Go ahead and add the Baylor Bears to the list of teams that will be at home instead of at a bowl game this season. Dave Aranda and the Bears weren’t able to get to at least six wins this year and Baylor will be missing out on the college football postseason as a result.
Meanwhile, the team that eliminated Baylor from being eligible for a bowl game, the Houston Cougars, are absolutely thriving in the second year of the Willie Fritz era down in the Bayou City. Fritz managed to lead the Coogs to their ninth win of the season when Houston secured a road win in Waco over the Baylor Bears.
The most interesting element of this game is how Houston was able to build a solid, 14-0 lead early over the Bears, but Baylor was able to crawl right back into this game and make it a challenge for Fritz and company as it wore on.
Big 12 football standings, week 14: Willie Fritz and the Houston Cougars have secured their 9th win by beating the Baylor Bears
Here’s what the Big 12 standings look like following Baylor’s loss to Houston:
- Texas Tech Red Raiders (11-1 overall, 8-1 Big 12)
- BYU Cougars (11-1 overall, 8-1 Big 12)
- Utah Utes (10-2 overall, 7-2 Big 12)
- Arizona Wildcats (9-3 overall, 6-3 Big 12)
- Houston Cougars (9-3 overall, 6-3 Big 12)
- Arizona State Sun Devils (8-4 overall, 6-3 Big 12)
- Cincinnati Bearcats (7-4 overall, 5-3 Big 12)
- Iowa State Cyclones (7-4 overall, 4-4 Big 12)
- Kansas State Wildcats (5-6 overall, 4-4 Big 12)
- TCU Horned Frogs (7-4 overall, 4-4 Big 12)
- Baylor Bears (5-7 overall, 3-6 Big 12)
- Kansas Jayhawks (5-7 overall, 3-6 Big 12)
- UCF Knights (5-7 overall, 2-7 Big 12)
- West Virginia Mountaineers (4-8 overall, 2-7 Big 12)
- Colorado Buffaloes (3-8 overall, 1-7 Big 12)
- Oklahoma State Cowboys (1-10 overall, 0-8 Big 12)
Given how much Houston has improved from last season to this one (and the overall speed of the rebuilding effort happening with the Cougars), Fritz should absolutely be a top candidate for coach of the year awards this year. This is such an incredible jump for that program.