Houston's Perfect Home Record Gives the Cougars a November Opportunity

The No. 18 Houston Cougars have not lost a single game at home, being 4-0 at TDECU Stadium.

The most notable win at home was the 35-32 victory against the then-No. 18 Oklahoma State.

This gives Houston an opportunity in November to contend for the conference championship.

On the road, Houston is 2-2, with its losses coming from Texas Tech and Utah. However, the home schedule can do a lot for this team in the month of November.

Besides the 77-6 win over Southern in Week 2, Houston has had to grind out home wins. The Cougars kept the lead against Oregon State to win 33-20. Quarterback Conner Weigman threw for 305 yards while Amare Thomas had 133 yards on eight catches.

Against UCF, the Cougars trailed by 17 points before a three-rushing-touchdown performance by Weigman sparked a comeback.

Finally, Houston went back and forth against Oklahoma State and got the win as Weigman threw five touchdown passes.

In the four road games Houston has had, Weigman has thrown for 11 touchdowns, showcasing that home-field advantage isn't the fuel for the offense. However, a perfect home record could bring something else to Houston: a high floor for the team.

The first game at home is against Cincinnati on Nov. 7, with a 5-2 record this season. Although the Bearcats are winless on the road, they gave the Red Raiders their first loss of the season, 37-24. A win against them could set up everything that follows.

Then the Cougars travel to Colorado to face the Buffaloes on Nov. 13 and to West Virginia to go up against the Mountaineers on Nov. 21. Winning both of those games puts Houston's record at nine wins.

Houston finally ends the season against Baylor at home on Nov. 28. Winning the two games at home puts the Cougars' floor at eight wins. If they go undefeated throughout the month, they rise to 10 wins.

What separates this season from the last is the opportunity not only to get more wins but also to get a chance at a spot in the College Football Playoff.

A 10-2 Houston team could become a real contender for the championship game but it depends on going unbeaten in November and some losses by teams that are ahead in the Big 12 rankings.

Houston has shown that it can protect its home field. The opportunity to go unbeaten can allow the Cougars to close the regular season on their own terms.