Colorado Buffaloes vs Houston Cougars Picks and Prediction - Friday, September 12, 2025
The Colorado Buffaloes (1-1, 0-0 Big 12) are looking to build off last week as they are coming off a 31-7 home win over the Delaware Blue Hens on Saturday. Sophomore quarterback Ryan Staub led the way as he completed 7-of-10 passes for 157 yards with a pair of passing touchdowns.
The Houston Cougars (2-0, 0-0) are looking to continue their hot start to open the season as they were able to win on the road on Saturday 35-9 over the Rice Owls. Junior quarterback Conner Weigman was able to play well as he completed 15-of-22 passes for 188 yards with one passing touchdown as well as running for 10 times for 23 yards (2.3 yards per carry) with a rushing touchdown.
Find the edge fast with our NCAAF picks for Colorado Buffaloes vs Houston Cougars.
Buffaloes Looking for Consistency
The Colorado Buffaloes were able to pick up a 31-7 home win over the Delaware Blue Hens in their Week 2 game. The offense saw all three quarterbacks get action, but Ryan Staub is expected to be the starting quarterback going forward. The team saw wide receiver Sincere Brown (four receptions, 120 yards, 1 TD) step up and really make the offense go as the running game was mediocre and no one really showcased themselves in that aspect.
The defense of the Colorado Buffaloes was able to step up; they gave up seven points on 396 total yards (312 passing, 84 rushing). The Blue Hens were limited to just 2-for-10 on third downs and 1-for-3 on fourth down. Colorado’s exciting factor on this side of the football was the fact that they forced three turnovers (two fumble recoveries, one interception). It will be exciting to see how Colorado looks with the team figuring things out.
Injury Report for Colorado
- Wide receiver Omarion Miller: Undisclosed (Questionable)
- Running back Dallan Hayden: Undisclosed (Questionable)
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Cougars Looking for 3-0 Start
The Houston Cougars are looking to continue showcasing their talents and are coming off a massive 35-9 road win over the Rice Owls in Week 2 action. Conner Weigman was able to play well as he completed 15-of-22 passes for 188 yards with one passing touchdown as well as a rushing touchdown. Running back Dean Connors led the way on the ground with 13 carries for 132 yards (10.2 yards per attempt) with two rushing touchdowns.
The defense of the Cougars was able to completely control this game as they allowed nine points on 205 total yards of offense (51 passing, 154 rushing). The defense completely stepped up as they held the Owls to 4-for-15 on third downs and did not allow a fourth-down conversion on two attempts. Houston’s defense also forced a takeaway as Will James returned an interception to the house. If the Cougars are able to continue playing this well, they could quickly find themselves as a ranked program.
Injury Report for Houston
- Wide receiver Marquis Shoulders: Undisclosed (Questionable)
- Running back Re’Shaun Sanford II: Undisclosed (OUT)
Colorado Buffaloes vs. Houston Cougars Pick
Spread Pick for Colorado Buffaloes vs. Houston Cougars
- Houston Cougars -6.5 (5 units)
The Houston Cougars are clearly the better program in this game and should be able to continue stepping up. Colorado is sending Ryan Staub as the team’s starting quarterback, so they are still in the process of figuring out what they will be offensively. This team still has talent, but it will take time trying to replace Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and QB Shedeur Sanders. The Buffs also allowed Delaware to record five sacks against them last week, so this Cougar's defensive line should step up. It’s also incredibly difficult to see Colorado scoring much of anything, as Houston is allowing just 4.5 points per game. All in all, go with the Houston Cougars to win by at least a full possession at home.
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Over/Under Pick for Colorado Buffaloes vs. Houston Cougars
- Under 42.5 (4 units)
Until we are able to see Ryan Staub really look like he can be a solid quarterback, it is going to be difficult to believe in him as a legitimate quarterback option to lead Colorado’s offense to the end zone consistently. Houston’s defense has been on fire and have ran the football for just shy of 200.0 yards per game, meaning they can chew clock. Conner Weigman has not thrown for massive touchdown numbers as he has just four touchdown passes thus far. With both teams not looking flashy offensively, go with under 42.5 total points to hit here.
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