popping statistics he's recorded, the most notable was his 22 1/2 sacks in his short college career.

Seattle head coach, Pete Carroll, immediately went to twitter to voice his pleasure with the pick.

"He (Bruce Irvin) looks like a carbon copy of Von Miller rushing the passer. This is the type of guy that puts fear in offensive tackles," tweeted Carroll.

Irvin is the ninth first round pick in West Virginia history, and the first since Adam "PacMan" Jones in 2006.

As we continue putting the final touches on the Gold-Blue spring game, we now focus our attention on the defense, and the individual players who stood out.

The 'Eers will display a new look on that side of the ball in the 2012 season. New coaches, a new scheme, and young talent spread across the field this unit will surely get fans excited.

Want to bring ESPN College Gameday back to Morgantown? You have the power to make it happen! For the first time ESPN College Gameday is filming a commercial this summer on the campus selected by the fans. The school with the most votes win, and you can vote daily. So get the vote out! Let's Go...

Voting ends May 2nd at 11:59 pm. You can find WVU under the Big 12 section.

Here is the link to vote: http://www.gamedayvote.com/

A we inch closer to putting a cap on West Virginia's spring game, we're going to take a closer look at the top performers on both sides of the ball.

The offense, for the most part, did it's usual thing. While some may have been a tad disappointed, the unit still managed 600 yards on the day. On the other hand, the defense and their new scheme, managed some highlights of their own.

It was once again a busy weekend in the University City as the Mountaineer football team finished up spring practice. The WVU baseball team took a series from a familiar foe, and Big 12 officials are in town taking a look at West Virginia University. Lots to talk about. Let's Go....