Eleven days are all that stand between West Virginia and the start of the 2026 season. The Mountaineers have a somewhat favorable start to the year, but have a challenging stretch spanning from late October to the end of November.To give you a better idea of how I view WVU's schedule, I'm going to hand out some superlatives.Must-Win: vs. CincinnatiJan 2, 2026; Memphis, TN, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Scott Satterfield reacts during the second quarter against the Navy Midshipmen at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThe Mountaineers have had a ton of success against the Bearcats over the years, and to keep the train on the tracks, this is one they absolutely have to get. Cincinnati is extremely inexperienced and has major question marks at key positions. With all due respect to Cincy, facing this offense will be a breeze in the park compared to what WVU sees the week before with Arizona.Swing Game: vs. VirginiaDec 27, 2025; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott looks on from the sideline during the third quarter against the Missouri Tigers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectBy "swing game," this result could tip the season in one direction or the other. If West Virginia loses this one, it could be an uphill battle to get to bowl eligibility. If they win, they will be 3-0 and return home for the Big 12 opener, giving them a chance to get on a roll. This will be the first true measuring stick game for this team.Toughest Stretch: at Texas Tech, vs. Kansas, vs. Houston, at UtahTexas Tech head coach Joey McGuire walks the field during football practice, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, at the Womble Football Center. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectIt's critically important for West Virginia to string together some wins throughout the first half of the season because once they enter November, the difficulty increases tremendously. I typically like to limit the toughest stretch to three games, but there was no way to go about it because of where Kansas was positioned. Texas Tech, Houston, and Utah are all ranked in the preseason AP Top 25, and assuming all goes well, each should be vying for a spot in Dallas at the end of the year.Trap Game: at Iowa StateIowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers talks to his guests before the university’s football open practice at Johnny Majors practice field on August 8, 2026, in Ames, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectI could have put this under "must-win," but it's hard to label a road game that, especially given how challenging a place Jack Trice is to play in. The Cyclones are the near-consensus pick to finish dead last in the Big 12, and it's easy to just assume the Mountaineers will go in and get a win. As we've witnessed over the years, this place can be a house of horrors for opposing teams, no matter how good or bad Iowa State is. WVU may enter this game 3-1 or 4-0 and could think it has an easy win before returning home for two. Rich Rod will need his guys to be locked in for this one.Toughest Road Environment: at UtahNov 9, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes fans react after a play against the Brigham Young Cougars during the second quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConnectIowa State could have gone here too for the reasons listed above, but man, Rice Eccles is an incredibly tough place to play, especially at night. Over the last ten years, the Utes are 47-13 (.783) at home. They don't lose on their home turf often. Add in that it's the final game of the regular season, on Black Friday, and they could be playing for a spot in the Big 12 title game...yeah, this is not going to be an easy environment for the Mountaineers to walk into.Best Chance at an Upset: vs. HoustonNov 1, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Willie Fritz talks to an official while playing against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the second half at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThis will be the final home game of the season for West Virginia, and while the Cougars are extremely talented, this is a team WVU beat a year ago on the road with less talent. A better roster for WVU, plus the home crowd behind them, should give them a shot to pull off the upset. I'm not saying they will, but it's sure as heck more likely than taking down Texas Tech on the road.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow