USF Football: Game-by-game predictions for 2017
By Zach Bigalke
Last season, Houston was supposed to be the American Athletic Conference team that made waves on a national level. The Cougars were coming off the conference title and a win over Florida State in the Peach Bowl in 2015. They were able to knock off Oklahoma and Louisville, but lost three league games to fall out of contention.
The Bulls did not play Houston last season. Three years have passed since the two squads last met in 2014. That year, the Cougars won 27-3. This time around, the team lost both head coach Tom Herman and starting quarterback Greg Ward Jr. That could hurt Houston as they try to get back to the top of the AAC.
Last year the Cougars faded down the stretch. Houston lost its last two games at Memphis and against San Diego State in the Las Vegas Bowl. They will be looking to right the ship under offensive coordinator-turned-head coach Major Applewhite.
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PREDICTION: South Florida 41, Houston 24 (10-0)
Both teams will already comfortably be in secure position to make a bowl game. This could even be a game of ranked teams if both USF and Houston can maintain their winning focus. In this showdown, Houston’s defense will keep it in the game, but South Florida will get an early lead and then trade points the rest of the game.