West Virginia doesn’t need a miracle to crack the AP Top 25 on Sunday - just a little help, plus a win of its own.
That part comes first. The Mountaineers have to handle Oklahoma State on Saturday, because a loss wipes out the whole conversation. If WVU falls to the Cowboys, the ranking talk is over for now, and the road back would mean stacking a couple wins just to get back into position.
But if West Virginia takes care of business, the path into the poll is at least worth tracking. The Mountaineers are technically sitting at No. 28, so they don’t need a massive shakeup. A few teams in the 15-25 range would have to stumble, and not every loss would be enough to push them out.
Here’s the group WVU fans should be watching:
- Utah at Iowa State
- Louisville vs.
Wake Forest
17.
Iowa at Michigan
18.
Michigan vs. Iowa
- Missouri at Mississippi State
- Oregon at USC
- Florida vs.
Ole Miss
22.
SMU vs. Missouri State
- Texas A&M at LSU
- Mississippi State vs.
Missouri
25.
Houston at Georgia Southern
Some of those games look like dead ends for anyone hoping to see movement. Houston, for one, should be fine against Georgia Southern. The Cougs could roll out backups and still be expected to win, even if the Eagles have shown some fight against Clemson and Jacksonville State.
SMU also looks safe. After last week’s shootout loss to Louisville, the Mustangs should be locked in for a comfortable bounce-back win over Missouri State.
Utah is a tougher read. The Utes should beat Iowa State on the road, but even if they don’t, a drop of 11 spots feels like a stretch.
Iowa and Michigan are another reason this may not open up as much as WVU would need. Both teams are unbeaten, both are ranked right next to each other, and neither seems likely to disappear from the poll after one loss.
Florida is a little more interesting. A loss to No.
4 Ole Miss could knock the Gators out, but if they stay competitive, voters may keep them in. Top-ranked SEC teams tend to get some leash.
Louisville is in a similar spot. The Cardinals are 16th, so a loss at home to unranked Wake Forest doesn’t automatically send them packing. But if that loss comes by two touchdowns, it gets a lot harder to justify keeping them in the Top 25.
Texas A&M may be the cleanest path for WVU fans to circle. The Aggies probably should have fallen out already after losing at home to Kentucky, and if LSU handles them convincingly, they’re likely done in the rankings for Sunday.
Oregon is trickier. A loss would drop the Ducks to 2-2, but if they play USC close, they could still hang around. If the Trojans win, they’d probably climb in and push someone else out.
Missouri and Mississippi State could also matter. Missouri would not be punished much for losing on the road unless it turns ugly, but Mississippi State is hanging by a thread.
If the Bulldogs lose at home, they’re likely out again. WVU fans should be pulling for Missouri there.
Washington is another team to watch. The Huskies barely got by Utah State a couple weeks ago and didn’t look sharp against Washington State. Minnesota comes to town this weekend, and that could be more difficult than it sounds.
And then there’s Kentucky, which remains a bit of a head-scratcher. The Wildcats are unbeaten, they’ve already beaten Texas A&M on the road, and somehow they still aren’t ranked. They host South Alabama this weekend, so there’s no first loss looming there.
For West Virginia, the formula is simple enough: beat Oklahoma State, then hope a few of the teams clustered around the back end of the poll do enough wrong to open the door.
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Alleys frustration was rooted in the final drive, where he said the defense lacked discipline and execution when the game should have been under control. For a team that wants to establish a tougher, more reliable identity, the message was plain: the standard has to hold from the opening snap through the end of the fourth quarter, not just in the stretches when the score looks safe. [Read more 🡒]