By: Clark Johnson | WV Sports Chat
Morgantown, WV – Last Wednesday, the Big 12 Conference officially revealed their 2026 football schedule. The West Virginia Mountaineers, who will be entering their 15th season in the league, will play 7 home games, 4 road games, and 1 neutral site game this fall. Today, I am going to make my WAY-TOO-EARLY GAME-BY-GAME PREDICTIONS for WVU Football in 2026.
Coming off of a 4-8 season in 2025, Coach Rich Rodriguez will be looking to pull off one of the best turnarounds in the nation in 2026. Despite popular opinion, it is my belief that he will do just exactly that.
Without further ado…
9/5 – COASTAL CAROLINA
The Chanticleers are hitting the reset button in 2026. Led by new head coach Ryan Beard, Coastal Carolina will struggle here. Expect West Virginia’s offense to start clicking early, leading to both Scotty Fox and Michael Hawkins Jr. receiving playing time. The 2026 season starts with a bang for WVU Football.
PREDICTION: WVU 41, Coastal Carolina 13
9/12: UT-MARTIN
The Mountaineers have never lost to a team from the FCS ranks. Don’t expect it to happen in 2026, either. Rodriguez’s offense clicks once again as running back Cam Cook puts up over 100 yards and 3 touchdowns. With a big running game, neither Fox nor Hawkins truly separate themselves as starting quarterback in week two. West Virginia begins the season at 2-0.
9/19: vs Virginia (Charlotte, NC)
This is a tricky spot for West Virginia. Virginia is fresh off of an ACC Championship appearance, and appears to be hitting their stride under Coach Tony Elliott. This game will have fans from both sides on the edge of their seats. In front of a mostly Gold & Blue crowd, Scotty Fox makes plays late to seal the victory, supplanting himself as the starting quarterback.
PREDICTION: WVU 27, Virginia 23
9/26: Oklahoma State
The Cowboys will be a hard team to read early in the season. Eric Morris begins his first season at Oklahoma State with a massive reset. Anytime West Virginia and Oklahoma State get together, things can get weird. That will be no different here. Despite the offensive firepower of both teams, defense will be the difference. Zac Alley and his unit will do just enough to give the Mountaineers the win. The WVU Football program starts 4-0 for the first time since 2018.
PREDICTION: WVU 23, Oklahoma State 19
10/3: at Iowa State
Though we are only in January, the Cyclones currently have the worst roster in the entire Big 12. The program will still be looking for answers at this point following the departure of Matt Campbell – Iowa State’s all-time leader in wins. Ames can be a tricky place to play, but West Virginia’s running game wears down the Cyclones late. Cook scores a touchdown to seal the win for the Mountaineers – landing WVU Football in the AP Top 25 for the first time in the 2020s.
PREDICTION: WVU 33, Iowa State 16
10/10: Arizona
The Wildcats will be WVU’s stiffest competition to this point. Led by quarterback Noah Fifita, Arizona will be too much for Zac Alley’s defense to handle. The Mountaineer offense just won’t be able to keep up. Arizona leaves Morgantown with the win.
PREDICTION: Arizona 34, WVU 24
10/17: Cincinnati
Though the Bearcats will be competitive, the loss of quarterback Brendan Sorsby will be evident in 2026. This will be a highly-competitive game, but the Mountaineers will prevail in the end. Scotty Fox and Keon Hutchins connect for a big day. West Virginia reaches bowl eligibility in year two of Rich Rodriguez 2.0.
PREDICTION: WVU 35, Cincinnati 21
10/24: at TCU
The Horned Frogs lost Josh Hoover to the NCAA Transfer Portal. However, they will simply reload, as they always do. The running game struggles to get anything going, and West Virginia falls to 6-2 on the season.
PREDICTION: TCU 31, WVU 14
11/7: at Texas Tech
The Red Raiders have beaten the Mountaineers by a combined score of 104-15 the last two seasons. Expect much of the same in 2026. The gap between West Virginia and Texas Tech is still obvious.
PREDICTION: Texas Tech 48, WVU 14
11/14: Kansas
After a rough two-game skid in Texas, West Virginia returns home to take on the Jayhawks. At this point in the season, Kansas will be struggling to get anything going on either side of the ball. Expect a big game from Cam Cook in the ground as the Mountaineers get back on track with a victory at home. The WVU Football program secures their first winning record since 2023.
PREDICTION: WVU 41, Kansas 23
11/21: Houston
The Cougars were the surprise of the Big 12 in 2025. They should once again be in the top-half of the league in 2026. This turns into a good old fashioned Big 12 shootout. West Virginia ultimately outlasts Houston for the second year in a row, finishing their home schedule with a 6-1 record.
PREDICTION: WVU 38, Houston 34
11/28: at Utah
Utah will be an interesting team to watch in 2026. After losing legendary coach Kyle Whittingham, the program could go one of two ways. Given their track record, I expect them to still be a tough out next fall. West Virginia struggles to overcome the challenge of playing at Rice-Eccles Stadium. A strong 2026 season comes to a screeching halt for the WVU Football program.
PREDICTION: Utah 42, WVU 24
FINAL RECORD PREDICTION: 8-4 (5-4 Big 12)
(Photo by WVU Athletics)
