Phil Steele Expects West Virginia to Put Up a Fight Against TCU

It'll be another stiff challenge for the Mountaineers this weekend with TCU (5-2) coming into town, but it's certainly one of the more winnable games left on the schedule (if there is such a thing) when you look at the remaining schedule.

Going on the road against a very good Houston team won't be easy, and the same thing can be said about Arizona State. Texas Tech, yeah, that's not happening, but this one is probably the only one outside of Colorado that's winnable if a lot of things bounce their way. Even then, it still may not be enough.

On this morning's episode of In the Gun, college football expert Phil Steele gave his thoughts on the West Virginia-TCU matchup.

Steele's prediction

“I think West Virginia is a scrappy team. Rich Rod’s teams are always scrappy, and he’s doing the best he can. You lose your top running back, top wide receiver, top three quarterbacks, you’re going to struggle on the season, and they were a rebuild team. And the thing with TCU, Sonny Dykes is a guy that’s relied on the transfer portal the last couple years, and this year when I talked to him, he said, ‘We didn’t go in the portal that much because I really like our team. I like what we have returning.’ So, it’s really one of the teams that’s the least use of the portal versus one of the most. TCU is the better team here; we all know that. That’s why they’re favored by 15.5, but yeah, I think West Virginia is going to put a fight up for this one.

"And TCU hasn’t blown me away in any game this year. You go back to the SMU game, they trailed in the fourth quarter, and Eric McAlister turned two short passes into touchdowns in that one. The Colorado game, it was 21-21 with five minutes to go, and TCU’s punting the football to Colorado. The ball goes off the back of a Colorado protector, and they get the touchdown, they score another touchdown at the end of the game, and it looks great, 35-21, but Colorado basically played them even up. They lost at Kansas State, and last week’s Baylor game was sort of wonky because of the lightning delay, and then there was a delay and another delay — pretty much a strange game last week. Still not blown away with TCU in any game. I think West Virginia can make a fight here this week. Should make it entertaining, but I do think the Frogs end up winning this one.”

Phil Steele Expects West Virginia to Put Up a Fight Against TCU — Does He See a Win?

Steele's prediction

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