Is WVU One of the Worst 25 Teams in the Country? One CBS Sports Analyst Thinks So

Coming into the 2025 season, we didn't really know a lot about the squad Rich Rodriguez assembled this offseason, but last weekend, we got a pretty good hunch that there's a long way to go before this team hits its stride, losing Ohio on the road 17-10.

Of course, losing Jahiem White and Jaden Bray for the season only makes matters worse, but at some point, Rich Rod will figure some things out and get the most out of this team. Could it be this week in the Backyard Brawl? Time will tell.

Entering this week's contest with Pitt, however, WVU is ranked among the worst 25 teams in all of college football, according to CBS Sports' David Cobb.

"A record crowd of 26,740 at the Bobcats' Peden Stadium witnessed Ohio's victory, which was no fluke. The Bobcats outgained West Virginia 429-250 and doubled WVU up in time of possession. If not for three second-half interceptions by the Mountaineers defense, Ohio would likely have won by more.

"West Virginia and Ohio played four times between 1983 and 2001 with the Mountaineers going 4-0 while outscoring the Bobcats 136-9. The 2001 meeting, which was the last in the series until this year, brought Rodriguez his first victory at WVU.

"That 20-3 win was the first of 60 for Rodriguez at WVU from 2001-07 as he turned the Mountaineers into a national power. Now 62, Rodriguez is back at his old stomping grounds and in the early stages of rebuilding the program. Saturday's loss inflicted significant damage on WVU's hopes of becoming bowl eligible in 2025, and it earns the Mountaineers a spot in this week's Bottom 25."

The only teams Cobb has West Virginia ranked higher than? UCLA, Stanford, Sam Houston, Western Michigan, Charlotte, San Jose State, UL Monroe, Kennesaw State, Eastern Michigan, Marshall, Kent State, UMass, Virginia Tech, Middle Tennessee, Oklahoma State, Georgia State, Ball State, Georgia Southern, and Akron. This means he sees the Mountaineers as the fourth-worst team in Power Four.

Is it a fair assessment?

Right now? Yeah, it could be, but that doesn't mean I agree with it. Zac Alley's defensive unit looks as if it will be able to hold its own for the most part, allowing WVU to have a puncher's chance every weekend. Rodriguez is too talented a coach to have that same offensive product that we saw in Athens carry on throughout the duration of the season. Things look bleak now, but it's still very early.

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