I'm really hoping for a chance in conference. Almost anything would be a step up from CUSA and I think would lend more of a draw in recruiting to UH.
That game should not have been that close. A couple of bogus penalties and freak bounces went UCLA's way. Coogs are for real this year. Get ready for some fun.
I really think UH has a chance to run the table this season. BCS Bowl possible... they're my sleeper team this season. Keenum will be a sure candidate for the Heisman if he stays healthy and they run the table.
Depends on whether or not they meet ECU this year. The DL still gets pushed around too easily and I don't see Houston beating ECU in a conference title matchup.
Hayes straight trucks some fools. <object width="420" height="345"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/izxxX2PvIj8?version=3&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/izxxX2PvIj8?version=3&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="345" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
I loved what I saw from the defense yesterday, very stout up the middle, finally started to catch onto those QB keepers late in the game, but UCLA's receivers were just SO big... they had two guys over 6'6" out there, insane. UCLA got a few freak plays that went their way, otherwise the score wouldn't have been nearly as close. Given who we're playing this year, I have no reason to think our defense will not be able to be decent.
Decent is what we need. This UCLA team was probably the biggest we're gonna be facing. Now the big issue is the team not becoming mentally complacent like they did two years ago, resulting in the UTEP loss. Every single game has to be taken seriously, because if we lose one, our shot at a BCS bowl basically dies.
It was the first game of the season and the team including CK looked too amp up. Which is good. I'm sure Coach Stewart will adjust the defense. The running game looked very strong. Still a quality win.
Guys, lets be realistic. Houston has no chance at a BCS bowl. It was great to see Keenum play as well as he did, and the offense looked potent, but it is troubling that the Coogs gave up 554 yards to a team who lost it's starting QB early in the game. Furthermore, this years schedule is a joke, and it's really going to hurt Houston in the polls. Schools that are not in a BCS conference should be choosing to play strong teams for their non-conference games in order to get some respect. Houston plays UCLA, N. Texas, Louisiana Tech, and Georgia State. Houston may beat these teams and their C-USA opponents easily and still fail to get much attention. Look at the non-conference schedule that Rice plays: Texas, Purdue, Baylor, and Northwestern. I don't know how good those teams are going to be this year, but at least they are BCS conference teams. If the Cougars do play well and if they can sell out their home games, it could make them more attractive to the Big 12, so this is a very important year in that respect.
I think it's realistic to say that if UH goes undefeated, then they'll have a shot at a BCS bowl (one of the lesser ones like the Fiesta Bowl of course). There's no way UH wouldn't be ranked in the top 10 with an undefeated season. TCU has already slipped up, and if Boise St. drops one then UH has a good shot at being the non-AQ team.
hope you cougs fans have a fun season this year. I normally do not keep up with them since I am from Louisiana and keep up with our schools, but I think I just found a new fun program to watch for some years. Cougars look legit, and the in state recruiting for them is wide open with A&M being punks. good luck UH fans!
UH loves to play BCS teams like Tech, Texas, Oregon etc but those teams don't like playing the coogs. UCLA had plans to run so having their Q go down wasn't really a big deal. The QB that came in is a better passer anyways.
UH has played 3 BCS schools the past two years, but I think it might be a thing of the past. They were so beat up after those games that it affected their play in conference and thats the most important thing in any season. In 2009 in the games against Okla St, Tech, and Miss St they lost 4 of their 6 two deep at LB and thats why the defense faltered the 2nd half of the season. I think they are going to play one marquee game from now on and unless those schools agree to home and home and most BCS schools won't do that with a school from a league like CUSA.
The non conference is soft probably because UH thought it would be breaking in a new QB. North Texas must have paid UH to open their new stadium. North Texas isn't due to return to Houston. Louisiana Tech is a multiple year deal. Georgia State is a bye week.
Schools like Texas, Purdue, Baylor and Northwestern schedule Rice because it's an easy win for them, they make money, and Rice gets a cut. They don't want to play a school like UH because it is a likely non-conference loss, which is less lucrative and more importantly hurts their chances at making it to a bowl -- less money. That's why the entire bowl system is broken. There is really no competitive ranking in college football, since even the regular season matchups are motivated by profit.