West Virginia’s bowl hopes have taken a hit, and the math is getting tighter by the week.
The Mountaineers are riding a three-game losing streak, and that skid has pushed them into a spot where the next result may say just about everything about their postseason chances. A win this week against Cincinnati would keep them alive and leave them in a solid position to chase six victories. A loss, though, would likely wipe out much of what’s left of the bowl picture.
That reality shows up in the latest round of projections. Only two outlets still see WVU making a bowl despite the recent slide.
Athlon Sports has the Mountaineers in the Liberty Bowl against Oklahoma, and College Football News sends them to the Boca Raton Bowl to face Tulane. Every other projection listed says no bowl for West Virginia.
CBS Sports: No projection
ESPN (Kyle Bonagura): No projection
ESPN (Mark Schlabach): No projection
On3 Sports: No projection
Pro Football Network: No projection
Sports Illustrated: No projection
USA Today: No projection
West Virginia On SI: No projection
The remaining schedule leaves little room for error: Cincinnati, then TCU, Texas Tech, Kansas, Houston and Utah. There are only three more home games, and one of them is against Houston, one of the better teams in the league.
If West Virginia is going to get to six wins, beating Cincinnati and Kansas looks essential. Doing that would leave the Mountaineers needing one more victory from the other four, and TCU stands out as the most reachable of that group.
There is at least some reason for optimism on that front. TCU and Kansas do not bring explosive offenses, which gives West Virginia a better shot than it had against Oklahoma State or Arizona. Iowa State did not look especially dangerous either, but still piled up points on the Mountaineers, so the defense can’t afford another performance like that.
The bottom line is simple: the defense has to stop being a disaster. If it can settle in and be merely serviceable, West Virginia still has a route to a bowl.
It might not feel likely right now, but there is still time for the Mountaineers to clean things up enough to win a few more games. The bye week later this month could help, too.
The bowl games still in the mix for projections include the Valero Alamo Bowl, Pop-Tarts Bowl, Kinder’s Texas Bowl, AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Cactus Bowl, Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl and the ESPN Events Pool of Games.
In Other News...
Rich Rodriguez Sees A Bigger West Virginia Defensive Problem Than Fans Thought
Rich Rodriguez spent his weekly press conference digging into West Virginias defensive issues, and he made it clear the staff has been through the game film enough times to know this is not just a matter of one or two bad snaps. He said he believes the players have the ability to be better, but also acknowledged the Mountaineers need sharper coaching and cleaner execution to get the unit pointed in the right direction.
Rodriguez also took time to address true freshman Matt, whose early work has shown enough promise to keep the staff encouraged even through the growing pains. For West Virginia, the larger question now is how quickly the defense can turn that film-room diagnosis into something more dependable on Saturdays. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Fans Can Finally Start Planning Around A Key Home Slate
West Virginia fans can finally start circling dates for the 2026-27 mens basketball season after the Big 12 and WVU released game times and television coverage for the home schedule. The timing matters for a fan base that likes to plan around the Mountaineers biggest nights, and it also gives the program a clearer picture of how the season will unfold on the court and on TV.
Single-game tickets and mini-pack options go on sale to the public starting Oct. 14, with packages offering fans a chance to pick specific matchups rather than commit to the full slate. WVU also has a few extra dates to keep in mind, including Coca-Cola Family Days and an exhibition against Wheeling on Oct. 28, which should give supporters an early look before the league grind really begins. [Read more 🡒]
Rich Rodriguez May Be Reshaping WVU's Rotation Faster Than Expected
Rich Rodriguez is still in the early stages of sorting out West Virginias depth chart, but the conversation around the Mountaineers already sounds like one that could lead to some movement. The defensive side remains a work in progress as the staff looks to settle on exact positions, while the offense has begun to feature a few names that could carve out larger roles as the weeks go on.
Among the players drawing attention are freshman running back Amari Latimer and receivers Keon Hutchins and TaRon Francis, all of whom Rodriguez indicated could see more of the field. Utah transfer NaQuari Rogers is also in the mix after recent practice and conditioning work, giving West Virginia another potential option as the rotation starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]