The College Football Playoff (CFP) era, which began in the 2014 season, has reshaped the postseason landscape, but West Virginia football has not found it particularly favorable.
With the upcoming expansion of the CFP to twelve teams in 2024, WVU hopes to thrive in the revamped Big 12, especially with the departures of powerhouse programs Oklahoma and Texas. Despite these ambitions, their performance since the CFP’s inception has been less than stellar.
Over the past decade, the Mountaineers have only finished in the final Top 25 poll twice. Among the 70 current Power Four conference schools (including Washington State, Oregon State, and Notre Dame), 34 have more Top 25 finishes, including six current Big 12 schools and the two departing schools. Additionally, two Group of Five programs, Boise State and Navy, have outperformed WVU in this regard.
WVU has appeared in the CFP polls just 14 times, ranking ninth among the current 16 Big 12 schools. Thirty-eight power conference programs, as well as Boise State and Memphis, have more appearances.
Both of WVU’s final poll appearances occurred under former coach Dana Holgorsen. Current coach Neal Brown has yet to achieve a CFP Top 25 finish, though he came close with a 9-4 record last fall. Looking ahead to 2024, WVU aims to capitalize on a Big 12 without its historically dominant teams and leverage a roster filled with returning talent to change their narrative and secure a long-awaited Top 25 finish.
