The Next Two Weeks Will Define Houston's Football Season

The No. 18 Houston Cougars now face some major questions. The Cougars were unable to hang on to a 10-0 lead against the No. 6 Utah Utes, are currently 6-2, and have taken a tumble in the rankings.

That was the second time this season that Houston blew a lead of such proportion. And that's also why these next two weeks will define how this 2026 season will go.

How Will Houston Respond After a Crushing Loss?

The Cougars took a 10-0 lead over the then No. 13 Texas Tech Red Raiders before losing 28-26. It was a disappointing way to lose their first game, as they had dominated the first quarter.

Houston took a 3-0 lead into halftime against Utah and even added a touchdown to begin the third quarter to take a 10-0 lead. The Utes rallied and went on to outscore the Cougars 21-3 for the rest of the game. After an ugly fourth quarter for the Cougar offense, Houston was handed another disappointing loss.

A loss, regardless of the situation, isn't exactly nice, but it stings more when you dominated much of the game. This loss was also a waste of a massive opportunity. The undefeated BYU Cougars suffered a stunning loss to the UCF Knights earlier that day.

The undefeated Texas Tech Red Raiders also suffered an ugly 37-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bearcats. Houston missed a chance to prove it was the Big 12's undeniable best team. The question now remains: how will Houston respond? Now, Houston has a much-needed bye week to get things right.

Then Houston will still have a chance to make a run at the College Football Playoff in its final four games. Houston has lost twice now in disappointing fashion, but that shouldn't knock the elite team down. Willie Fritz and his Cougars must come back stronger.

Houston Still Has a Great Chance at Making a Run to the Playoffs

Honestly, reaching the Big 12 title game is now much harder with two conference losses. Sometimes, though, you never really know. Even the Big 12 isn't completely out of reach. But if Houston can win its final four games, reaching the CFP seems likely.

There have been plenty of upsets in college football, so a 10-2 Houston team with two one-score losses to ranked opponents should get into the CFP pretty easily. The Cougars can't let these losses derail their CFP hopes.

The following schedule shows that winning 10 games is possible: vs. Cincinnati, at. Colorado Buffaloes, at. West Virginia Mountaineers, and vs. Baylor Bears. Some teams can give Houston a hard time, but the Cougars should beat every opponent.

Simply put, Houston needs to improve and actually lead a good opponent, but the sky isn't falling. Other teams are in much worse shape. The Cougars can rally and finish the 2026 season 4-0. Houston has the talent to do so, especially with the underrated quarterback Conner Weigman.

The next couple of weeks will determine whether this team is a legitimate contender or will fall. A contender bounces back and looks even better. They play angry and prove that they won't be knocked down by a couple of losses. A pretender looks worse, or loses its confidence.

Right now, this loss to Utah is still fresh in my memory and stings pretty badly. But Houston can forget this loss if it can come back stronger. The good news is that this bye week gives the Cougars a nice chance to recuperate. It will be interesting to see whether Houston uses the bye week well.