Just a few weeks ago, West Virginia had a shot at the College Football Playoff. With their only two losses coming to Alabama and Oklahoma in competitive games, the Mountaineers began to build a resume with convincing wins over Baylor and Oklahoma State. After a heartbreaking one-point loss to TCU, West Virginia is now out of that picture but can still make noise within the conference. It will have a chance to do so against struggling Texas on Saturday afternoon.
How to watch West Virginia vs. Texas: Game guide, TV schedule, streaming, odds
Can Texas salvage its bowl hopes?
The Longhorns have a small chance of making a bowl game in Charlie Strong’s first year with the team, needing two wins out of their next three games (West Virginia, at Oklahoma State, TCU) to accomplish the feat. Their three conference wins have come against the three worst teams in the Big 12 (Kansas, Iowa State, Texas Tech), and their only non-conference win was against 2-6 North Texas.
West Virginia has those two big conference wins under its belt, and a narrow road victory over Maryland standing as its only other triumph over a bowl team. There’s a likely win left on the schedule in Iowa State, but in between this game and that one comes a tough home date with Kansas State. The Mountaineers could still finish strong this season, but a win Saturday will go a long way.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 3:30 p.m. ET.
TV: Fox Sports 1.
Online streaming: Fox Sports GO.
Our blogs on these schools
The numbers
Rankings and records: West Virginia is No. 23 in the Playoff rankings, No. 24 in the AP Top 25 and No. 25 in the Coaches Poll. Texas is not ranked in any of the polls. The Mountaineers are 6-3, with a 4-2 record in Big 12 play, and the Longhorns are 4-5 with a 3-3 conference record. West Virginia holds a 2-1 lead in the all-time series.
Vegas: West Virginia opened as a 5.5-point favorite. The line has since dropped to 3. The over/under is 51.5 points.
Weather forecast: High of 71 and partly cloudy.
Two things at stake
A loss for Texas would require wins against Oklahoma State and TCU to make a bowl game.
A loss for West Virginia would turn what was once a potential Playoff season into a likely 7-5 year.
One big matchup
Kevin White vs. Texas secondary. West Virginia's star wide receiver has been held to fewer than 30 yards in consecutive games, the only times this season he's failed to accumulate 100. The Longhorns have already faced two of the best receivers in the Big 12, with disparate results. They held Baylor's KD Cannon to one reception for 8 yards, but allowed eight catches for 103 yards to Kansas State's Tyler Lockett.
Further reading
For more on Texas, check out Barking Carnival and Burnt Orange Nation. For West Virginia coverage, head over to The Smoking Musket.
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