The 2021 football schedule is out and it looks as follows:
Sept. 4 at Maryland
Sept. 11 Long Island
Sept. 18 Virginia Tech
Sept. 25 at Oklahoma
Oct. 2 Texas Tech
Oct. 9 at Baylor
Oct. 23 at TCU
Oct. 30 Iowa State
Nov. 6 Oklahoma State
Nov. 13 at Kansas State
Nov. 20 Texas
Nov. 27 at Kansas
--First of all, West Virginia has to open on the road at Maryland, which we already knew would be the case outside of some major shifting to put a Big 12 Conference game at the head of the schedule. It is the first time that the Mountaineers have opened in a true road game since 2005 at Syracuse, a 15-7 win. They've had neutral site games during that time such as Alabama in Atlanta (2014), Virginia Tech in Washington, D.C. (2017) and Tennessee in Charlotte (2018) but it's the first true road game in quite a while.
--This has a very regional feel in the non-conference West Virginia will renew the series with Maryland (28-22-2 all-time), the first game since 2015 and then play host to Virginia Tech (28-23-1 all-time) for the first time since the 2005 season. It will be only the second meeting between the Black Diamond Trophy rivals since that game with the only other in a neutral site meeting in 2017. These are the non-conference schedules that fans have asked for and this 2021 edition delivers.
--Of course sandwiched between those two long-time regional rivals is an FCS game with Long Island. If West Virginia can start off on the right foot in College Park they will almost assuredly be 2-0 to start the year with a winnable home game against Virginia Tech next.
--West Virginia gets no breaks to start conference play as the Mountaineers lost a home game with Oklahoma last year due to the pandemic and starts off the Big 12 slate on the road against the overwhelming favorite in the league. If anything, at least you catch them early in the season but that one is going to be very tough regardless. It's the second straight year that West Virginia has opened Big 12 play on the road after going to Oklahoma State last year. West Virginia also opened conference play on the road at Oklahoma in 2013. The Mountaineers have yet to beat the Sooners.
--West Virginia then gets Texas Tech at home, which is a winnable game the next week. That will lead into consecutive road games although the Mountaineers do get a bye between the two dates. They will head to Baylor and then get an off week to prepare for TCU. The Horned Frogs won't have that same off-week to prepare because they are due to travel to Oklahoma the week before. That could end up being something critical to watch.
--After that, it's a pair of home games in back-to-back weeks the second and only other time it'll occur all season. West Virginia will host Iowa State the day before Halloween and then Oklahoma State the following weekend with neither team getting a bye before the Mountaineers play them. Weirdly enough, nobody is scheduled to have a bye before they play the Mountaineers.
--Things finish up with a date in Morgantown against Texas sandwiched in between trips to Kansas State and the season finale against Kansas.
--All in all, the start is rough but West Virginia does not have consecutive road games on the schedule despite the 6/6 split in back-to-back weeks. Yes, the Mountaineers will have to play two road games but the bye serves as a buffer there between the trips to Baylor and TCU. I don't think this is an unfair slate at all and West Virginia is going to have a chance to take a step forward if it can take care of business. Not bad for a year with a scheduled road out of conference game and the 4/5 split home-away in the league.
--Every game is scheduled for Saturday. I always think that's a win.
--Opening up at Oklahoma is going to be tough, but that was going to be difficult regardless of where it was on the schedule. The good news is that games against other projected top teams such as Iowa State, Texas and Oklahoma State will all be at home. The other 'daunting' road trip at least on paper is TCU.
Sept. 4 at Maryland
Sept. 11 Long Island
Sept. 18 Virginia Tech
Sept. 25 at Oklahoma
Oct. 2 Texas Tech
Oct. 9 at Baylor
Oct. 23 at TCU
Oct. 30 Iowa State
Nov. 6 Oklahoma State
Nov. 13 at Kansas State
Nov. 20 Texas
Nov. 27 at Kansas
--First of all, West Virginia has to open on the road at Maryland, which we already knew would be the case outside of some major shifting to put a Big 12 Conference game at the head of the schedule. It is the first time that the Mountaineers have opened in a true road game since 2005 at Syracuse, a 15-7 win. They've had neutral site games during that time such as Alabama in Atlanta (2014), Virginia Tech in Washington, D.C. (2017) and Tennessee in Charlotte (2018) but it's the first true road game in quite a while.
--This has a very regional feel in the non-conference West Virginia will renew the series with Maryland (28-22-2 all-time), the first game since 2015 and then play host to Virginia Tech (28-23-1 all-time) for the first time since the 2005 season. It will be only the second meeting between the Black Diamond Trophy rivals since that game with the only other in a neutral site meeting in 2017. These are the non-conference schedules that fans have asked for and this 2021 edition delivers.
--Of course sandwiched between those two long-time regional rivals is an FCS game with Long Island. If West Virginia can start off on the right foot in College Park they will almost assuredly be 2-0 to start the year with a winnable home game against Virginia Tech next.
--West Virginia gets no breaks to start conference play as the Mountaineers lost a home game with Oklahoma last year due to the pandemic and starts off the Big 12 slate on the road against the overwhelming favorite in the league. If anything, at least you catch them early in the season but that one is going to be very tough regardless. It's the second straight year that West Virginia has opened Big 12 play on the road after going to Oklahoma State last year. West Virginia also opened conference play on the road at Oklahoma in 2013. The Mountaineers have yet to beat the Sooners.
--West Virginia then gets Texas Tech at home, which is a winnable game the next week. That will lead into consecutive road games although the Mountaineers do get a bye between the two dates. They will head to Baylor and then get an off week to prepare for TCU. The Horned Frogs won't have that same off-week to prepare because they are due to travel to Oklahoma the week before. That could end up being something critical to watch.
--After that, it's a pair of home games in back-to-back weeks the second and only other time it'll occur all season. West Virginia will host Iowa State the day before Halloween and then Oklahoma State the following weekend with neither team getting a bye before the Mountaineers play them. Weirdly enough, nobody is scheduled to have a bye before they play the Mountaineers.
--Things finish up with a date in Morgantown against Texas sandwiched in between trips to Kansas State and the season finale against Kansas.
--All in all, the start is rough but West Virginia does not have consecutive road games on the schedule despite the 6/6 split in back-to-back weeks. Yes, the Mountaineers will have to play two road games but the bye serves as a buffer there between the trips to Baylor and TCU. I don't think this is an unfair slate at all and West Virginia is going to have a chance to take a step forward if it can take care of business. Not bad for a year with a scheduled road out of conference game and the 4/5 split home-away in the league.
--Every game is scheduled for Saturday. I always think that's a win.
--Opening up at Oklahoma is going to be tough, but that was going to be difficult regardless of where it was on the schedule. The good news is that games against other projected top teams such as Iowa State, Texas and Oklahoma State will all be at home. The other 'daunting' road trip at least on paper is TCU.
