Is WVU a Legit Big 12 Contender? Phil Steele Can See a 7-0 Start to the Season

Nationally, there weren't very many folks buying stock in the West Virginia Mountaineers heading into year two under Rich Rodriguez. College football expert Phil Steele was one of the select few.

Not only does Phil expect the good times to continue for the Mountaineers on Saturday night under the lights, but he sees a path to a VERY strong start to the season — one that will have your jaw hitting the floor.

After revealing his pick for this week's game during his weekly appearance on the In the Gun podcast, I asked Phil when he thinks we will know if West Virginia is a legit Big 12 contender.

When will we know if WVU is a legit Big 12 Contender? Phil's thoughts:

Sep 19, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; The West Virginia Mountaineers offensive line pauses before a snap during the second quarter against the Virginia Cavaliers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“I would say the back-to-back road trips to TCU and Texas Tech. And the good thing, if you’re a West Virginia fan and the Big 12, is that really no team in the Big 12 has looked unbeatable this year, especially Texas Tech. Last year, Texas Tech was just dominating teams on a weekly basis, and now, they look vulnerable. Very vulnerable. Could have easily lost to Houston. Could have easily lost to Oregon State. So I think those back-to-back trips — at TCU, at Texas Tech — that’s going to tell you whether or not West Virginia is a legitimate Big 12 favorite. Do keep in mind, final game of the year is at Utah; I think that’s going to be an extremely tough out. You might be able to drop two, but I think that back-to-back road trip with Texas Tech and TCU is going to be huge. But frankly, I expect at this point West Virginia to be 7-0 when they travel to face TCU.”

Could you imagine if this team starts the year 7-0?

Look, I know there will be some folks who say, "One game at a time, worry about Oklahoma State," to which I'll respond, "I don't have a uniform," so there's no harm in talking about the dream scenario that Phil believes to be possible.

It's been a long, LONG time since West Virginia has been nationally relevant, and if they were to get off to that magical start, or even something close to it, I firmly believe it will capture everyone's attention, including recruits and potential transfers. Doing so would, in my opinion, put them well ahead of schedule.

Watch the full episode here

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