New Bowl Projections Have WVU Facing an Old Rival Who is Having a Bad Season

One of West Virginia’s oldest, and most lopsided, rivalries could be revived a little early if 247Sports’ newest bowl projections bear fruit.

Updated college football bowl projections for every game: https://t.co/S4E5qhFnpR pic.twitter.com/hSTaNqsOxJ

— 247Sports (@247Sports) November 15, 2020

In their week 12 projections, 247Sports has WVU (5-3, 4-3 Big 12) playing Penn State (0-4 Big Ten) in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl on Dec. 26.

The Mountaineers and Nittany Lions have played one another 59 times with PSU holding a decisive 48-9-2 record. The two played every season from 1940-1992 but have not met on the gridiron since. The two are scheduled to renew the rivalry with a home-and-home series in 2023 and 2024, but meeting in a bowl game could bring the rivalry back earlier than scheduled.

The Nittany Lions were a preseason top-10 ranked team, but have fallen to an 0-4 start this season, losing to previously winless Nebraska Saturday. Despite being winless this season, PSU could possibly make a bowl game because the NCAA waived all requirements for bowl games this season.

WVSN partner site Nittany Sports Now has full coverage of the PSU football team this season, including the recent speculation that football coach James Franklin could be heading to USC after this season and if now is time to bench quarterback Sean Clifford.

WATCH: This is a Bad PSU Team, And It’s Ridiculous the Squad is Never Ready to Play Early in Games

SportingNews’ bowl projections also have WVU playing in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, but against the Michigan Wolverines instead. WVU and Michigan have only played once before, a 130-0 Michigan victory in 1904.