No. 17 Houston vs Cincinnati: How to Watch, Odds, Injuries and More

The No. 17 Houston Cougars are back after the bye week and are set to face Cincinnati in their homecoming game at TDECU Stadium. Houston is looking to stay alive in the Big 12 race, and every game is a must-win now.

Houston will look to prevail in a battle against its former American Athletic Conference rival, and it's a favorable matchup.

How to Watch Houston vs Cincinnati

• Who: Houston Cougars 6-2 (3-2 in Big 12) vs. Cincinnati 5-3 (2-3 in Big 12)

• What: Week 10 of the regular season

• When: Saturday, Nov. 7 at 2:30 p.m. CST

• Where: TDECU Stadium, Houston, Texas

• TV/Streaming: FOX

• TV Announcers: Tim Brando (Play-by-Play), Devin Gardner (Analyst), Josh Sims (Sideline)

• Radio: KPRC 950 AM, The Varsity Network- “Search Houston”, SiriusXM: 138 or 199, and on the SiriusXM App

• Radio Announcers: Kevin Eschenfelder (play-by-play), Ted Pardee (color), and Jeremy Branham (sideline reporter)

• Last Season: Houston went 10-3 and beat LSU in the Texas Bowl for its first 10-plus-win season since 2021. The Cougars were ranked No. 21 at the end of the year, their highest since 2021.

• Series History: It's currently tied 15-15 all-time between Houston and Cincinnati. The Cougars have lost the last five games against the Bearcats, with the last win coming in 2016. Although Houston leads 10-6 at home, the Cougars are 1-2 at TDECU Stadium against Cincinnati with the last home win on Nov. 7, 2015. Houston got crushed 34-0 in the last meeting on the road in 2024.

Meet the Coaches

Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Scott Satterfield takes the field for the Big 12 game between Cincinnati Bearcats and Texas Tech at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, October 24, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati: This is Satterfield's fourth season at Cincinnati and his 14th season of coaching overall. He has a 20-25 record at Cincinnati and is 96-73 overall entering this game. He was previously the head coach at Louisville from 2019-22 and spent six seasons as the head coach of his alma mater, Appalachian State, from 2013-18.

Willie Fritz, Houston: Fritz is in his third season with the Cougars, and he is 20-13 heading into this game. Fritz has 34 years of coaching experience and a 267-134-1 record overall. He was hired in Dec. 2023 from Tulane and has turned Houston into a Big 12 contender this year. Fritz led the Cougars to the largest single-season turnaround in the country last year, from four to 10 wins. It was the third-largest turnaround in school history. Fritz has the most head-coaching experience in the Big 12 and is tied for second-most wins in college football by an active head coach.

Matchup Odds Via DraftKings

Oct 17, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Willie Fritz on the field with players before the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Spread: Houston -10.5 (-110), Cincinnati +10.5 (-110)

Over/Under: 61.5 (O -112, U -108)

Injury Report

Oct 10, 2026; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Houston Cougars tight end Patrick Overmyer (9) finds room to run after a catch in the second quarter against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There are only four probable designations for Houston on the injury report. The Cougars are now healthy after the bye week. Fritz confirmed that redshirt junior tight end Patrick Overmyer was a full-go at practice, and so was senior quarterback Conner Weigman. Additionally, senior linebacker Jaden Yates is back after missing the last few weeks with a leg injury.

Senior defensive tackle De'Marion Thomas was listed as probable on Thursday's Big 12 availability report. Additionally, senior corner JD Rhym is also probable. Thomas would be a massive addition this week.

"It's big. He's a big guy. He's a guy that stays on the line of scrimmage," Fritz said. "Against a team that runs the ball so effectively like they do, they've got a couple of really good backs; it's important to have big guys that can stay on the line of scrimmage."

What to Know About Cincinnati

The Bearcats are all about the run game with their junior running back Cole Tabb, who's one of the best at his position in the Big 12. Tabb's 9.5 yards per carry is the best in the conference, and he's sixth in the Big 12 with 752 yards and 10 touchdowns.

"It starts with their offensive line," Fritz said.

Cincinnati's defense has struggled and is 15th in total defense out of 16 teams in the conference. The Bearcats' offense can be productive when the running game gets going, and senior quarterback JC French IV has 20 total touchdowns and three interceptions this year.

Cincinnati is inconsistent and has been streaky this year. It's hard to say how the Bearcats will look on Saturday.

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