Rich Rodriguez’s West Virginia team has picked up a notable believer, and it comes with some serious coaching weight behind it.
Seven-time national champion Nick Saban singled out the Mountaineers on Friday during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, calling West Virginia “the surprise” of the Big 12 and pointing to the way the offense has been built around the run game. The College GameDay host and former Alabama coach was especially impressed by the quarterback-tailback combination of Michael Hawkins Jr. and breakout Jacksonville State transfer Cam Cook.
“I think there’s a lot of teams in the Big 12 that have a chance and West Virginia is obviously one of the teams,” Saban said. “I think it’s been a little bit of a surprise, but one thing I like about West Virginia in this game with Oklahoma State, when you can run the ball like they run the ball - the quarterback and the tailback - you can shrink the game.”
"I think there's a lot of teams in the Big 12 that have a chance and West Virginia is one of them..
When you can run the ball like they run the ball you can shrink the game..
That gives them a hell of a chance to win against Oklahoma State" ~ Coach Saban #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/StRPTi1GqN
- Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 25, 2026
West Virginia heads into Saturday night’s Big 12 matchup with Oklahoma State at 3-0 after last week’s 38-27 win over Virginia. Hawkins did damage both through the air and on the ground, throwing for 190 yards and two touchdowns while adding 123 rushing yards and three more scores. Cook matched that exact rushing total with 123 yards of his own.
The game is shaping up as one of the weekend’s biggest draws in the Big 12, with Oklahoma State bringing momentum from its 39-31 upset of top-10 Oregon in Week 2. Drew Mestemaker will lead the Cowboys on the road as they try to keep that spark going.
Oddsmakers have West Virginia favored by 1.5 points, with the total set at 61.5. Kickoff from Milan Puskar Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT on FS1.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Suddenly Has New Lineup Tension Up Front Vs West Virginia
Oklahoma State got a little clarity on the offensive front heading into its West Virginia matchup, with head coach Eric Morris updating the status of three players who have been working their way through injury concerns. Tight end Oscar Hammond is set to return after recovering, giving the Cowboys another option in the passing game and in-line work, while the offensive line picture is where things suddenly got more interesting.
The biggest swing comes from Joseph Hanson, who is back and expected to start, creating a chance for the Cowboys to settle the interior a bit before kickoff. Brayden Nelson remains the more uncertain piece, though, and Morris said his availability will be determined after further evaluation, leaving Oklahoma State with at least one unresolved decision up front as it tries to sort out its best combination against the Mountaineers. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Faces A Big 12 Test Its Offense Can't Dodge
Oklahoma State heads into Week 4 with a Big 12 matchup that should tell plenty about where the Cowboys stand offensively, and Drew Mestemaker has already given them a clear identity. Through three games, the quarterback has pushed the ball downfield and kept the attack moving, while West Virginia brings a different kind of pressure with Michael Hawkins Jr. offering a dual-threat challenge that can stress a defense in more than one way.
The betting market has noticed the potential for a shootout, too, with the line moving since it opened and the total climbing as both offenses have drawn attention. For Oklahoma State, the bigger question is whether Mestemaker can keep the tempo and efficiency steady against a Mountaineers defense that will be trying to make the Cowboys earn every possession, because this one could hinge on which quarterback is better able to control the game when the pace picks up. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Just Got A Draft Nod Fans Will Notice Fast
ESPNs Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates are already looking ahead to the 2027 NFL Draft, and early-position rankings always tend to get attention when a name with Oklahoma State ties shows up in the mix. Kiper made clear these lists are very much preliminary, but they still offer an early snapshot of which college players are drawing national notice before the season has even had much time to breathe.
One of the more interesting pieces of that snapshot involves Drew Mestemaker, whose place in the early quarterback conversation gives Cowboys fans a reason to track how this season develops. Kipers projection and Field Yates separate ranking both point to Mestemaker as a player already on the radar in a major way, even if there is still a long road before any of these early evaluations turn into draft-night reality. [Read more 🡒]