It’s hard to believe, but the 2022 college football season is officially less than 60 days away. It’s that time of year when predictions are made for win totals, game-by-game odds, and more. The ESPN FPI (Football Power Index) recently released their initial predictions for each team.
Below you’ll find what ESPN FPI thinks about West Virginia and their chance to win each game. I also wrote down some thoughts explaining why the percentage is the way it is or why it should be different.
Note: The game percentage is WVU’s chances of winning the game.
9/1 at Pitt – 21.9%
I have to admit I’m a little shocked by this. Pitt lost a lot from that ACC championship team from a year ago. No Kenny Pickett or Jordan Addison? Yes, 21% seems awfully low, especially when you consider how solid Jordan Leslie’s defense is.
Do you agree with ESPN FPI? No.
9/10 vs. Kansas – 86.4%
What do you expect? This is Kansas… Yes, they are slightly improving under Lance Leipold, which is why this isn’t in the 90’s, but without a doubt it should be a win for Neil Brown’s team.
Do you agree with ESPN FPI? Yes
9/17 vs. Towson – 94.8%
The only non-Power Five/FBS opponent on West Virginia’s schedule in 2022. This will be a good week to rest a lot of guys. Get three points and go the rest of the way. There’s no need to make guys crash for the rest of the season.
Do you agree with ESPN FPI? Yes
9/22 at Virginia Tech – 56.3%
Virginia Tech is a tough place to play. I figured the Hokies would be slightly favored, even though their roster isn’t in nearly as good shape as West Virginia’s. Thursday night game in Blacksburg and they will be looking for revenge from last year’s loss. VT should be preferred by a hair.
Do you agree with ESPN FPI? No.
10/1 in Texas – 11.5%
Once again, ESPN FPI fits in with all the hype surrounding the Longhorns. They’re not the only ones getting into it. Everyone does, and it’s hard not to when you have so much talent on a yearly basis. You assume that at some point they will actually “come back”. All told, 11.5% is way too low for a team that has a lot of question marks themselves, not to mention they lost to Kansas last year.
Do you agree with ESPN FPI? No.
10/13 vs. Baylor – 37.8%
If there’s a great spot for an upset on West Virginia’s schedule, it’s right here against the reigning Big 12 champions. They’ll have two weeks to prepare for Dave Aranda’s Bears, and if you give Jordan Leslie that much time to formulate a plan for game, something special can happen. 37% seems about right, but that’s a good spot for WVU.
Do you agree with ESPN FPI? Yes
10/22 at Texas Tech – 32.9%
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Neil Brown is 0-3 in his career against Texas Tech. For whatever reason, he hasn’t been able to figure out the Red Raiders. Until he beats them, you gotta side with the trend, right?
Do you agree with ESPN FPI? Yes
10/29 vs TCU – 52%
FPI hit that right on the money. This game is about 50/50 as they come. The rosters are in similar spots and there are a lot of question marks about how these two offenses will perform in 2022. Flip a coin on that.
Do you agree with ESPN FPI? Yes
5/11 at Iowa State – 25.3%
The Cyclones came up short with a very talented lineup in 2021. I know Ames is a tough place to play, but this seems a long shot. Honestly, I felt like this would be somewhere around 50/50 with a slight edge to Iowa State.
Do you agree with ESPN FPI? No.
11/12 vs. Oklahoma – 27%
Oklahoma remains undefeated against WVU in Big 12 play, but that nearly changed last fall when the Mountaineer offense completely collapsed late in the game. With this game in Morgantown and OU under new leadership, this could be their best change to finally get their first conference win over the Sooners.
Do you agree with ESPN FPI? No.
11/19 vs. Kansas State – 51.7%
K-State has some dynamic weapons on the offensive side of the ball, but the quarterback position could be an issue for them this season. Nebraska transfer Adrian Martinez has steadily declined every year since he was a freshman. This should swing more in WVU’s favor.
Do you agree with ESPN FPI? No.
26.11 at Oklahoma State – 17.1%
OSU has been the other pain in the neck for WVU in recent years. They almost made it to the College Football Playoff a year ago with a team that wasn’t expected to do much. They have a lot of key pieces back and should push for a Big 12 title again. This looks like a long shot for WVU.
Do you agree with ESPN FPI? Yes
PROJECTED RECORD: 5-7
PROJECTED BIG 12 RECORD: 3-6
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