Seven months after beating Florida State in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, the University of Houston football team is still a hot topic around the college football world. Last year, rookie head coach Tom Herman led his team to a 13-1 record, capturing the Cougars first 10 win season since 2011 and first conference championship since 2006.
Now, usually with a 12-1 regular season record and a conference championship, most teams would be in serious consideration for a spot in the college football playoffs, however Houston’s name rarely (if ever) was brought into the conversation, because of a weak strength of schedule and a low conference prestige. This problem has plagued the Cougars throughout many past successful years, but now with the Big 12 looking to expand, the pieces are falling into place for them to finally make their leap into the spotlight.
As the only power five conference without a true title game or a conference dedicated television network, the Big 12 has been struggling to keep up with the other major conferences in viewership, competition and recruiting over the past several years, resulting in many people calling for an expansion. With their convenient location and incredibly successful season last year, the Cougars are at the top of most people’s list to join the conference, especially after the endorsement from the University of Texas’ president Greg Fenves.
As we look at opportunities for Big 12 expansion, I support considering @UHouston for the conference. UH is a huge asset for Texas.
— Greg Fenves (@gregfenves) July 21, 2016
The Longhorns were thought to be Houston’s biggest obstacle getting into the conference, but with this sudden turn of events, their chances seem to be looking up. Though they wouldn’t be the only team added (there would be at least two), the Cougars seem to be at the top when it comes to resume and readiness to compete.
Not only did Tom Herman lead his team to a newfound success on the field last year, but he also did it through recruiting. According to 247sports.com, Houston has the #1 ranked incoming AAC recruiting class as well as the 41st best class overall.
Photo by www.maxpreps.com
Led by star defensive tackle Ed Oliver out of Westfield, this talented recruiting class will be crucial to Herman’s success on the field and Houston’s chances at accomplishing the conference move. While 41st overall may not seem to impressive, it ranks above six of the current Big 12 teams including Baylor and Oklahoma State. Tom Herman, Greg Ward Jr., and this host of young, talented players, have an incredible opportunity to change the future of the University of Houston football forever.
Sure the Cougars may have had an impressive 2015 campaign, but this upcoming season presents higher stakes, expectations and pressure than the University of Houston football team has experienced in a years (if ever) and I, personally, can’t wait to see how it unfolds.
