#12 West Virginia @ #15 Texas

Who will WIN this matchup?

#12 West Virginia Mountaineers (6-1)

@ #15 Texas Longhorns (6-2)

Current odds:

West Virginia Mountaineers: (+110)

Texas Longhorns: (-130)

• The line for this game is Texas by 2 points.

• Texas had a clear path to the Big 12 title but could not quite come through with the game on the line last week. The 15th-ranked Longhorns will try to bounce back and stay in the driver’s seat for a spot in the Big 12 championship game when they host No. 10 West Virginia on Saturday. Texas has held four of its previous five opponents under 20 points but surrendered 31 in the first half alone at Oklahoma State last weekend and suffered its first conference loss, 38-35.

• That loss dropped Texas into a three-way battle for first place in the Big 12 with Oklahoma and the Mountaineers, who each enter the week with one loss. West Virginia bounced back from its 30-14 setback at Iowa State by blasting Baylor 58-14 at home last week and owns the toughest remaining schedule among the three schools, with a trip to Oklahoma State and home dates against TCU and Oklahoma still on the schedule after visiting the Longhorns.

• The Mountaineers have scored at least 35 points in each of their six victories and looked like a dominant offense against Baylor as quarterback Will Grier threw for three TDs and rushed for another. Grier has racked up at least 332 passing yards in each of the six wins but was held to 100 on 11-of-15 passing in the loss at Iowa State on Oct. 13. “The thing I liked about it is we had a whole bunch of people touch the ball,” West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen told reporters of Grier’s performance against Baylor. “There were a lot of guys that went in there and touched the ball. (Grier’s) spreading the ball around a lot. He did a good job of preparing all week and made a lot of good checks at the line of scrimmage, which is one thing that he does great.”

• Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger bounced back from a shoulder injury to throw for two touchdowns and rush for two more in last week’s loss at Oklahoma State, but Herman would like to take some pressure off his signal-caller. “We are going to have to run the football. There’s no doubt,” Herman told reporters. “The best way to stop an offense like West Virginia’s is keep them off the field and don’t let them get started. But we’ve also got to score points, too.” Ehlinger owns eight of Texas’ 14 rushing TDs on the season and top running back Keaontay Ingram (455 yards, two TDs) was limited to 52 yards on 11 carries in the loss to Oklahoma State.

• Texas LB Malcolm Roach (broken foot) is participating in portions of practice this week but is not expected to return until at least Nov. 10.

• West Virginia WR David Sill V is tied for second in school history with 29 TD receptions (Stedman Bailey, 41).

• The schools have split the last six meetings, with the Longhorns earning a 28-14 win at the Mountaineers last season.