Houston Cougars Football Schedule Gets Tougher

Arguably, the biggest game of the season for Houston is when it welcomes head coach Deion Sanders and his Colorado Buffaloes into town this Saturday. Sanders, the former NFL QB, named Kaidon Salter the starting QB after a year in which the head coach's son, Shedeur Sanders, started all season and was later drafted by the Cleveland Browns. Lots of buzz surrounds what Deion can do in Year 2 as the head coach.

Next for Houston is the Texas Tech Red Raiders, who have a fan base known for its extensive travel. Tech has had a tremendous year recruiting under Joey McGuire and will make sure he sends a message to his fanbase to make it feel like a home game. Senior QB Behren Morton from Eastland, Texas, leads the Red Raiders and will test the Cougars’ defensive scheme. 

Arizona comes in with a second-year head coach in Brent Brennan after losing Jedd Fisch to Washington. Quarterback Noah Fifita is in his fourth season with Arizona, looking to be in the conversation to compete for a Big 12 Championship title.  

Up in West Virginia is the newly hired head coach, Rich Rodriguez, who previously coached for the program from 2001 to 2007. His program just lost its running back, Jahiem White, and wide receiver, Jaden Bray, but believes that QB Nicco Marchiol brings the juice to the team.

The Horned Frogs from Fort Worth travel three hours with a team that started with a massive win against Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels. TCU head coach Sonny Dykes has a competitive team that knows it has the goods to return to the National Championship Game after falling short in 2023.

Hitting the Road

Traveling up west to Corvallis, Oregon, is where the Cougars' next road trip is, when they take on the Oregon State Beavers. The Beavers are one of the only Pac-12 teams left standing that didn’t branch off to another power conference. This non-conference opponent is pivotal for the Cougars to add a quality win to their resume. 

Fritz and Co. then travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma, where they meet Mike Gundy and the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Gundy leads the Cowboys with QB Zane Flores running the offense. Gundy sits on the hot seat, so it will be a matchup that may draw more attention than usual.

Riding off a hot season, the Arizona State Sun Devils then welcome in the Cougars with QB Sam Leavitt expected to take his squad back to the playoffs after making an appearance in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinals against the Texas Longhorns. Weigman needs a sharp game in an intense environment that is hungry for winning. 

Houston later travels to Orlando, Florida, to take on the UCF Knights at Acrisure Bounce House. The rowdy “Bounce House” gets its name from the electric vibration, shaking and jumping when the song “Zombie Nation” comes on. 

To cap off the season, the Baylor Bears host the Cougars in Waco, Texas, at McLane Stadium. Head coach Dave Aranda and QB Sawyer Robertson lead Baylor. This in-state contest might be what determines if the Cougars make it to the Big 12 Championship Game in Arlington. To get there, though, the program has to handle its business week by week and ensure that it plays as one unit.