Dark Times to Continue? West Virginia Given a Whopping 5% Chance to Beat BYU

According to the ESPN Football Power Index (FPI), West Virginia has just a 5.1% chance of picking up its first Big 12 win of the year, while BYU has a 94.9% chance to move to 5-0 on the season.

This is a pure indication of how tough a situation the Mountaineers are in. Not only have they been out-scored 89-24 in their first two Big 12 contests, but they could be in line to start redshirt freshman Khalil Wilkins at quarterback, which would make the third starter at the position in six games for the offense. On top of that, WVU is still dealing with a number of injuries, and the short week doesn't help the cause.

Change in analytics since initially released

Before the season began, BYU was already viewed as a heavy favorite for this game at 81.5%, which at the time, I thought was way too high. The Cougars were unsure about the quarterback spot after Jake Retzlaff departed, and I figured that at this point, WVU would know what their identity is and at least have a chance to leave Provo with a win.

Well, it turns out that true freshman Bear Bachmeier is a pretty talented dual-threat option for BYU and may be an upgrade over Retzlaff, believe it or not. Couple that with the Mountaineers still trying to find the right mix up front on the o-line, someone to take hold of the QB job, and an injury-riddled running back room, and it's easy to see why WVU's win probability has tanked for this matchup.

The Mountaineers and Cougars will kick things off at 10:30 p.m. ET on Friday. You'll be able to watch the game live on FOX.