Predicting the final score between Houston vs. Baylor football
The Baylor Bears are set to host Houston on Saturday for the Bears' season finale. Baylor has five wins on the season and a sixth win would give Dave Aranda's team bowl eligibility. That would help younger players get some more practice with a chance of game experience -- it's helpful heading into the 2026 season.
Here is what our staff sees happening.
Trent Knoop
This is truly a must-win for Baylor and Dave Aranda. There is no hiding the disappointment this season. The Bears were supposed to contend for the Big 12 and have a hope of making the College Football Playoff. While none of that can happen, Baylor might not even make a bowl game -- which is why they have to get this done.
Aranda will be back next season, and the fanbase isn't exactly happy about it. It's going to take some time for Aranda to smooth things over, but a loss against Houston would just make things worse for Baylor's head man.
This game won't be easy, but Baylor has yet to live up to its expectations. We've seen 11 games played this season and if it hasn't happened yet, why now?
Final score: Houston 31, Baylor 27
Tony Thomas
With bowl eligibility on the line, Baylor comes out fired up on both sides of the ball. Senior Day is a day of reckoning as the Bears vanquish the Houston Cougars.
Final score: Baylor 34, Houston 27
Jacob Haddadin
Baylor gets to a bowl game. This is not a horrible matchup for the Baylor defense. Houston can run the ball really well with both the running back and the quarterback, which is a problem for Baylor, but Connor Weigman turns the ball over a lot. Turnovers are going to be the key on Saturday. If Baylor can keep the turnover margin at least even, I believe they’ll have enough firepower to out-gain and eventually wear down Houston.
Houston, when they’re playing at their fullest, is a capable team, but they’ve tapered off in recent weeks: losing to an awful West Virginia team, beating UCF in a miracle comeback, and then losing to TCU at home. Baylor, obviously, is on an awful run of form as well; the staff still hasn’t figured out how to play complementary football consistently, and it has killed the Bears all season. I’m picking Baylor because they’re at home, and I’m convinced the team is still bought in and motivated to reach a bowl game.
Final score: Baylor 31, Houston 24
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-c6d300a6cd3bbc37e5025fa0d47bc7a7.jpeg "Trent Knoop")
Trent is the Publisher of Baylor Bears on SI and also serves as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines on SI. His work has additionally been featured on Maryland on SI, Wisconsin on SI, and across the USA TODAY Sports network. Trent’s love of sports and being able to tell stories to fans is what made him get into writing.