Why Houston Football Can Win Its First Big 12 Conference Championship In 2026
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Houston football had an impressive 10-win season last year which surpassed many experts ' predictions going into the 2025 season.
Now, head coach Willie Fritz is entering his third year at the University of Houston, and the Cougars could be even better than they were last year.
Here are three areas where Houston must improve to even have a shot at winning its first Big 12 Conference Championship.
3 Areas Where Houston Football Needs Improvement
The Houston Cougars finished in fourth in the Big 12 Conference, and they were just a few plays away from reaching a conference championship.
Now, the Cougars have even more talent from last season and they have every shot to win its first Big 12 Championship if they improve in three areas.
Deep Passing Game
Last season, Houston's offense greatly improved from the 2024 season, and the offense was a real threat.
With quarterback Conner Weigman being very accurate on short and midrange passes, he and offensive coordinator Slade Nagle took advantage of that and made most of the offensive attack in those areas.
While that game plan worked out great, Houston had to sustain long drives to even get into field goal range, averaging just 7.6 yards per pass attempt, which ranked No. 12 in the Big 12.
With senior wide receiver Amare Thomas and sophomore receiver Koby Young both returning and former Oregon State transfer Trent Walker now in the mix, Houston's receiving room could be the best positional group on the team.
With all the focus opposing defenses have to pay attention to on Houston's short and midrange passing game, if the Cougars can spread defenses out by utilizing the deep ball more of this season they will be one of the top offenses in the conference.
Limiting Explosive Plays
Last year, Houston's defense was very strong, finishing No. 6 in the conference in scoring defense.
While Houston was discipline as a whole and didn't make a lot of mistakes, miscommunications led to several big plays last season which cost the team a chance to make the Big 12 Championship game.
The Cougars had a rough showing against Texas Tech last season, but that game didn't hurt them in the long run.
It was losing against TCU and West Virginia both at home that ruined their chances, and both games were contests Houston should've won.
Big plays and turnovers were the common trend in both of those games, and the Cougars simply have to limit mistakes in 2026 to reach the Big 12 Championship.
Take Care of Business on The Road
The Cougars went a perfect 6-0 on the road last season, picking up wins over Rice, Oregon State, Oklahoma State, Arizona State, UCF and Baylor.
Now the Cougars have a very favorable home schedule this season, so the road games will determine Houston's postseason fate.
The Cougars will play Texas Tech, Georgia Southern, Kansas State, Utah, Colorado and West Virginia all on the road this season, and if they can escape flawlessly or with just one loss, Houston has a great chance to make the postseason.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/houston as Why Houston Football Can Win Its First Big 12 Conference Championship In 2026.
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