Houston Football: 5 reasons why Cougars will struggle in 2017

Houston football hopes to win the AAC and play in a New Year’s Six bowl. Here are five reasons why the Cougars will stink in 2017 instead.

Houston played in the Peach Bowl two years ago, knocking off Florida State after finally getting a chance to play in a major bowl game. But the Cougars couldn’t manage to return to a New Year’s Six game in 2016. Despite knocking off Big 12 champ Oklahoma and the Louisville team of Heisman winner Lamar Jackson, the Cougars failed to claim their own league title.

Instead they lost three league games, dropping out of AAC West contention before November even rolled around. The Cougars were forced to watch as Navy and Temple played for the conference crown. They couldn’t help but stink in 2016 even though they were good enough to dominate two Power Five foes.

Then they watched quarterback Greg Ward Jr. graduate and head coach Tom Herman bolt for Austin and the Texas gig. Houston played Mountain West champ San Diego State in the Las Vegas Bowl. Major Applewhite was the interim coach as the team jumped to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. They still held a tenuous 10-6 lead at the half, but then the Cougars coughed up four second-half touchdowns to lose 34-10.

Applewhite already had the head coaching job prior to that stinker of a showing. Cougars fans are hoping it was an anomaly. They want a championship season in the American Athletic Conference and a chance to return to a major bowl. But here are five reasons why the Cougars might stink again in 2017.