CBS Sports Boosts WVU, but Mountaineers Still Buried Among Big 12 Teams

Rich Rodriguez's return to West Virginia went about as good as one could have hoped (if you take away the fumbles in the first half). The Mountaineers beat Robert Morris convincingly, getting sound play from starting QB Nicco Marchiol, getting some explosive runs from their skill guys, and a smothering performance by the defense.

Sure, it doesn't really move the needle for this year's expectations, but they did what good teams should do to inferior opponents — dominate them.

Following the Week 1 win, the Mountaineers moved up four spots in CBS Sports' college football rankings from 65 to 61. They sit just ahead of some familiar regional foes, such as Maryland, Rutgers, and Boston College, but are still considered a bottom-tier team in the Big 12, ranking ahead of only Oklahoma State, Arizona, and UCF.

“The crowd was fantastic. It was a beautiful day," Rodriguez said about his first game back at WVU. "I thought our guys played pretty hard, were pretty focused, but we certainly didn’t play well in the first half offensively with the three fumbles. Our execution outside of the three fumbles was okay. Our guys didn’t panic and put the team away like they should have in the second half. A lot to work on, a lot to get better, and we know from here on out the challenges get a whole lot tougher.”

The Mountaineers' Week 2 opponent, Ohio, ranks 89th in the power ranking, for what it's worth. A win may not provide much of a boost in next week's ranking, but more importantly, it creates a much better path to bowl eligibility.

Rodriguez is fully aware of how dangerous this Bobcat team is, stating, “Their quarterback, I think, is one of the best in the country. He’s really good, really talented. He can take the play that’s off and make something happen out of it. They were the best team in the MAC, by far, last year. It’s going to be a big challenge. I told our guys we’ve got to learn being comfortable being uncomfortable because we’re going to be in a small locker room, a long bus ride, against a good team with an explosive quarterback. It’s going to be an interesting challenge.”

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