Five universities Texas Tech fans would love to kick out of the Big 12

Houston is a potential problem that Texas Tech would rather not have to deal with

Though no Texas Tech fan would admit it in mixed Big 12 company, Houston is a potential problem now that it is in the Big 12. Thus, it would be best if Tech could just annex the Cougars back to where they came from.

To understand what Houston could become in football, look at its history. There was a time when the Cougars were one of the best programs in the Southwest Conference.

From 1976 to 1990, the Cougars finished in the AP Top 25 six times. During that span, they finished as high as No. 4 in the nation (1976) and they won four conference titles. What's more, in 1989 they produced Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware.

Right now, the Cougars are a Big 12 afterthought. What's more, they are an afterthought in their own city.

But they have hired a head coach in Willie Fritz who worked wonders at Tulane and who many think will make the Cougars relevant in the Big 12. He will have the most talent-rich recruiting area in Texas to call home and Houston has enough big-money boosters to be a player in the N.I.L. game.

The Cougars have already built a national basketball powerhouse by hiring the right coach (Kelvin Sampson). The thought of Fritz doing the same for their football program seems unlikely but the thought of "what if" is unsettling. Thus, it would be great if Tech had the power to ship Houston off to football Siberia instead of having to let them try to figure out how to eventually thrive in the Big 12.