It is both teams’ regular season finale as West Virginia heads to Waco, to face Baylor.
The Mountaineers have are looking to secure their most wins since 2018 in a season, while Baylor looks to end their season with a win.
Our staff gives their prediction:
Ashley O’Brien: West Virginia is in a spot they have not been in a while, a safe and secure position heading into a game. The Mountaineers can’t do much other than improve their bowl stock and add another win to what has been an impressive season. I think the offense which got going against last week will repeat again. West Virginia pours it on in the fourth quarter after things are closer the majority of the game.
West Virginia 45, Baylor 21
Wesley Shoemaker: The Mountaineers have a chance to get to win number eight which is a really big deal. It’s also a big deal that they can do that in a place they have historically not played well. I think this will come down to who can get up for this game, who has more to play for. With that, I think the road team has the advantage. Baylor isn’t going bowling, while the Mountaineers are still fighting to continue their strong season. West Virginia’s offense rolls in Waco.
West Virginia 38, Baylor 20
Aaron Parker: After a big senior day win against Cincinnati, WVU has the chance to do something it hasn’t done since the days of Will Grier… win eight games in a regular season. Like Cincinnati, the Baylor Bears come to West Virginia week a bit banged up and depleted with a 3-8 record and a backup quarterback taking the reins after Blake Shapen was recently reported to be injured. Baylor’s only two conference games come against newbies Cincinnati and UCF, so this is Neal Brown’s perfect opportunity to finish the season strong. I think WVU will play down to Baylor for the first half of action, but I see the Mountaineer running game with CJ Donaldson and Jaheim White leading the Mountaineers on the stat sheet. I can see Garrett Greene making some winning plays down the stretch to top the Bears, though I think it will not be pretty.
West Virginia 31, Baylor 27
Patrick Reneau: WVU goes into Waco for the final game of the season and this is a game that I think WVU wins and finishes the season 8-4. I think it’ll be another game where Jahiem White runs all over the opponent. I don’t think Baylor will be able to stop WVU or keep up with them offensively.
West Virginia 35, Baylor 14
Ryan Roddy: The Mountaineers took care of business last week at home and will now look to close out the season with a win on the road in Waco. I predict they should have no problems getting this done against a struggling Baylor team. Running backs CJ Donaldson (now a little healthier) and Jahiem White should both rush for over 100 yards with multiple touchdowns combined. However, the West Virginia defense will need to be firing on all cylinders in order to maintain the positive momentum heading into a bowl game.
West Virginia 45, Baylor 14
Mark Wratchford: West Virginia will look to get their eighth win of the season against a Baylor team that is eliminated from bowl contention and enters in with only pride to play for. As it stands, West Virginia is sitting as a 11-point favorite on the road. West Virginia is 1-4 on the road all time against Baylor. However, this is only the second time they will have faced a Baylor team that enters in with a losing record. The previous time before that, they beat Baylor 38-36 in 2017 when Baylor finished 1-11. Baylor hasn’t been good defensively this season, having bottom 10 marks in the Power Five in both run defense and tackling this season per Pro Football Focus. Running the ball is West Virginia’s strength, where they rank in the top five in the Power Five in PFF rushing grade and are coming off a 424-yard performance on the ground this past week. Baylor is coming off their best run defense performance of the season but were torched through the air in their 42-17 loss to TCU. I believe West Virginia will do whatever it takes offensively to easily take care of Baylor.
West Virginia 41, Baylor 14
Korey Moore: The Mountaineers may take a bit of a back seat after Saturday’s win against Cincinnati. The team has to travel to Waco late in the season and right in the midst of the Thanksgiving holiday. When adding that the Bears are already a lesser team and that they will be without starting quarterback Blake Shapen, it is likely that WVU will let off the gas a bit on Saturday. This may include limiting the play of those with day-to-day injuries and pushing how much the team can take from the Bears, but overall I expect the game to end in a West Virginia victory. Baylor has exhibited a formidable yet very stoppable offense this season, and without their leader in Shapen, it may be left entirely unproductive. With West Virginia’s potentially lacking motivation in mind, I predict the Bears to keep it somewhat close with the Mountaineers, but their minimized threat in the run game alongside a brand new quarterback will make it hard for them to win, even if their below-average defense is successful in holding WVU below their typical standards.
West Virginia 27, Baylor 14
Bryce Cohen: West Virginia concludes their 2023 regular season with a road game against Baylor in Waco, Texas. Baylor sits at 2-6 in conference play with their only wins coming over UCF and Cincinnati. I predict the Mountaineers will have another successful game on the ground, accumulating over 300 yards between Garrett Greene, CJ Donaldson and Jahiem White. Mountaineers will win and finish their regular season 8-4.
West Virginia 38, Baylor 17
