Al – This is about as clean a way to open a season as you can draw up. Coastal is dealing with a brand new coaching staff still trying to figure out its own identity, and we get them in Morgantown with a home crowd that's going to be locked in from the first snap. This is Hawkins' first game action as our guy, and I expect him to look comfortable doing it. Nothing about this one worries me. WVU

Olivia- I am not starting my first staff picks by picking against the Mountaineers at home, I think WVU starts the season off on the right foot here. With Michael Hawkins Jr. taking over at quarterback and plenty of talent around him, this is a good first game for the offense to settle in and build some confidence. Add in a packed Milan Puskar for the season opener and I don't see Coastal spoiling the day… Please don't make me regret being confident this early. WVU

Sean – Year two of RichRod 2.0 starts off with another win at home for the Mountaineers. I think Cam Cook introduces himself in style, while Michael Hawkins has WVU fans excited about what he can do leading a RichRod offense. Add in the fact that Pat White's number 5 FINALLY gets retired, I can't see WVU dropping this one. WVU

Dillon- I feel like people are treating this game like it's an FCS opponent coming to town and it makes me nervous because CCU has a tradition of success. Also, we lost to Ohio last year so this in no way an automatic win. With that said, I think having this many new players actually is a benefit here as I think they will all be locked in to impress the WVU faithful in their first opportunity. WVU

Al –  An FCS opponent at home in Week 2 is exactly what this roster needs, a chance to keep building chemistry without much resistance before the level of competition jumps. Cook and Latimer should both get heavy workloads here, and I expect this to be more about tuning up the machine than surviving a scare. WVU

Olivia- This should be another game where WVU can really get the offense going and work out any issues from Week 1. I am especially interested to see what the run game looks like with Cam Cook and Amari Latimer. WVU should be able to control this one from the start and head into the Virginia game 2-0. I say Mountaineers handle business. WVU

Sean- After what should be a fun week one I see that momentum carrying over for the Mountaineers in week two against an FCS opponent. I think Cook has an encore performance for the home crowd, while Amari Latimer shows the fanbase his exciting future in the Old Gold and Blue. I am also hoping to see some Scotty Fox Jr. action to see how he looks in his sophomore year after getting some key development in his true freshman season. WVU

Dillon – Now this one I'm willing to relax on a bit. We take care of business and get to see a ton of young talent on the field. WVU

Al – I will be in attendance at this game and this game has me a little bit on the nervous side. Because winning this game would mean a lot for our program. I'm talking about putting West Virginia back on the map. I'm talking about Michael Hawkins Junior being taken seriously. I honestly think that happens this game. I think the first two games are going to be blowouts, and if we can win this game decisively, it'll put the big 12 on notice. I expect it to be a close game in the first quarter, then I think we break away and end up winning the game easily. This game gets us in the top 20 rankings. WVU

Olivia – This is the first matchup that really has my attention. Playing at Bank of America Stadium makes it a little more interesting, but I think WVU fans will travel well and make it feel pretty close to a home game. I think Hawkins makes some big plays with his legs and WVU finds a way to pull out a close one. It might be stressful but being a WVU fan usually is, give me the Mountaineers. WVU

Sean – At a first glance, this game kind of reminds me of the week one Virginia Tech game in 2017. While this obviously isn't a rivalry, there should be a lot of eyes on this game. Virginia will be looking to gear up for another deep ACC run, while WVU will be looking to go 3-0 for the first time since 2018. If WVU wins this, you can make the argument the rebuild is further along than we thought. If they lose, it is more or less where we expect it. I expect a close game where WVU ultimately falls short, but we leave feeling confident in the direction the team is going in. UVA

Dillon – I've gone back and forth on this game 100 times in the last month. Watching Virginia just absolutely beat down NC State though made the decision a little easier for me. I think Virginia is one year ahead of us on the trajectory of their program. The average age of their offensive line is 35 (probably) and the team just has a ton of experience that is building on a great 2025 season. If this game was played at the end of the season I would pick the good guys but I think they are sharper than us at this point and give them the edge. UVA

Al – There is a lot of buzz going on with Oklahoma State, and I don't quite understand it. It's a first year coach who had success at a school that is not even FBS. People think that they are the sleeper in the conference. I actually think that this is gonna be one of the easiest games on the schedule for us. So I think we win this game in a blowout. My boat prediction for this game is that our defense scores two touchdowns and we have a special team touchdown. WVU

Olivia- Unfortunately, I have to pick against WVU eventually, and this feels like the type of game that does it. Oklahoma State has a ton of new pieces, which could either be a complete mess or somehow work immediately because, you know, college football. I think WVU keeps it close at home, but the Cowboys sneak out of Morgantown with one, I hope this pick looks incredibly stupid by Saturday night. OKST

Sean- It seems like everyone is expecting Eric Morris and Drew Metemaker to move up to a Power Four program and instantly repeat their success at North Texas. But, what if it takes a few games? Playing your first Big 12 game in front of a rowdy WVU crowd is no easy task. I think WVU wins a close one where yours truly will be in attendance for the first time since 2023! (Please win) OKSTDillon – I feel like everyone is looking at Oklahoma State as the next Indiana success story of a coach moving up to Power 4, bringing a lot of his team with him, and having instant success. I think Curt Cignetti is built different, and this will be rebuilding year for Oklahoma State. WVU

Source: Read the original article on sports.yahoo.com

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