ESPN FPI Predicts Frisco Bowl Between West Virginia and Memphis

West Virginia is looking to avoid a losing season. Here's what the ESPN computers see happening in the Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl.

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In roughly 48 hours, the final game of West Virginia's disappointing 2024 season will get underway as they take on the Memphis Tigers in the Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl.

What the FPI says this week

According to the ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) matchup predictor, West Virginia has a 47% chance to win while Memphis has a 53% chance.

West Virginia enters this matchup with a lot of question marks. Chad Scott takes over the head coaching and offensive play-calling duties in the interim, and how he operates the offense may have some slight differences from that of the recently fired Neal Brown. This isn't a game that WVU necessarily hoped to be in, considering they believed they had the talent to make it to the Big 12 championship game back in August. How locked in are they? How excited are they to be playing in this game? Time will tell.

Meanwhile, Memphis is aiming for its 11th win of the season, and by doing so, it would mark just the second time in program history they've reached at least 11 wins. They, too, probably were hoping for a much more attractive bowl destination, but they have a chance to go down as one of the best teams in program history.

Are the percentages for this week right?

Right on the money, in my humble opinion. It's hard to truly gauge who is interested in this game, or any bowl outside of the College Football Playoff for that matter, but I do expect both teams to be ready to go, providing an exciting back-and-forth affair. Because of West Virginia's defensive deficiencies, I'd have to agree that giving Memphis the slight edge makes sense. The Tigers have one of the best run defenses in the country, and if the Mountaineers can't get their ground game going, it could be a long day for Chad Scott's crew.

How accurate has the FPI been predicting West Virginia games this year?

The FPI correctly predicted eight of West Virginia's regular season games. The four it got wrong? Oklahoma State, Cincinnati, Baylor, and UCF.

The Mountaineers and Tigers will tee it up at 9 p.m. EST on Tuesday, airing on ESPN.

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