Predicting Each of West Virginia's Nine Big 12 Conference Games

The Backyard Brawl was a massive win for the West Virginia Mountaineers, but now, league play is set to begin, and the slate is wiped clean for everybody. That's the beautiful thing about the new College Football Playoff format — your season doesn't really start until conference play.

So, how will the Mountaineers fare in Big 12 play? Here are my game-by-game predictions.

at Kansas: Win

I don't know that I've ever picked West Virginia to win straight up when they're a double-digit underdog, but I'm shooting my shot here. And for whatever reason, I feel almost too confident in this pick, which typically means I end up being wrong. But still, I watched Kansas' tape vs. Missouri, and I see a lot of things WVU can exploit. How they are double-digit favorites is beyond me.

Record: 3-1 (1-0)

vs. Utah: Lose

I firmly believe the Utes are a top 10 team in college football and are my new pick to win the Big 12. Devin Dampier has been terrific for them at quarterback, giving them a high-powered offense to go along with their always-stingy defense.

Record: 3-2 (1-1)

at BYU: Lose

I actually went back and forth on this one. True freshman QB Bear Bachmeier has been good thus far, but he'll have his bumps along the way, and Zac Alley will do some things to confuse the youngster. However, I think BYU's defense is legit, and if the offense is still having issues, I don't see them leaving Provo with a win.

Record: 3-3 (1-2)

at UCF: Win

Back in July, I said UCF would be lucky to win two games all year. Well, they're halfway there, but it's going to be an uphill battle for them the rest of the way out. They are in a similar situation to West Virginia, but are much further behind in terms of depth and top-line talent.

Record: 4-3 (2-2)

vs. TCU: Lose

Josh Hoover is one of the best quarterbacks in the country that no one talks about. If Kevorian Barnes continues to run the ball well, the Frogs are going to be hard to stop. WVU is probably going to have to score 30+ to win this game, and I don't know if I can get there with them.

Record: 4-4 (2-3)

at Houston: Win

Houston's defense will always play well under Willie Fritz. It's the offense that's the big question mark. Yes, they put up 36 on Colorado, but that's not saying much if we're being honest. This has a rock fight type of feel to it, where WVU leans on the ground game to get the job done on the road.

Record: 5-4 (3-3)

vs. Colorado: Win

Speaking of the Buffs, they might be in trouble. They pulled Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter from the starting job, and instead of turning to the highly heralded recruit Julian Lewis, they went with Ryan Staub. In his first start, he threw two picks and completed just 54% of his pass attempts. Alley could have a field day here.

Record: 6-4 (4-3)

at Arizona State: Lose

This would be a neat story if Nicco Marchiol led the Mountaineers to an upset win back in the state where he had so much success in high school, but I just don't see it happening. Arizona State may not be as good as I thought they would be, but they're going to be much better by the time WVU meets up with them, and Tempe is a tough place to play.

Record: 6-5 (4-4)

vs. Texas Tech: Lose

It's still very early, and we'll get a better idea of where Texas Tech is at this weekend when they face Utah, but this looks like a much different Tech team than we're accustomed to seeing. If the defense continues to play the way they have, the Red Raiders are going to be a force to be reckoned with.

Record: 6-6 (4-5)