Preseason Bowl Projections for West Virginia

Is another trip to Memphis in store for the Mountaineers in 2021?

Neal Brown earned his first bowl victory as the West Virginia head coach this past season with a win over Army in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Now that the Mountaineers have had their first taste of the postseason under the new coaching regime, just making a bowl game is no longer good enough.

West Virginia essentially returns seven starters off a defense that finished 4th nationally in total defense and No. 1 against the pass. For the first time since Brown has roamed the sidelines in Morgantown, there is a lot of experience on the offensive side of the ball including the return of starting quarterback Jarret Deoge and running back Leddie Brown, who were recently named to the preseason Maxwell Award Watch List. 

Sure, the season hasn't started yet but that doesn't stop us or anyone in the industry from looking ahead at where the Mountaineers will land come bowl season. Below is a look at the most recent projections from numerous other outlets. It's safe to say that at this point in time, a repeat trip to the Liberty Bowl seems to be a likely destination.

CBS Sports: vs Tennessee - Liberty Bowl

Pro Football Network: vs Arkansas - Liberty Bowl

Athlon Sports: vs Kentucky - Liberty Bowl

Sporting News: vs Florida State - Cheez-It Bowl

Yahoo! Sports: vs Kentucky - Liberty Bowl

If we are looking on the optimistic side, I'd expect West Virginia to reach eight wins this season. That could still put them in the Liberty Bowl but I feel they could make a strong push for a top three or four spot in the league which will in turn give them a better bowl destination. 

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