WVU football might not be in the College Football Playoff hunt, but they have reason to celebrate given the first look at the playoff committee's rankings.
The first CFP poll dropped on Tuesday night, and with it came a bright spot for the Mountaineers. The Mountaineers earned a 31-24 comeback victory in overtime against archrival Pitt earlier this season in the last edition of the Backyard Brawl until 2029. And not only did West Virginia get bragging rights with that win for the next four seasons, but they got a bit of a resume booster.
You never would have guessed it watching the Mountaineers stumble into Big 12 play with five consecutive losses, but the Panthers appear to be a legitimate contender this season as they are 7-2 overall and 5-1 in conference play. They were rewarded for that effort by being ranked No. 24 in the first set of the playoff committee's rankings. Pitt's only non-ACC loss came at the hands of the Mountaineers, and now they can claim another ranked win on the season. The Mountaineers haven't beaten any other teams in the initial rankings, but beat Houston last weekend, who was then-No. 22 in the AP Poll.
The Mountaineers will likely get a shot at another ranked win against a team in the CFP poll, as the Texas Tech Red Raiders will visit Morgantown on November 29. Tech is currently 8-1 and are ranked No. 8 in the first CFP rankings, and will provide an opportunity for the Mountaineers to pull off a massive upset to close the season.