Nov. 28—MORGANTOWN — This is it. West Virginia's season finale is on Saturday against Texas Tech. Rich Rodriguez's first year back at WVU since he left in 2007 will be over.
It was a long season full of highs and lows, but ultimately not the season you could've wanted record-wise. The Mountaineers have won just four games this year. Its wins are over Robert Morris, which was a pay-to-win, a big win over rival Pitt, a ranked win over Houston, and a close win against a struggling Colorado team. Those are the highs of the season.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThere were plenty of lows. It started with the loss to Ohio, which prevented College GameDay from coming to Morgantown, and then the losing streak in the Big 12, highlighted by a lopsided loss to UCF, which was in a similar situation to WVU. It was rough at some points.
Now, WVU has some momentum over these last four games. WVU is 2-2 in its last four, which doesn't seem favorable, but even in the two losses, WVU was competitive and, recently against Arizona State, had a chance to win. The direction of the program under Rodriguez's leadership feels a little better.
The season could close out on an all-time high this Saturday when the Red Raiders come to town. Texas Tech is ranked No. 5 in the College Football Playoff rankings, as the highest-ranked Big 12 team. Texas Tech has the two best wins in the conference over Utah and BYU, two teams WVU has lost to. The Red Raiders are by far the best team in the conference.
However, WVU could shock the world on Saturday at home. If you don't think it's possible, you have to give Rodriguez and the players credit because they've battled with some of the top teams in the Big 12, like Houston and Arizona State. The Mountaineers are a completely different team than when they first started conference play.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTexas Tech is a different animal, though. The Red Raiders have the highest scoring offense and scoring defense in the Big 12. They are the best on both sides of the ball.
This proves that money does buy wins in this era of college football. Just like Ohio State's roster last year, Texas Tech went all in in the transfer portal and added some of the best defenders in the league, and now linebacker Jacob Rodriguez is in the Heisman Trophy conversation.
Texas Tech's offense runs through quarterback Behren Morton, who's not a contender for the Heisman and not one of the best passers in the league, but he's efficient enough to help the Red Raiders win games, and a lot of them.
The Red Raiders are just the most balanced team in the conference. If you select any positive stats tab on the Big 12 stats website, Texas Tech is at the top, or at least in the top 5.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis will definitely be WVU's toughest test yet. Rightfully so, WVU is a three-touchdown underdog at home, according to multiple sportsbooks. It's one of the biggest spreads WVU has had all year.
Nothing is impossible, and we've seen some crazy things happen in college football this season. Imagine if WVU upsets Texas Tech. The Big 12 would be shook, college football would be rocked, and more importantly, it'll provide a whole lot more momentum and hype for the 2026 season in Year 2 of Rodriguez, which comes with a lot more pressure because the first-year excuse isn't usable after Saturday. The disappointing record would be an afterthought.
That's a 20-plus point if, though. According to ESPN analytics, there's an 8.5 % chance it happens. That's not zero.
This week, I'm still going with the consensus and will take the best team in the Big 12 to win by a couple of scores.
Prediction: Texas Tech 35, West Virginia 17
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