How West Virginia Can Make the College Football Playoff

2024 will mark the first time in program history that the Mountaineers will participate in the CFP if...

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Making it to the College Football Playoff in year's past was an almost impossible feat for a program like West Virginia. Only four teams punched a ticket and you had to win the Big 12 with one loss or an unblemished record to even have a chance. Posting that type of record is a tough thing to do even when you schedule favorably. It's even more of a challenge when you play five Power Five (now Power Four) opponents every year like the Mountaineers have.

The non-conference schedule remains challenging with a season-opener against soon-to-be top-10 Penn State, a good FCS Albany team, and Pitt in the Backyard Brawl on the road. The Big 12 also didn't do the Mountaineers any favors as they'll face five of the teams picked to finish in the top six in thier first five league games.

It won't come easy, but WVU can find a way to reach the CFP. Here's how.

Finish Top 50 in total defense

You would think there would be some sort of pattern with teams playing high level defense to earn a spot in the CFP. That hasn't always been the case. Oklahoma (105th in 2018), TCU (93rd in 2022) and Washington (92nd in 2023) are the perfect examples of that. However, those teams had elite offenses to compensate for it. West Virginia's offense is good, but are they elite? I don't know that I'd go that far. Last season, the Mountaineers finished 71st in total defense allowing 393.2 yards per game. With the pieces they've added and more experience in the linebacking unit, it's not unreasonable to think they can jump up 20+ spots in 2024. Doing so will take some of the load off the offense and give them more of an opportunity to win games when the offense has an off day.

Enhanced passing game

Garrett Greene had a rock solid first year as the full-time starting quarterback, but it was far from perfect. Some of that could be attributed to the ankle injury he suffered early in the year, but a lot of it was mechanical. His footwork and drops were inconsistent which led to some of his errant passes in the short and intermediate passing game. He has to get that completion percentage up to around 60% or better. If he can, the sky is the limit for this offense.

Protect Mountaineer Field

As daunting as the schedule may appear, the good news is most of West Virginia's toughest games are in Morgantown. The'll have to face Oklahoma State and Arizona on the road, but if they're able to grab at least one win there, it should put them in a good spot...assuming they take care of business at home. Since the start of the 2020 season, Neal Brown has a record of 17-6 (.739).

Main objective: Get to Big 12 title game

Don't be surprised to see a three-loss team in the playoff. In the previous format, there wasn't even a two-loss team selected throughout its lifespan. Heck, if you're in the SEC, you could probably find a way to get in with as many as four losses, depending on who you are. Because of the overall depth of the Big 12, it should be a league that is well-respected throughout the season. I wouldn't bet on the Mountaineers to win the Big 12 regular season title because others in the conference have a much easier road. However, all they have to do is finish in the top two for a spot in Dallas. An appearance in the Big 12 title game will go a long way in strengthening the resume. What you do there is as equally important.

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