1. Houston is one of six or eight or 11 or 13 teams still in the running to be added to the Big 12 Conference. The Cougars are widely expected to be one of the final three or so, considering they already have the potential support of conference kingpin Texas.
Houston just beat the Big 12 favorite. Add UH to the conference, or look like cowards.
If you’re scared, say you’re scared.
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2. The biggest argument against adding UH is pretty simple, and has been made by multiple Big 12 coaches: it’d make recruiting a lot harder for everybody already in the conference. There are good cases for other schools, such as BYU having a larger fanbase and Cincinnati adding new territory and so forth. Maybe other schools would add more money or turf or whatever. Sure.
3. When you hear Big 12 coaches saying they don’t want to add Houston, that strikes the ear a certain way, doesn’t it? Even if they’re making a fair case, it calls to mind a claim made by a UH megabooster to CBS Sports: “That’s kind of disappointing that Texas with their big budget fears the University of Houston. For other schools in the Big 12 to keep them out because they’re scared of them, men need to be men.”
4. ... Especially since Houston is a sudden elite on the field, is the reigning American Athletic Conference and Peach Bowl champion, and entered 2016 as a reasonable Playoff pick.
5. Oklahoma entered its season-opening game against No. 15 Houston as an even more popular Playoff pick, ranked No. 3 and the Big 12’s official preseason favorite.
6. On Sept. 3, Houston dominated the reigning Big 12 champions, 33-23, with the whole country watching.
7. It was a complete and total conquest, from defense (here’s Baker Mayfield getting spinebustered, and here’s big Samaje Perine getting flattened) to offense (here’s a catch that’ll be a play of the month candidate) to special teams (HERE’S A KICK SIX). Quarterback Greg Ward Jr. looked every bit as elusive and dangerous as his Heisman favorite counterpart, OU’s Baker Mayfield. Duke Catalon outrushed the Perine/Joe Mixon duo. Steven Dunbar pulled in more receiving yards than any of the Sooners’ former blue chips. True freshman defensive lineman Ed Oliver left no doubt he would start for many SEC teams. And so on.
8. If UH were already in the Big 12, the Cougars would be the new favorite to win the conference and take it to the Playoff.
9. Your move, Big 12.
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