West Virginia Looks Poised for a Red Hot Start in 2026 if Everything Clicks

On Wednesday, the Big 12 Conference unveiled the league slate for the 2026 football season, so now we know who, when, and where West Virginia plays each of its twelve regular-season games.

Sometimes my stance will change on how difficult a schedule is after studying it a little longer, following the initial release, but I have to tell you, this year there is a clear opportunity for the Mountaineers to come out of the gates red-hot.

The non-conference slate

Dec 27, 2025; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott looks on from the sideline during the third quarter against the Missouri Tigers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

West Virginia opens up with home games against Coastal Carolina and UT-Martin, both of which should be comfortable wins. After that, they head to Charlotte for a neutral-site game against Virginia, giving you an idea as to where this team truly is and what its potential is.

I'm indifferent about how I see that game against the Hoos playing out. It's not the same Virginia football program we're accustomed to seeing struggling. Tony Elliott was finally able to get the Cavalier to turn the corner this past season, and now they are trending in the right direction. Entering league play at 2-1 is good, but if things are clicking offensively, they could be 3-0, which would be the team's best start since 2018.

The first half of the Big 12 schedule

WVU will host Oklahoma State, which has a first-year coach (Eric Morris), for the league opener, and then will hit the road to take on another first-year coach, Jimmy Rogers, and the Iowa State Cyclones. Facing a new coach doesn't always guarantee a win, but the two programs are essentially starting from scratch, having lost so many players to the transfer portal.

Now, you could say West Virginia is in a similar boat, and I would tend to agree. However, the one thing WVU does have is continuity with the staff, and they knew exactly what they needed out of the transfer portal, whereas Oklahoma State and Iowa State are simply filling out their roster — something Rich Rod and Co. did a year ago.

Following the trip to Ames, they return home for two home games against Arizona and Cincinnati.

Oct 26, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (11) throws the ball during the fourth quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

The Wildcats will be a bit of a challenge, considering veteran dual-threat QB Noah Fifita is returning for his senior year, and they are coming off a nine-win season. Assuming WVU can take care of business up to that point, there should be a strong crowd on hand that can help make things difficult. Winning that game against Arizona would be the Mountaineers sending a statement, especially if they come into that one at 4-0.

In the event they are perfect through five weeks, we could see the Mountaineers ending their drought of being ranked or at least on the cusp of doing so. The following week, West Virginia will have Cincinnati, who they've owned over the years, and they'll be replacing some key pieces, including QB Brendan Sorsby, who is now at Texas Tech.

From that point on, though, the level of competition takes a big step up. Road games against TCU, Texas Tech, and Houston, and home games against Kansas and a dangerous Houston team that is seemingly on the rise.

As nice as the schedule sets up on paper, is it realistic to expect a 5-0 or 6-0 start?

West Virginia University head coach Rich Rodriguez | Christopher Hall – West Virginia on SI

The short answer is no. Is it possible? Absolutely. That's why I just punched up 500+ words on it. The huge turnover of the roster is something that can't get lost in the shuffle. Yes, the Mountaineers should be significantly better in 2026.

Yes, they should have an improved offensive line. And yes, they should have more consistent play from the quarterback spot. That can all be true, just as the concern of the chemistry with this group. It's not going to be perfect out of the gates, and Rich Rod has to hope they don't shoot themselves in the foot early on when they're still trying to figure things out. If they can navigate those early bumps in the road, figure out who the quarterback is, and the right batch of guys up front, then there's a good chance that red-hot start is in play, creating a ton of excitement around the program.

The non-conference slate

The first half of the Big 12 schedule

As nice as the schedule sets up on paper, is it realistic to expect a 5-0 or 6-0 start?

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