Latest bowl game projections for West Virginia

Posted: Oct 2, 2023 / 02:46 PM EDT

Updated: Oct 2, 2023 / 02:46 PM EDT

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Five games into the 2023 regular season, and West Virginia is 4-1. The Mountaineers are undefeated in Big 12 play, and are coming off a 24-21 road victory over TCU.

As the season nears its midway point, WVU is already two-thirds of the way to achieving bowl eligibility for the first time since 2021 and the third time under Neal Brown.

Here are the latest bowl game projections with the Mountaineers appearing headed for the postseason:

247Sports – Liberty Bowl: Brad Crawford is projecting West Virginia to face Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 29. The two programs have never faced one another on the gridiron.

Athlon Sports – Liberty Bowl: This site also projects West Virginia to play its postseason game in Memphis, but against a different SEC opponent. Athlon Sports has WVU taking on Kentucky. WVU and UK have not squared off on the gridiron since 1983 when they faced one another in the Hall of Fame Classic Bowl. The Mountaineers won that game 20-16.

CBS Sports – Birmingham Bowl: CBS is projecting Neal Brown’s crew to take on South Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 23 in Alabama. WVU and USC have played one another in two bowl games previously, with the most recent postseason meeting being in 1995 at the Carquest Bowl in Miami.

College Football Network – Pop-Tarts Bowl: Bring on the Pop-Tarts Bowl! This site projects WVU will play in one of the trendier new bowl games in recent years. In this projection, the Mountaineers would face off against former Big East foe Louisville for the first time since 2011. The Pop-Tarts Bowl is scheduled for Dec. 28 at 5:45 p.m. ET in Orlando, Florida.

ESPN – TaxAct Texas Bowl: Both ESPN reporters used in projections have West Virginia playing in the TaxAct Texas Bowl on Dec. 27 at 9 p.m. ET in Houston. However, they have the Mountaineers taking on different opponents. One ESPN projection has WVU facing Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M, while the other has Brown and Co. taking on Brian Kelly and LSU. West Virginia faced the Aggies in the Liberty Bowl in 2014, and last played against LSU in Morgantown in 2011.

Here is the list of bowl games with direct Big 12 tie-ins: