Score Predictions for West Virginia vs. No. 5 Texas Tech

The end of the regular season is here, and the West Virginia Mountaineers will be looking to close things out in fashion against No. 5 Texas Tech. Can WVU pull off the stunner?

Here are our picks for this week's game.

Schuyler Callihan: Texas Tech 38, West Virginia 17

Winning this game would be a huge boost of confidence for Rich Rodriguez and likely his young quarterback Scotty Fox Jr., but for that to happen, a lot and I mean, A LOT needs to happen. West Virginia's going to have to play its best game of the season, Texas Tech will need to play its worst, and even then, WVU is going to need a great deal of luck.

Texas Tech's defense is one of the best we've seen come to Morgantown in a long time, especially against the run. They're holding opponents to just 71.8 yards per game which ranks third among all defenses in college football over the past ten years. When you couple that with Diore Hubbard being out and a thinned-out running back room for WVU, it's going to be a chore to get anything going on the ground.

I do think WVU will be able to have some success, albeit not much, through the air. If Scotty Fox can play a clean game, that's about all you can ask for, given the situation. West Virginia plays tough and keeps it a game for three quarters, but Tech runs away with it late.

Christopher Hall: Texas Tech 48, West Virginia 20

West Virginia is completely overmatched in the game, and it will take heroic efforts from several Mountaineers to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season and in program history.

Texas Tech rolls into Morgantown with one of the best defenses in the country, posing the number one rush defense (71.8) and ranking fourth in scoring defense (12.3) and seventh in total yards allowed (266.1).

Meanwhile, the West Virginia offense has recently gained legs with freshman quarterback Scotty Fox Jr. filling in the starting role after a slew of injuries. Of course, quarterback is not the only position that was hit with the injury bug, and the Mountaineers will have to turn to Bandit Curtis Jones Jr. to carry more of the load, and the running game has been somewhat of a strength for this group.

West Virginia has had some success in the passing game with Fox resetting the freshman record books twice and most recently setting the passing record for a freshman with 353 yards against Arizona State. Of note, Texas Tech leads the Big 12, ninth nationally, with 33 sacks.

Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton has dealt with injuries all season long and, most recently, has been dealing with a lower leg injury that has had him in a boot during practice, although head coach Joey McGuire has passed it off as preventive. Nonetheless, if West Virginia can apply some pressure, it may be able to slow one of the best offenses in the country.

West Virginia has dropped five of the last six meetings against Texas Tech, with the only win coming in Morgantown two years ago. Motivation will be a factor for the Mountaineers. Tech will remain highly motivated even if Tech solidifies a spot in the Big 12 Championship with an Arizona win against Arizona State on Friday for playoff positioning.

The Mountaineers will want to win on a high note and never overlook an inspired Mountaineer squad. For West Virginia to capture the upset, the Mountaineers must play their best game of the season, but I think it’s enough to keep it close for two and a half quarters. Tech runs away with this one in the fourth quarter, 48-20.

Schuyler Callihan: Texas Tech 38, West Virginia 17

Christopher Hall: Texas Tech 48, West Virginia 20

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