Houston's Win Over Oklahoma State Should Change Expectations for the Cougars

It's dangerous waters for someone to claim that it's time to raise expectations for a team. However, I am officially raising the expectations for this Houston Cougars team.

The No. 14 Cougars showed the college football world what they're capable of and gave them an opportunity to make a statement in Week 8.

Houston Showed What It's Capable of Against Oklahoma State

The Cougars didn't dominate the No. 18 Oklahoma State Cowboys, but they showed they have a high ceiling. The secondary unfortunately struggled, and even the run defense didn't look as good as it has this season, but the Cougars' offense looked, frankly, unstoppable.

The Cougars punted the ball twice, while quarterback Conner Weigman went 24/33 for 343 passing yards, five touchdowns, and one interception, and added 52 rushing yards on 11 carries. The Cougars also finally got a breakout game from superstar wide receiver Amare Thomas.

Thomas looked amazing, catching seven passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns. Oregon State Beaver transfer Trent Walker had been up and down in 2026. But Walker also broke out, showing his ceiling with seven receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Koby Young continued with his productive season with three receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown.

Houston QB Conner Weigman attempts a pass during the first quarter against Oklahoma State at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Young caught a dime from Weigman for a 48-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Makhi Hughes ran for 77 yards on 18 carries, while Re'Shaun Sanford II managed only 36 yards on nine carries. The run game wasn't as effective as Houston would've liked, but it didn't matter given Weigman's performance.

Drew Mestemaker himself threw for 365 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. But that wasn't enough to overcome the highly effective Cougar offense. Houston will need to limit explosive plays in the future, but the Cougars won a critical game. Plus, the game never felt in doubt, despite the close score.

It's Officially Time To Raise the Expectations

Next, the Cougars visit the No. 10 Utah Utes in a matchup covered by ESPN's College GameDay. This is a massive chance for both teams to strengthen their College Football Playoff resumes and a big one for the Big 12.

If the Cougars take down the Utes on Oct. 24th, then Houston could pretty easily win the rest of their schedule. The Cougars will host the Cincinnati Bearcats, visit the Colorado Buffaloes, visit the West Virginia Mountaineers, and finally host the Baylor Bears to finish the regular season.

Simply put, after the Utes, the Cougars might be heavily favored in all of their remaining games. The Cougars are no longer playing for a bowl game. Would a team rather win a bowl game to finish 10-3 or 11-2 or make the CFP, regardless of the result in the playoffs?

Honestly, Willie Fritz and the Cougars would make a huge statement by reaching the CFP. And of course, if Houston beats Utah and handles the rest of its schedule, it could play for the Big 12. The Big 12 has some elite teams, including the No. 2 BYU Cougars, No. 8 Texas Tech Red Raiders, No. 25 Arizona Cougars, and, of course, Houston and Utah.

So competing for the conference will still be hard. However, winning the conference would be a major achievement for Houston.

At this point in the season, Houston has a senior star QB in Weigman, a ton of talent up and down the offense, and a defense that is still capable of being great; the expectation for this team should be at least the CFP. The Cougars have the talent and ability to compete for so much in 2026. It's time to recognize that.

Add us as a preferred source on Google