Houston Cougars Football

2025: Rock Bottom

2025 Record: 4-8 (2-7 Big 12) | AP Ranking: Unranked | Bowl: None

Houston’s Big 12 era has been a disaster. There’s no other way to say it. — Mike

They beat Oklahoma State by 30. That was their highlight. Mike doesn’t want to talk about it. — Jake

Quick Facts

Traditions: The Cougar Paw hand sign, “Whose House? Coogs’ House!” chant, and memories of the Tom Herman era when they were actually good.

Mike & Jake’s Take

🛋️ Mike’s Take (Oklahoma State Fan)

I don’t want to talk about the Houston game.

(Fine. They beat us 41-11. It was November. We were already dead. They ran through us like we weren’t there. It was probably the worst OSU performance I’ve ever watched in person. Yes, I flew to Houston. Yes, I regret it.)

Setting that aside… Houston is in trouble.

The Big 12 move hasn’t worked. Dana Holgorsen couldn’t adjust, got fired. Willie Fritz inherited a mess and is trying to rebuild. But 4-8 is rough. 2-7 in conference is rougher.

The roster needs a complete overhaul. The offensive line is undersized. The defense gives up too many explosive plays. The quarterback situation never stabilized.

Houston is a major metropolitan area with good high school talent nearby. The potential is there. But they’re years away from competing in the Big 12. Check our standings to see where they ended up.

Confidence Level: Long rebuild ahead

🍺 Jake’s Take (Texas Tech Fan)

Houston’s best game of the year was beating Oklahoma State.

That’s not me being mean. That’s just facts. They went 4-8 and their biggest win was over a 3-9 team. That’s where they are.

The weird thing is, Houston SHOULD be good. They’re in the fourth-largest city in America. They have recruits in their backyard. The facilities are fine. The stadium is nice enough.

But something’s broken. The culture, the roster, the coaching — something. Willie Fritz did good things at Tulane, so maybe he can fix it. But 4-8 suggests he inherited a bigger mess than anyone realized.

I don’t have much else to say. Houston is bad. They’re going to be bad for a while. If you’re betting Houston games, fade them against anyone competent. More context in our Big 12 Betting Guide.

Confidence Level: Fade until further notice

2025 Betting Trends

Mike’s Betting Notes: These numbers are brutal across the board. 4-8 ATS overall. They didn’t cover anywhere consistently. Houston was a fade all year. Full receipts in our predictions archive.

Jake’s Betting Notes: The under leaned slightly (5-7), but not enough to be a trend. Houston games were just bad. Low-scoring, ugly, not fun to watch.

Key Players (2025)

Donovan Smith — QB

187-of-312 (59.9%) | 2,156 yards | 14 TD | 12 INT | 124.7 rating

The Texas Tech transfer (yes, my guy, but still) struggled. The interception-to-touchdown ratio is ugly. He didn’t have help, but he also didn’t play well.

Stacy Sneed — RB

156 carries | 712 yards | 4.6 YPC | 6 TD

The bright spot on offense. Sneed ran hard behind a bad offensive line and deserved better.

Jayce Rogers — LB

89 tackles | 6.5 TFL | 2 sacks

The leading tackler and most consistent defensive player. Rogers competed even when the team didn’t.

Rivals & Key Matchups

Rice (Non-conference) — The Bayou Bucket. In-city rivalry. Houston still wins this, which is something.

Baylor — Houston upset Baylor 31-17. One of their only quality wins.

TCU — Texas private school vs. Texas public school. Geographic proximity creates natural tension.

More

• Big 12 Betting Guide — Everything you need before placing a bet on any conference game
• The Recliner vs The Barstool — How we rate games (and why we never agree)
• New Fan’s Guide to Big 12 Football — Just getting into the conference? Start here
• Current Standings | This Week’s Schedule
• Our Predictions Archive — Full transparency on every pick we’ve made

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