College football futures odds: Why Houston, not Texas Tech, offers the best value to win the Big 12 in 2026
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- Houston Cougars are +1600 longshots to win the 2026 Big 12 title and are the only top-five favorite in the conference to return their quarterback, head coach, and both coordinators from last season
- Texas Tech opened as a -150 favorite before QB Brendan Sorsby left Lubbock and declared for the NFL Supplemental Draft; the Red Raiders remain the conference favorite at +100
- Willie Fritz has won double-digit games at five of his six head coaching stops and lifted Houston from 4-8 in his 2024 debut season to 10-3 in 2025, capped by a 38-35 Texas Bowl win over LSU
- Conner Weigman threw for 2,705 yards, 25 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in his first Houston season after struggling through three years at Texas A&M
- Houston's schedule features a Week 3 Friday night trip to Texas Tech, but the Red Raiders' presumed starter Will Hammond is still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in October
- Houston's offensive line ranked 74th in run blocking and 126th in pass blocking last season, and the Cougars must replace five of their top seven tacklers from 2025
- Makhi Hughes, who rushed for 2,779 yards and 20 touchdowns across two seasons at Tulane, headlines Houston's latest transfer haul after failing to crack Oregon's running back rotation last year
Why it matters: Futures bettors are getting 16-to-1 on a team with rare continuity after a 10-win season, a returning 25-TD quarterback, and a coach who has hit 10 wins at five different stops. The realistic path runs through a Week 3 visit to Texas Tech, where the Red Raiders' projected starter Will Hammond may still be working back from a torn ACL.
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