The No. 17 Houston Cougars are back from their bye week and heading into a matchup with Cincinnati on Nov. 7 at TDECU Stadium that carries real weight for their Big 12 hopes.
Houston is also trying to end a rough stretch against the Bearcats. Cincinnati has taken the last five meetings, and the Cougars haven’t beaten them since 2016.
This one comes with a built-in comparison point, too. Both teams have already faced Texas Tech, but the results were very different. Cincinnati handled the Red Raiders 37-24, while Houston fell 28-26 after quarterback Conner Weigman tried to scramble into the end zone for a two-point conversion and came up short.
That Cincinnati win matters because Texas Tech was No. 8 at the time. It’s a clear sign the Bearcats can play with a team in Houston’s position, and the Cougars have to approach this like they’re facing a ranked opponent.
The biggest danger for Houston starts on the ground. Cincinnati ranks second in the Big 12 in rushing yards per game at 229.4, and running back Cole Tabb is the engine. He has 752 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, and he’s been rolling lately with three straight games of at least 100 yards and a touchdown.
His best outing came against Texas Tech, when he ran for 173 yards and a score.
Houston’s run defense has some work to do after Utah piled up more than 200 total rushing yards. The Cougars have dropped to No. 21 nationally against the run, allowing 100.5 yards per game.
Stopping Tabb is the assignment. If Houston lets him put up anything close to what he did against Texas Tech, the Cougars’ grip on the Big 12 race gets a lot looser.
Cincinnati can hurt teams through the air, too. Quarterback JC French IV has thrown for 1,773 yards and 13 touchdowns while completing 67% of his passes. His biggest statistical game came against West Virginia, when he passed for 389 yards and three touchdowns.
Houston’s pass defense has not been nearly as sturdy, allowing 257.4 passing yards per game, which ranks fourth-worst in the conference. That means the Cougars need the back end to hold up if the front seven does its job against the run.
There is a turnover opportunity here as well. French has thrown three interceptions over the last two games, so if Houston can slow Tabb and force Cincinnati into passing situations, chances should open up.
The Cougars have four regular-season games left: Cincinnati, Colorado, West Virginia and Baylor. The next two weeks are especially tricky, with road trips to Colorado and West Virginia following this one.
A win Saturday would do more than break Cincinnati’s streak. It would keep Houston on track for the conference championship game.
In Other News...
Houston Showed One Early Edge Fans Will Notice Right Away
The No. 10 Cougars opened their 2026-27 season with a lopsided win over La Salle, and the first thing fans will notice is how quickly Houston looked in control. Senior point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. set the tone with 16 points, while freshman center Arafan Diane added 10 in a debut that gave the Cougars another early glimpse of depth inside.
Houston also had a brief scare when Chase McCarty went down after a hard hit to the knee, a moment that briefly shifted attention away from the scoreline. Kelvin Sampson later indicated the issue does not appear serious, and the Cougars now turn to California in the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic with the opener already offering an early reminder of how much balance this roster can bring. [Read more 🡒]
Houstons Bye Week May Have Changed Everything For This Stretch Run
Houstons bye week came at a good time, and Willie Fritz sounded encouraged about where the Cougars stand coming out of it. During his weekly press conference, the coach said the break gave the team a chance to heal up after a run of injuries, with several important contributors back on the practice field as Houston turns its attention to the stretch run.
The timing matters because these are the kinds of players who can reshape how the Cougars look on both sides of the ball. Tight end Patrick Overmyer, quarterback Conner Weigman, linebacker Jaden Yates and defensive tackle DeMarion Thomas all had been sidelined by injuries in earlier games, and getting them back into the mix gives Houston a much healthier foundation as it heads into the next part of the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Houstons First CFP Ranking Could Change The Willie Fritz Conversation
Houston has spent enough of the season building a rsum that feels sturdier than the usual Group of 5 talking point. The Cougars have quality wins on the board, and even the losses have come in a way that suggests they can still be judged as a serious team rather than a fluky one. With the first College Football Playoff rankings arriving, the attention around Willie Fritz and his program is shifting from simple respect to something a little bigger.
What makes the next stretch so interesting is how much is still in play. Houston has upcoming games that can either strengthen the case or chip away at it, and the recent injury news only adds another layer to the conversation. If the Cougars keep stacking results, the debate around where they fit in the playoff picture could get a lot more serious than anyone expected a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]