Seven CBS Sports Analysts Predict Brutal Big 12 Finish for West Virginia

Originally posted on West Virginia Mountaineers on SI
By Schuyler Callihan | Last updated Aug 24, 2025 1:01 PM ET

Rich Rodriguez isn't big on using outside opinions to motivate his team, but with social media, these kids see it every day. They don't need their head coach to tell them what other people say. They see the disbelief themselves every time a national analyst posts their thoughts or predictions on the happenings in the Big 12.

Recently, a panel of analysts on CBS Sports predicted the order of finish for the league, and seven of the nine have West Virginia finishing 14th. Brad Crawford has them one spot higher, while Tom Fornelli is the biggest believer of the bunch, slating the Mountaineers in the No. 10 spot.

Those ranked below

Arizona, UCF, and Oklahoma State are the three teams that show up (obviously not all three) behind West Virginia among the seven analysts. This, I agree on. Unless the Mountaineers just have a bunch of things go wrong, I don't envision any of these three finishing higher than WVU.

Who WVU should be ahead of

Cincinnati - I get it. Cincy has some intriguing pieces back, including quarterback Brendan Sorsby. That being said, they're still trying to accumulate Big 12-caliber depth. The schedule is somewhat manageable, which is probably why they're predicted to finish higher.

Colorado - The Deion effect. Folks see one successful year from Coach Prime and the Buffs and automatically assume they'll be able to reload. I don't think so. Replacing Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter, Jimmy Horn Jr., etc, is no easy task. I expect a pretty significant step back in 2025.

Houston - I respect Willie Fritz as a coach, but I truly don't understand all the hype around him and the Cougars after a four-win campaign. Yes, the defense is good, but they have serious questions on offense. QB Conner Weigman may be a former five-star recruit, but he's looked anything but it during his three-year career. Perhaps a change of scenery unlocks his potential, but I don't see it. He doesn't have the same supporting cast he had at Texas A&M.