Houston Has a Chance to Make a Big 12 Statement Against Texas Tech
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The Houston Cougars are No. 22 in the AP poll and are 2-0 to start the season.
Now, going up against Texas Tech on Sept. 18, Houston has a chance to do something that can change the entire conversation in the Big 12: beat the Red Raiders.
Houston hasn't beaten Texas Tech since 2009, but this time might be the best chance the Cougars have at winning.
A Massive Opportunity for Houston
Beating No. 13 Texas Tech would be the most significant win the Cougars would have in the Big 12 era. The Red Raiders are the reigning Big 12 champions and were in the College Football Playoff last season.
Texas Tech will be a hard team to beat, as it is also 2-0, having beaten Abilene Christian 33-10 and Oregon State 35-24. However, the Red Raiders struggled against the Beavers.
They allowed Oregon State quarterback Braden Atkinson to throw for 413 yards and two touchdowns, according to ESPN. Beavers wide receiver Jesse Legree had 240 yards and two touchdowns.
By comparison, Houston allowed Atkinson to throw for only 376 yards and a touchdown, while Legree had 136 yards and a touchdown. Although the difference in yards between the teams is small, the difference in touchdowns is not.
Houston allowed 20 points while Texas Tech gave up 24 points. The Red Raiders' secondary did poorly in the passing game, which is where Houston needs to attack.
The Cougars have had back-to-back games with more than 200 rushing yards. The Red Raiders allowed 55 rushing yards to the Beavers.
Texas Tech has film of the Cougars' last two games, so it could prioritize stopping the run game over anything else. This means that Houston will have to lean more on the passing game.
Houston has talent in the passing game. Quarterback Conner Weigman has 425 passing yards and four touchdowns through two games. Wide receivers Amare Thomas, Koby Young, and Trent Walker have already shown they are reliable targets for Weigman.
The Chances Houston wins
According to ESPN, Texas Tech has a 75.7% chance of winning against Houston. However, after the Red Raiders struggled against Oregon State, the probability that the Cougars will win this game could be around the 35% threshold.
The Cougars have a huge disadvantage against Texas Tech, as they travel to Lubbock, Texas, to play the Red Raiders. Ultimately, Houston needs to be able to stretch the field vertically in the passing game in order to succeed against Texas Tech.
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Micah Clay is a staff writer for the Houston Cougars on SI. He is currently a freshman at the University of Houston and majoring in Sports Administration. He also works for The Cougar organization. You can find Clay on his Instagram(@mcjosh_btw_podcast)