ESPN's FPI Matchup Predictor Gives Slight Edge in West Virginia-Baylor Clash

The Football Power Index expects a tight one between the Mountaineers and Bears.

West Virginia University running back Jahiem White / Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

Meaningful football in November is what every college football team in the country wants to experience and every game from here on out means the world to the West Virginia Mountaineers.

WVU is currently tied for third place in the Big 12 with a 4-2 record, and although they need some help, they are still in the mix to appear in the conference championship game and will continue to be as long as they win out.

Baylor is looking to play spoiler as they come to Mountaineer Field on a three-game winning streak, picking up wins over Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, and TCU. Fortunately for West Virginia, history is on their side. The Mountaineers are a perfect 6-0 against the Bears when playing in Morgantown and Baylor head coach Dave Aranda has won just once in four tries against the Old Gold and Blue.

What the Football Power Index says

According to the ESPN FPI, West Virginia has a 52.9% chance to win while Baylor has a 47.1% chance to walk out of Morgantown victorious.

This split seems about right. Baylor has been red-hot on offense since Sawyer Robertson took over at quarterback, but their defense has allowed a ton of points in conference play. Over 35 per game as a matter of fact.

For West Virginia, the big unknown is who will get the start at quarterback. Nicco Marchiol is 2-0 as the starter while filling in for Garrett Greene and is undefeated in his collegiate career when playing as the starter. WVU can win with either quarterback under center as long as they take care of the football and the defense doesn't allow multiple explosive plays.

How accurate is the Football Power Index this season?

There have been years where the ESPN FPI has been way off when it comes to predicting the outcomes of West Virginia's games. This year, however, it's been pretty spot on, correctly predicting seven of the Mountaineers' first nine games of the season. The only two the matchup predictor picked incorrectly were Oklahoma State and last week against Cincinnati. The FPI didn't see the Mountaineers picking up road wins against the Cowboys and Bearcats.

If the FPI holds true once again, then West Virginia fans will be leaving Milan Puskar Stadium in a pretty good mood on Saturday evening.

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