Big 12
Does Neal Brown Believe WVU vs. Cincinnati Can Become Big 12 Rivalry?
Is it possible WVU and Cincinnati could develop a rivalry due to their Big East history and close geographic proximity compared to the rest of the Big 12? Well, West Virginia head coach Neal Brown doesn’t know if that will happen, but he’s all for playing the game every year to try and find out.
Brown said as much when asked directly about if he hopes the Mountaineers and Bearcats find a conference rival in each other.
“You can’t manufacture it, you gotta make it on the field. But I think it’s a game that should be played every single year.”
But unfortunately for fans of both teams, that’s not a reality. West Virginia and Cincinnati will not meet in 2025 after playing in both of the Bearcats’ first two Big 12 seasons.
WVU owns a commanding historical edge in the all-time series between the two schools separated by about four hours. West Virginia is 17-3-1 all-time against Cincinnati. However, the odds suggest that may change this season.
With both teams coming off bye weeks and looking to close the season on a high note, oddsmakers view WVU as a slight underdog when they travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bearcats.
On Sunday, DraftKings and FanDuel opened their Week 11 lines with Cincinnati as a 3.5-point favorite over the Mountaineers. For other major sportsbooks, Circa Sports is even more confident in the Bearcats with them at -4.
WVU enters the matchup at 4-4 (3-2, Big 12) while Cincinnati stands at 5-3 (3-2, Big 12).
In the first ever meeting between the schools as Big 12 foes, West Virginia beat Cincinnati 42-21 in convincing fashion in Morgantown during the 2023 season.
West Virginia’s roller coaster ride also continued on the ESPN FPI (Football Power Index) even while enjoying a week off. Despite being on a bye week, ESPN’s calculations treated WVU almost as if they lost anyway.
The Mountaineer fell six spots, dropping from 48 back out of the top 50 to 54. WVU’s next opponent also experienced a dip, granted not as severe as what happened to West Virginia. The Bearcats are now at No. 40.
