Houston Wasted Its Best Chance to Take Control of the Big 12 Race
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The Houston Cougars had a chance to do something really special on Saturday night in Salt Lake City. With all the chaos of the Big 12 earlier in the day, with multiple contenders losing, there was a golden opportunity for the Cougars to put themselves in the driver's seat in the conference.
Instead, that incredible chance to take sole possession of first place in the Big 12 was wasted by Houston in disappointing fashion. There wasn't going to be a better time for the Cougars to take what was being given to them.
Both No. 2 BYU and No. 8 Texas Tech lost their first game. Cincinnati shockingly blew out Texas Tech by a score of 37-24 at home, and it wasn't even that close. BYU lost in double overtime to UCF on the road in the wildest game in college football this year.
Two top-10 Big 12 teams lost on the same day for the first time since 2016. With that happening, there was a five-way tie for second place in the Big 12 when Houston kicked off its game against what was No. 10 Utah.
Houston's Golden Chance Gone
A win from Houston, and it would've taken sole possession of first with a superior record. The Cougars also have a strength of schedule that is superior to all the other Big 12 contenders. Houston could've sat at 7-1 and 4-1 in the Big 12 right at the top. It would've put them in the driver's seat to Arlington, Texas, for the Big 12 Championship and a possible College Football Playoff berth.
All that was there for the taking. Houston couldn't take advantage. The Cougars took a 10-0 lead in the third quarter and led 13-7 heading into the fourth. A strong last quarter would've done the trick. Instead, it was the worst fourth quarter played by Houston this season.
The Cougars got outscored 14-0 and couldn't do anything on offense in a game where quarterback Conner Weigman didn't look like himself physically or mentally.
So now, Houston has a 6-2 record with a 3-2 mark in the Big 12. It's good for sixth. Even for a team that wasn't College Football Playoff and Big 12 championship or bust, that isn't an ideal position at all. The ramifications of this one game against Utah were incredibly high. Houston got the help it needed. The Cougars couldn't finish the job at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Utah moved up to No. 6 this week, showing just how far up a win would've moved Houston in the Week 8 AP Poll. The Cougars are now No. 18.
This program was so close to putting itself in a position it has never been in. Now, Houston will need a lot of help to see a conference championship game or CFP appearance. Given how unpredictable the sport has been this year, the Cougars still can't be counted out if they are able to get to 10 wins.
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Maanav Gupta is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He graduated from the University of Houston in the summer of 2025 with his bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Gupta spent three years at the student newspaper, The Daily Cougar, and also covered the 2025 Final Four and National Championship as Houston beat writer for College Basketball Review. He also has his own YouTube channel, Maanav’s Sports Talk, where he has interviewed professional athletes and broadcasters like Jim Nantz, Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt, Rich Eisen, and Alperen Sengun. Gupta was also a contributor to the Houston athletic program as a student. You can find Gupta on X, Instagram and TikTok @MGSportsTalk.