Houston is sitting pretty at #17 in the College Football Playoff rankings, 6-2 overall and 3-2 in the Big 12, heading into a November that could make or break their season. Yeah, they’re bowl eligible, which is a solid achievement, but safety Jordan Allen flat out said it: “We’re not done yet. We got a lot of things we still want to accomplish.” This team has its sights set way higher than just a bowl game.
This Is The Sequel, And We All Know How The First Movie Ended
If you’re a Houston fan, you’ve seen this script before, and you probably didn’t like the ending. Just last year, the Cougars rolled into November with a sweet 7-1 record, ranked #22, and looking like legit Big 12 contenders. Then? Boom. Upset at home by West Virginia, another L to TCU a couple of weeks later, and they limped to a tied-for-fourth finish. It was a gut punch. Now, it’s November again, and UH is facing a similar situation. But here’s the kicker: their November record since joining the Big 12 in 2023? A rough 4-8. That’s not just a slump, that’s a pattern, and it’s gotta change *now*.
The frustration isn’t just in past Novembers, it’s been bubbling all season. Their two losses this year, against #15 Texas Tech and #3 Utah, were by a combined 10 points. They couldn’t hold a double-digit lead against Texas Tech, falling an inch short of forcing overtime. Then against Utah, a costly turnover in the final two minutes sealed their fate. Allen nailed it when he said, “Everything is critical. It’s a game of inches. We lost a game because of a game of inches.” He’s right. If they want to be “the best team we can be,” they have to clean that up, fast.
Healed Up And Ready To Run The Gauntlet
Good news for the Cougars: they’re coming off an open week and are “as healthy as they’ve been in more than a month,” according to coach Willie Fritz. Linebacker Jaden Yates and nose guard De’Marion Thomas are back from injuries. Tight end Patrick Overmyer used the break to recover from an upper-body injury that knocked him out against Utah. Fritz put it simply: “We’re healed.” They’ll need every ounce of that fresh energy, because the Big 12 is an absolute shark tank. Utah is the only unbeaten team left, followed by one-loss BYU and Texas Tech. Houston is jammed in with Arizona, Oklahoma State, and Baylor as the four two-loss teams still fighting it out. “This is a great league,” Fritz said, “There’s no gimmies. Everybody is good. You better be ready to play or you’re going to get your butt kicked.” This league demands your A-game every single snap.
This Saturday, UH is back home at TDECU Stadium, kicking off at 2:30 p.m. on Fox, to face Cincinnati. The Bearcats are 5-3 overall and 2-3 in the Big 12, and they’ve played the fifth-toughest schedule in FBS, with their opponents rocking a .702 winning percentage. Houston’s schedule isn’t much easier, ranking eighth-toughest at .684. Cincinnati is a real enigma, too, upsetting Texas Tech by two touchdowns one week and then getting stomped by Utah by 24 points the next. After Cincinnati, Houston hits the road for back-to-back games against Colorado and West Virginia, before wrapping up the regular season at home against Baylor. This November stretch is make-or-break time, and every single inch truly matters. Can they finally finish?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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