After a disappointing start to Rich Rodriguez's return to West Virginia with a 4-8 season, the Mountaineers are hoping to do more than just make a bowl game. Sure, getting to six wins would be a step in the right direction, but this staff believes it's capable of accomplishing more.With so much uncertainty surrounding the roster, I'm honestly surprised a few other outlets are even projecting the Mountaineers to make a bowl game. All you've heard this offseason about the Mountaineers on a national scale is how this is going to be a continuation of the struggles they endured last fall.After a quick browse this morning, I came across three projections for the Mountaineers, which inspired me to make my own projection.Projections from other outletsAthlon Sports: Independence Bowl vs. Kennesaw StateCBS Sports: Independence Bowl vs. TulaneCollege Football News: Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl vs. ArmyOur preseason projection: Cactus Bowl vs. NebraskaWVU Athletics CommunicationsEarlier this week, I released my game-by-game picks and had the Mountaineers finishing the 2026 season with a 7-5 record, going 5-4 in Big 12 Conference play. This team has more than enough talent to take advantage of a fairly manageable start to the season, but the lack of depth will begin to show later in the year when they go through that challenging five-game stretch to end the year, where they will play some of the top teams in the league.The team I'm projecting West Virginia to play, Nebraska, has a very similar look to their schedule. There's a good chance they open the year 5-0, getting wins over Ohio, Bowling Green, North Dakota, Michigan State, and Maryland, but then things ramp up with games against Indiana, Oregon, Washington, and Illinois. Not to mention, they will end the year with Ohio State and Iowa. While the Cornhuskers may take a step, they have a difficult schedule to navigate.Playing in the Cactus Bowl is not something West Virginia fans will be thrilled about, but I don't think anyone will be complaining with a seven-win season in year two and a chance to double their win total from 2025.Big 12 Bowl ties for 2026-27 seasonValero Alamo Bowl — Tuesday, December 29, 2026Pop-Tarts Bowl — Tuesday, December 29, 2026Kinder’s Texas Bowl — Thursday, December 31, 2026AutoZone Liberty Bowl — Saturday, January 2, 2027Cactus Bowl — Saturday, December 26, 2026Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl — Tuesday, December 22, 2026ESPN Events Pool of Games (several bowls with indirect ties)Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow