The second run for Rich Rodriguez as head coach of the WVU football program begins on August 30, 2025. How many games will Rich Rod win in his first season back? Couz and Jonathan give you their thoughts in episode 39 of the Gold & Blue Breakdown show.

The WVU football program has been waiting on the NCAA to approve waivers for four of their incoming transfer players for 2025. The players have now sued the NCAA to try and get eligibility for the season. In this episode, Couz breaks down what this means for Rich Rodriguez and the West Virginia team. He will also give some details about the lawsuits and will reference an article from Rivals. #wvu #wvufootball #richrodriguez

Matt Baker from The Athletic joins Couz to discuss his recent article about the value of Power 4 college football teams. In the article, he ranked WVU football at #53 out of only 68 teams. Couz will ask Matt to explain the criteria used for the rankings, as well as why he rated WVU so low.

CBS Sports recently ranked all Big 12 football coaches. WVU's Rich Rodriguez came in at number 12 in those rankings. In this episode, Couz will explain why CBS Sports got it wrong. He will compare Rich Rod's resume to the coaches above him in the rankings.

Couz will also talk about the praise being heaped on WVU running back Jahiem White by media outlets, primarily PFF.

Finally, Couz will provide an update on the health of Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders. He will talk about what this means for Deion, his family, Colorado football and the Big 12.

In this episode, Couz talks about WVU football and WVU sports as a whole being ranked well below its peers in brand value. He will show data sourced from both The Athletic and CNBC and prove why Mountaineer fans should be concerned about the future of Mountaineer sports. In the second half of the show, he will talk about ways Wren Baker and the administration are combating these low value numbers.

The West Virginia Mountaineers are bringing in Rich Rodriguez to lead the football program, along with a major roster overhaul. Both of these scenarios can create a challenging season for the Mountaineers. However, in this episode, Couz will explain why he thinks the Big 12 schedule alone may be the toughest challenge facing WVU football in 2025. He will explain why each Power 4 opponent on the schedule could trip up the Mountaineers and what makes the Big 12 such a touch conference. #wvu #wvufootball #wvusports

During day two of Big 12 Media Days, WVU football coach, Rich Rodriguez, spoke about his expectations for his quarterback room in 2025. The answer has surprised many Mountaineer fans. He actually said he has three QBs who could win in the Big 12. In this episode, Couz will discuss that and give his take on whether or not that's accurate. He will also compare the career stats of the three possible starters; Nicco Marchiol, Jaylen Henderson and Max Brown. #wvu #wvufootball #richrodriguez

West Virginia football has struggled on the defensive end of the field a lot the last few seasons. With the return of Rich Rodriguez as head coach, and the hiring of Zac Alley from Oklahoma to be defensive coordinator, the Mountaineer defense should be much improved in 2025. In this episode, Couz will breakdown why he believes that's the case. He will talk about several players who could make an impact, and dive into Alley's coaching and why it should make a difference this upcoming season. #wvu #wvufootball #wvusports

The Athletic's Scott Dochterman compiled a list of the top 100 rivalries in college football. Much to the surprise of WVU and Pitt fans, the Backyard Brawl did not make the top 25 on this list. In this episode, Dochterman joins the show to explain to Couz why the heated rivalry did not make it as high as many fans expected. He will also reveal his criteria and metrics used to create his rankings. Other rivalries discussed are: The Holy War between Utah & BYU, the Territorial Cup between Arizona and Arizona State, Ohio State vs. Penn State, Iowa vs. Iowa State, and several others.

Former West Virginia quarterback, Chad Johnston, joins Couz to talk WVU football and let Mountaineer fans know what he's doing these days. Chad gives his thoughts on why he thinks Rich Rodriguez can still be successful in Morgantown. They will also talk about the scheduling model that may have made it harder for Neal Brown to win at WVU. The guys will also chat it up about former Mountaineer players returning to Morgantown, some of Chad's best memories, and much more. Be sure to stay tuned for the entire interview for Chad's insights. #wvu #wvufootball #westvirginiamountaineers