PFF Ranks All 130 FBS Teams for the 2021 Season

West Virginia could be a team that surprises people this fall, including the folks at Pro Football Focus.

Preseason rankings don't mean much but it's always a good indicator to see how good teams are expected to be heading into the new season. 

West Virginia is coming off of a 6-4 season which includes a bowl win over Army. The Mountaineers are set to return six starters from a defensive unit that finished in the top five of most statistical categories including a No. 1 pass defense. 

On the other side of the ball, WVU brings back an experienced quarterback in Jarret Doege, a top 15 running back in Leddie Brown, three starters on the offensive line, and a ton of talent at wide receiver. 

The Mountaineers have the makeup of a team that should be competing for a spot in the top three or four in the Big 12 Conference but Eric Eager and Ben Brown of Pro Football Focus don't see it that way by putting five teams ahead of WVU - Oklahoma (No. 5), Texas (No. 17), Oklahoma State (No. 20), Iowa State (No. 21), TCU (No. 31). West Virginia ranks No. 47 and sits behind schools such as San Jose State, North Carolina State, Boston College, Tennessee, and Appalachian State. Yes, even behind the other Mountaineers. 

Based on the production that returns to WVU, I'm surprised to not see them at least in the top 35. However, the schedule that the Mountaineers have to play is not going to be the easiest by any means and could keep them from reaching a big-time bowl game. They will play eleven of their twelve games against Power Five opponents. They'll travel to Maryland, host Virginia Tech, and play their Big 12 schedule. The only non-Power Five opponent on this year's slate is Long Island, which is sandwiched in between Maryland and Virginia Tech.

If the Mountaineers can get off to a hot start, they could prove this set of rankings wrong and not only sneak into the top three of the Big 12 but into the top 25 of the AP Poll.

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