When last we saw them, the Houston Cougars were putting a bow in a 12-win season by beating traditional SEC powerhouse Auburn in the Birmingham Bowl.
It was quite the bounce back in coach Dana Holgorsen’s third season, after a combined seven wins in his first two seasons at the helm.
The former West Virginia head coach has his team poised for big things in their last season in the American Athletic Conference before the make the jump to the Big-12 in 2023.
The offense should be one of the best in the conference, led by fifth-year senior Clayton Tune who threw for 36 touchdowns and 10 interceptions to go with a 68% completion rate last season.
WR Nathaniel Dell who caught 90 balls for 1,329 yards and 12TDs is back and he’ll be joined by Oklahoma transfer Cody Jackson and Texas Tech transfer KeSean Carter who starts his second year in the program.
Yet, the offense is a compliment to one of the best defenses in the country. They were tops in the ACC and sixth in the entire nation last season. They are particularly strong in the secondary led by First Team All-ACC CB Gervarrius Owens and up front, even with the loss of their best lineman from last year, Logan Hall.
The biggest question mark is at offensive line, but they do have three starters returning and a solid transfer coming in from Texas in Tyler Johnson. It could be the difference between a very strong team and a top-ten team in 2022-23.
2022 Houston Cougars NCAA Football Futures Odds
Odds to win the 2022-23 NCAA Championship: 150/1
Odds to win the 2022 ACC Championship: +250
2022 Regular Season Win Total: Over 9 (-135)
2022 Heisman Contenders: None
Official website: uhcougars.com
Twitter Account : @UHCougarFB
Odds to win the 2022-23 NCAA Championship: 150/1
The odds are long and as a group of-five team with a relatively weak schedule, it’s hard to see them as a playoff team even if they run the table. At the same time, they do have the potential to put up a perfect season and be this year’s Cincinnati. If they can do that and other power-five teams falter, then they do have a shot at the playoffs.
The Verdict: Not worth it, but not completely out of the question if you want a long shot pick
Odds to win the 2022 ACC Championship: +250
Three ACC teams are moving on the to Big-12 next year -Houston, Cincinnati UCF- and they are tightly bunched as favorites to win the ACC Championship. In Houston’s favor, they won’t see either team in the regular season, while the other two teams meet up at the end of October.
They have a clear path to the title game, especially if they can beat Texas Tech in week 2 and are worth the bet here.
The Verdict: A solid bet
2022 Regular Season Win Total: Over 9 (-135)
Texas Tech is likely the only opponent, among their 12 where they won’t be favored. Even if they drop that game it’ll take two more losses for a push and three to lost this bet outright. I like their chances as one of the top teams in the conference, without having to face either of the other two favorites.
The Verdict: A solid bet
Odds According to Bovada as of August, 2022
Houston Cougars 2022 Schedule
| SEASON | |||
| Date | Time | Opponent | TV |
| 3-Sep | 2:30 p.m. | at UTSA* | CBSSN |
| 10-Sep | 3:00 p.m. | at Texas Tech* | FS1 |
| 17-Sep | 3:00 p.m. | Kansas* | ESPNU |
| 24-Sep | Rice* | ||
| 30-Sep | 6:00 p.m. | Tulane | ESPN |
| 7-Oct | 6:30 p.m. | at Memphis | ESPN2 |
| 22-Oct | 11:00 a.m. | at Navy | ESPN Networks |
| 29-Oct | South Florida | ||
| 5-Nov | at SMU | ||
| 12-Nov | Temple | ||
| 19-Nov | at East Carolina | ||
| 26-Nov | Tulsa | ||
Home stadium: TDECU Stadium, Houston, TX
*Non-conference game – All times are in Central time
Bet on the Houston Cougars 2022 Season at Bovada Sportsbook.
