Nicole Auerbach Says WVU-Virginia Winner Gets ‘Country Roads’ — Wait, What?

Yeah, that's not how this works, per the late John Denver.

Feb 26, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; NBC Sports analyst Chrs Simms (left) and reporter Nicole Auerbach during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

You would think that there would be a ton of bad blood between West Virginia and Virginia, but outside of a couple of pep band halftime shows by UVA making fun of West Virginians, there's not much hate or history to truly call the matchup a rivalry.

Some folks are pushing for it to be, such as NBC Sports college football analyst Nicole Auerbach, who suggested the winner of tonight's game in Charlotte, "gets Country Roads."

winner gets Country Roads pic.twitter.com/BradBg2Kqp

— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) September 18, 2026

There's just one problem with that...the song isn't up for grabs.

John Denver doesn't sing, "To the place I belong, Virginia."

The two things most Virginians bring up are that the Shenandoah River and the Blue Ridge Mountains are in Virginia. Yes, true, but they also run through West Virginia's eastern panhandle.

"Miner's lady stranger to blue water" also doesn't scream Virginia, since, you know, the Atlantic Ocean is right there.

But it's a good thing the co-writer of "Take Me Home, Country Roads," Bill Danoff, admitted as much when asked by Country Music Hall of Famer Marty Stuart in an interview if he thought it would be a hit song when they wrote it.

“It’s about West Virginia. It’s a small place. Maybe it will be a small hit. Maybe it will be a hit in West Virginia.”

Also, WVU graduate and Morgantown, West Virginia native Charles Wesley Godwin, who has blossomed into a country music superstar, squashed all of that "it's about Virginia" or "western Virginia" nonsense during an interview back in the summer.

Happy West Virginia Day to everyone except people who think “Country Roads” is about the western part of Virginia pic.twitter.com/6JLRq1yKKY

— Charles Wesley Godwin (@CharlesWesleyG) June 20, 2026

"First off, I know this for a fact," Godwin said. "I have a song called 'Cue Country Roads', which I made for the Mountaineers. I wanted to play it at the games and stuff. That had to go through John Denver’s estate. 'Cue Country Roads,' I pay a royalty to John Denver’s estate in order to have that song. I’ve met the manager; I’ve met family members and stuff. That song is about West Virginia. The story goes they were writing it; they played in D.C. the night before, and they were headed west, and they were going through, like, the Eastern Panhandle and going through Harper’s Ferry and all, and they were writing the song that day in the car.”

I mean, seriously, though? Could you imagine another school trying to claim Country Roads as their song when the chorus is...

Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads

Virginia is not mentioned once. Don't you think it would be embarrassing to sing about another state? Trying to rip Metallica's "Enter Sandman" from Virginia Tech- you know, a song that doesn't mention another state- might be a better way to go.

No, Country Roads is not up for grabs. I can't believe this is even a discussion.