One Reason WVU Can Win Each Game on Its 2026 Schedule

No, West Virginia is not going to win every game on its schedule in 2026, but there's a case to be made for them to win each game.

Here is one reason they could sing, "Take Me Home, Country Roads" after each contest.

vs. Coastal Carolina: Talent gap

Mike Hawkins, Prince Strachan — WVU Athletics Communications

Coastal made the decision to move on from Tim Beck and hired Ryan Beard after the amazing job he did leading Missouri State to a bowl game in their first season at the FBS level. The Chants will get back on track, but it's not going to be all sunshine and rainbows in year one. They have some big question marks at quarterback and in the trenches.

vs. UT Martin: 26-0

Rich Rodriguez — WVU Athletics Communications

Since the FCS formed in 1978, the Mountaineers have never lost to such a school. With all due respect to the Skyhawks, there's not much else that needs to be said here.

vs. Virginia: Hoos can't hide everything

Dec 27, 2025; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott looks on from the sideline during the third quarter against the Missouri Tigers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Virginia opens up its season with a conference game against North Carolina State. Although it will be in Week 0 and have Norfolk State before they face the Mountaineers, they're not going to be able to keep everything in their back pocket. Sure, playing a real opponent could help them, but they won't have the luxury that West Virginia has in running a fairly vanilla offense for their first two games. WVU should have a pretty good idea what to expect, while the Cavaliers will be guessing.

vs. Oklahoma State: Catching 'em early

Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker throws a pass during an Oklahoma State University Cowboys football spring practice in Stillwater, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Eric Morris, Drew Mestemaker, Caleb Hawkins, and the rest of the North Texas Mean Gr...I mean, Oklahoma State Cowboys are hoping to have the same level of success as Curt Cignetti and the bunch he brought with him from James Madison to Indiana a couple years back. While they should be a much better football team, I'm not as high on them as everyone else. Flipping the entire roster is a chore, even with high-level talent. If this game were later in the year, it could be big trouble. WVU gets them while they're still trying to find their footing, and oh yeah, it's the Big 12 home opener.

at Iowa State: Start of major rebuild

Going to Ames is never easy, as I described in detail the other day. That said, it's one of the few Big 12 games where the Mountaineers may be considered the favorite, especially if they begin the year 3-1 or better. Matt Campbell's departure for Penn State led to an exodus of transfers, so Iowa State is virtually in the same situation the Mountaineers were in last year. Yes,

WVU flipped its roster this offseason, too, but the caliber of talent they were able to get this season is light-years better than what they were able to snag while Rich Rod was still trying to piece together a coaching staff.

vs. Arizona: Hawkins is in a groove

I get the feeling that this one could be one of those old-fashioned Big 12 shootouts with Noah Fiifta and Mike Hawkins Jr. putting up some videogame numbers. At this point in the season, Hawkins will have had five games under his belt (assuming he stays healthy), meaning he will be equipped to handle a game that has some back-and-forth to it. This is another one of those games where it feels almost perfectly placed for WVU...and it's at home.

vs. Cincinnati: Downgrade from Sorsby

Cincinnati got out to a 7-1 start last year, but six of those wins came against Bowling Green, Northwestern State, Kansas, UCF, Oklahoma State, and Baylor. Brendan Sorsby elevated that team, and without him, I'm not sure they'll experience the same level of success. JC French is talented, but he's a pretty large step down.

at TCU: Cam Cook revenge game

The nation's leading rusher began his career with the Horned Frogs, and while there may not be any hard feelings, Cook will definitely be motivated by playing his former team, looking to put up a big performance to show the Frogs what they are missing out on. You can bet that if Cook is fully healthy, he'll be getting 25+ carries in this one. Maybe upwards of 30.

at Texas Tech: Bye week to prepare

Alright, I'm going to be honest. I don't see West Virginia winning this game. A whole heck of a lot would have to go right, and they'd need some luck on their side to pull this upset off. However, the one thing they do have working in their favor is that they have a bye week before they head to Lubbock. It will give them a chance to rest, recover, find some answers, and maybe throw some new wrinkles in on both sides of the ball.

vs. Kansas: Uncertainty at QB

Jalon Daniels was so good for the Jayhawks for so long, and now, they have to figure out who can carry the torch for their offense moving forward. Some believe it will be Cole Ballard, others see it being Isaiah Marshall. It wouldn't surprise me if KU takes a step back this year in a big way.

vs. Houston: Better circumstances

The Mountaineers knocked off Houston last year, kicking them out of the top 25. They were able to move the ball fairly well in that game despite having a far from ideal offense. This year, WVU has more talent across the board AND gets the Cougars at home. If that 2025 team was able to take Houston down on the road, you'd have to think beating them at your place with more talent can happen.

at Utah: WVU can punch back

Amare Grayson — WVU Athletics Communications

The game in Morgantown got out of hand in the blink of an eye. The Utes imposed their will up front, just flat out dominating the Mountaineers in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Utah did lose Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu to the NFL, but they will always reload along the offensive line. That said, WVU will have the ability to be more competitive in the trenches, and by this point in the year, they will have logged a ton of snaps together. That alone could help keep them in this game.

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