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The West Virginia Mountaineers are back home for the first time in nearly a month as they look to get back in the win column and pick up their 12th all-time win over the Kansas Jayhawks.
WVU nearly pulled off the upset of the weekend in college football a week ago at No. 15 Texas Tech, but didn't make the plays down the stretch in the fourth quarter to finish the job and flew back to Morgantown with extreme disappointment.
Kansas experienced similar feelings, giving up the game-winning touchdown and extra point to UCF as the clock expired.
So, which team will get the bounce-back win this Saturday?
According to the ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) matchup predictor, the Mountaineers have a 53.8% chance of getting back in the win column, which would clinch them a spot in a bowl game. Meanwhile, the Jayhawks have a 46.2% chance of getting the win, and if they do, it would be their first victory away from Lawrence this season.
For the first time in a long time, I actually think the predictor is pretty spot on here. While the Jayhawks have struggled to win games this season, they are not your typical 3-6 football team. It doesn't take long to realize that when you flip the tape on. They have playmakers at the skill positions on offense and have two of the best pass rushers in all of college football: Leroy Harris III and David Santiago.
With the way West Virginia has played defensively, there is no such thing as a sure win for this team. Just like there is no such thing as a sure loss, because of how elite the offense has been. At this point, it feels like every game the Mountaineers play could end up being a shootout where the team that gets the last stop wins the game.
Kansas may have lost in heartbreaking fashion last week, but so did WVU. And while there is no reason for the Mountaineers to look ahead, it could be easy for these guys to see the 3-6 record that Kansas has and not give it the respect it deserves. So giving the slightest edge to the home team, who are more explosive on offense, makes sense.