WVU’s Bowl Projections Are Improving Fast After Statement Win

Well, if you were worried about West Virginia's chances to make a bowl game this season, their win on Saturday over Virginia should help relieve much of those concerns.

Now, the Mountaineers are halfway to bowl eligibility, and after a 3-0 start, the conversation has turned from can they make a bowl to how good of a bowl can they get? Could they get red-hot and be in contention for a Big 12 title? Possibly, but even Rich Rodriguez will be the first to tell you there's still a long way to go.

A handful of outlets have put out their new bowl projections heading into Week 4, and the quality of the bowl has certainly improved for the Mountaineers.

New bowl projections

Athlon Sports: Liberty Bowl vs. Auburn
CBS Sports: Cactus Bowl vs. Minnesota
College Football News: Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl vs. Army
ESPN (Kyle Bonagura): Texas Bowl vs. Auburn
ESPN (Mark Schlabach): Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl vs. UCLA
Sports Illustrated: Cactus Bowl vs. Illinois
West Virginia On SI: Liberty Bowl vs. South Carolina

Strong projections coming soon?

Sep 19, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers defensive lineman Taylor Brown (51) holds a sign as he celebrates after defeating the Virginia Cavaliers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It seems like West Virginia is a win over Oklahoma State away from jumping into the AP Top 25 rankings. I think the same can be said about the bowl projections. The win over Virginia got people's attention, but now they want to see where this thing goes before putting the Mountaineers in the conversation for games like the Pop-Tarts Bowl, the Alamo, or the Texas Bowl.

Oklahoma State is highly respected, even with that disappointing season-opening loss to Tulsa. Should WVU get that one at home this weekend under the lights, it's going to have everyone talking about the Mountaineers. They've seen what Rich Rod can do at West Virginia when he gets things humming. His past, combined with a 4-0 start with a ranked win and a win over a fringe Top 25 team, will be more than enough for everyone to start taking this team seriously.

Milan Puskar Stadium is going to be rocking on Saturday night, and that atmosphere could help propel them to just their 8th 4-0 start this century.

Remaining schedule

vs. Oklahoma State
at Iowa State
vs. Arizona
vs. Cincinnati
at TCU
at Texas Tech
vs. Kansas
vs. Houston
at Utah

Big 12 Bowl ties for 2026-27 season

Valero Alamo Bowl — Tuesday, December 29, 2026
Pop-Tarts Bowl — Tuesday, December 29, 2026
Kinder’s Texas Bowl — Thursday, December 31, 2026
AutoZone Liberty Bowl — Saturday, January 2, 2027
Cactus Bowl — Saturday, December 26, 2026
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl — Tuesday, December 22, 2026
ESPN Events Pool of Games (several bowls with indirect ties)

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