By: James Gravley | WV Sports Chat
With kickoff right around the corner for college football, CBS Sport’s Brad Crawford broke down all 16 teams in the Big 12 first loss of the 2025 season.
As for the Mountaineers first loss of the season, Crawford predicts that WVU will lose on September 13 to the Pitt Panthers in the Backyard Brawl.
Here is what he said about that game:
This one’s admittedly a toss-up. Rich Rodriguez gets the Panthers in Morgantown with a chance to move to 3-0 on the season in his return to West Virginia. We’re trusting the firepower Pitt returns on defense here with a couple future early-round picks just a bit more than what the Mountaineers will be working with offensively.
WVU will look to make strides and improve off of some terrible seasons under Neal Brown’s leadership.
This is the last time that WVU and Pitt will play in the Backyard Brawl, as of now, until in September of 2029.
Although it may be the last time that WVU and Pitt suit up for a while, it’s the first time Rich Rodriguez will coach in the brawl since bouncing out of Morgantown after the 13-9 loss to Pitt back in 2007.
All of those bad memories in 2007 can all be erased with one major win — the Backyard Brawl. Do that, and most fans that turned their back on Rodriguez will come around. Lose that game, and oh boy … fans will be howling at the rooftops for Rodriguez to be let go just a couple games into the season.
Photo: WVU Athletics
