Between The Eers: Can West Virginia Be College Football's Biggest Surprise in 2025?

Originally posted on West Virginia Mountaineers on SI
By Schuyler Callihan | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 8:43 AM ET

West Virginia isn't expected to do much of anything in the first year of the Rich Rod era 2.0, but there are some fans who hope they can be this year's Indiana or Arizona State, coming out of absolutely nowhere, stunning the college football world, and making the playoff.

While they certainly could do that, the comparison to Indiana doesn't really line up well. The Hoosiers had a very easy, almost cupcake-like schedule a year ago and were able to stroll their way into the playoffs because of it. They played one ranked opponent in the regular season in Ohio State, and got humbled.

West Virginia's 2025 slate is not the same walk in the park as Indiana's was in 2024. They have two ranked opponents already on the schedule in Arizona State and Texas Tech, and a few others could be ranked, such as BYU, TCU, and Utah.

Arizona State, to me, is the better comparison for WVU, but it's a two-step process, unlike the first-year magic Curt Cignetti brewed up in Bloomington. The Sun Devils went 3-9 in year one under Kenny Dillingham, and then turned into the Big 12 champ in year two. I don't see 3-9 happening for the Mountaineers, but they'll have their fair share of struggles.

On today's episode of Between The Eers, I discuss why there shouldn't be an expectation in terms of a win total for the Mountaineers this fall and why year two could be when something special happens.

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