2025 Houston Football Predictions: Cougars Ranked 31st in RJ Young's Ultimate 136
Published
Aug. 10, 2025 8:46 p.m. ET
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This isn't your average college football ranking.
My Ultimate 136 is a set of rankings that is fluid, but it's my job to look ahead and make a claim for all FBS teams based on what I know and why I know it. Here are the three pressing questions I started by asking when putting together this list:
Who do I think is good?
Why do I think they're good?
What are the chances they will finish above or below my expectations?
Here is a look at where Houston lands in my Ultimate 136.
Houston Cougars ranking: 31
Last year's ranking: 76
Top player: QB Conner Weigman: Started 13 games for Texas A&M was one of five QBs with an 80% completion rate vs AP top 10 teams last season (min. 20 attempts); had 8 pass TDs and no interceptions as a true freshman in 2022, becoming one of 12 FBS players since 1956 wit 8+ passing TDs and no interceptions in a single season.
[Houston's 2025 schedule]
RJ's take: Willie Fritz's Cougars came on strong at the end of the season and that showed up in their numbers. Despite a 4-8 finish, 2-7 in conference, Houston finished fourth in total defense and second in scoring in the league.
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And there's reason to believe Fritz can't flip the Cougars into a 10-win team. After a 2-10 season at Tulane in 2021, the Green Wave finished 12-2 with a win against USC in the Cotton Bowl.
At QB, he's helped with the addition of Connor Weigman, who has completed 60% of his passes for 2,964 yards with 19 TDs and seven INTs in 15 games. But he's a former 5-star and has the tools to be one of the best QBs in the country this year.
[Check out RJ Young's Ultimate 136 College Football Rankings here]
Houston Cougars Win Total: Over 5.5 (-192) Under (+152)
Have an issue with my rankings? Think your alma mater is too low, or your school's rival is too high? Get at me on X, @RJ_Young , and I'll select my favorite tweets and respond to them in a future article.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him at @RJ_Young.
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