Houston came up with a few wonderful wins to pull off a great season, but does the 2026 schedule have enough breaks to do it again?
It’s a strange slate with six road games, but there are just enough positives to expect another strong run if the Cougars can get hot early.
The Good, the Bad, and Who Houston Misses in 2026
Oct 25, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Willie Fritz reacts against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium.© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
(© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)
The Good
There aren’t any Power Four teams among the three non-conference games, and even though one of the dates is at Georgia Southern, the Cougars should have three wins right there. The last three games are against teams that didn’t go to a bowl last season.
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The Bad
Six road games in nine dates is a brutal way to live. The week off on Halloween weekend is nice, but it might be too late by then if the Cougars aren’t great on the road early on.
What Big 12 Teams Houston Will Miss
Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Iowa State, Kansas, TCU.
It’s not bad, but it could be better. Not having to play BYU is the big one, and there are several other nice teams to miss, but Texas Tech, Utah, and Kansas State are still on the slate.
Houston’s Best and Worst Case Scenarios in 2026
Best Case: Houston beats Texas Tech
With all of the tough road games, everything is made far easier with a shocker at Texas Tech to open the Big 12 season. The Cougars pull that off on the way to a 5-0 start, or …
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Worst Case: The Cougars can’t win a road game
They went an impressive 6-0 on the road last year. This time around, they lose right away against Texas Tech, drop the Kansas State game, lose at Utah, and there’s still a problem with those back-to-back dates with Colorado and West Virginia.
Houston Football 2026 Schedule
Sept 5 Oregon State
Sept 12 Southern
Sept 19 at Texas Tech
Sept 26 at Georgia Southern
Oct 3 UCF
Oct 10 at Kansas State
Oct 17 Oklahoma State
Oct 24 at Utah
Oct 31 OPEN DATE
Nov 7 Cincinnati
Nov 14 at Colorado
Nov 21 at West Virginia
Nov 28 Baylor
Games That Will Decide Houston’s Season
1. at Texas Tech, Sept. 19. Is Houston going to be in for a breakthrough season? The Big 12 opener could crank things up right away.
2. at Utah, Oct. 24. The Texas Tech game is nasty, and the trip to Salt Lake City is just a little bit easier. There’s a chance, though, that Houston’s Big 12 season could be over before Halloween with a loss.
3. at Kansas State, Oct. 10. The Cougars have to win a road game at some point early on, and this might have to be it.
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Related: Iowa State Football 2026 Schedule: Breakdown and Season Outlook
This story was originally published by College Football News on Jan 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
