On Saturday, West Virginia and Oklahoma will play as the Mountaineers look to keep their bowl game hopes alive. Our staff gives their predictions.
Ashley O’Brien: The Mountaineers are back in Morgantown for their second to last home game of the season and still badly looking for a win. The Oklahoma Sooners are in year one under Brett Venerables and looking to continue their trend of dominating West Virginia year after year. The Mountaineers unfortunately fall short in another disappointing loss in Morgantown.
OU 35, WVU 21
Wesley Shoemaker: I guess I am the odd one out when it comes to this game, as I think the Mountaineer offense will be clicking. They are due to bounce back in a big way and they have nothing to lose. West Virginia has something to play for and I think JT Daniels will have a big game. Also with the arrival of Tony Mathis back, the Mountaineers should be a bigger threat on offense. I’m not sure how it will get done, but it will get done and the Mountaineers will beat Oklahoma for the first time since joining the Big 12.
WVU 40, OU 38
Aaron Parker: If you would have told me in the pre-season that through nine games, WVU would be sitting at 3-6, I would not have believed you. Unfortunately, that’s where the program is at. With that being said, WVU tends to always show up in Morgantown, and the no-shows are typically on the road. I think WVU will come to play and quarterback JT Daniels will have a better games than his last two weeks. Oklahoma has WVU’s number, as the Sooners have taken down the Mountaineers every year since WVU joined the Big 12 Conference in 2012. I think that streak continues, as the Sooners pick up a close win on the road.
OU 42, WVU 35
Matt Natriello: After seemingly turning a corner against TCU, every step forward from that game went away against Iowa State. The offense was stale and the defense did a good job for 3 quarters before the wheels came off. Oklahoma has a much higher powered offense than the Cyclones, and should be able to take advantage of the Mountaineers depleted secondary early and often. The West Virginia offense won’t just need to be better than against Iowa State, it will have to be on a whole different level to compete with the Sooners.
OU 42, WVU 21
Tyler Prusina: Home field advantage is key for the Mountaineers to win against Oklahoma. At this point the defense is unfixable and the offense has wind down as well. In order for the Mountaineers to win and keep their hopes of a bowl game alive there needs to be a team wide awakening on the offense and defensive side of the ball.
OU 35, WVU 20
Photo by Aaron Parker
