Big 12 play opens up in the Lone Star State on Friday night, as Coach Prime’s Colorado Buffaloes face off with the Houston Cougars in Week 3.
Colorado vs. Houston kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN at TDECU Stadium in Houston, as the Cougars led by QB Connor Weigman will look to stay undefeated.
Meanwhile, the Buffaloes are expected to start redshirt sophomore Ryan Staub at QB, who started the year as the third-string QB, but threw two TDs vs. Delaware.
Below, we'll break down our Colorado vs. Houston prediction and picks for this intriguing matchup to start Big 12 action in college football on Friday.
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Colorado vs. Houston Prediction, Preview for Friday
The only time the Colorado Buffaloes and Houston Cougars have ever played came in the 1971 Bluebonnet Bowl at the Astrodome in Houston. Colorado won, 29-17, but it took over 50 years for these teams to lock horns again.
The major question heading into Friday’s tilt is whether or not the Buffaloes can keep up their winning ways when they travel away from Boulder, as they find out if Staub is their guy at QB.
Colorado Preview
Deion Sanders’ squad lost the season opener at home to Georgia Tech before knocking off Delaware — in its first FBS season — last week, 31-7. The Big 12 schedule gets tough following Friday’s game at Houston, as the Buffs face BYU, TCU, Iowa State, and Utah over the next month.
The storyline for the Buffs is their starting QB: Staub steps in over the presumed top two QBs on this team going into the season — senior Kaidon Salter and five-star freshman Julian Lewis, who may be headed for a redshirt.
Staub went 7-of-10 for 158 yards and 2 TDs last week vs. Delaware to earn the start here, but he's certainly on shaky ground, as all three QBs have already got playing time this season.
Regarding the road play for Colorado last season: After getting routed at Nebraska in the second game of 2024, the Buffs won four of their final five away contests.
Houston Preview
The Cougars rolled past Stephen F. Austin and Rice to open the season 2-0 for the first time since 2018. Houston’s 3 offensive TD’s against Rice came from 42 or more yards, while the Cougars also returned an interception for a score.
Although it came in two plus matchups, Houston ranks first in college football, allowing just 2.41 yards per dropback this season — next best Louisville at 2.98 yards. Staub will get his first career start in a hostile environment, on a Friday night primetime game, vs. a defense that has been shutdown vs. the pass thus far.
Houston finished with a 35-9 win over Rice, but the Owls were in that game until the fourth quarter, when the Cougar pulled away.
In their second season in the Big 12, the Cougars struggled in league play, posting a 3-6 record. In seven of those games, Houston was held to 18 or fewer points.
Colorado vs. Houston Picks for CFB DFS & PrizePicks
Here are three Colorado vs. Houston picks to target for CFB DFS on PrizePicks tonight. Use this analysis to make your CFB predictions on PrizePicks for Friday's Colorado vs. Houston matchup on Friday night.
Houston QB Conner Weigman Projection: 187.5 Passing Yards
According to PFF, Weigman’s offensive grade through two games sits at 57.1, which ranks 230th out of 286 QB’s in the country in this run-heavy offense.
The Texas A&M transfer has yet to reach 200 passing yards in two games for Houston, finishing the Rice victory with 188 yards. The junior is finally getting an opportunity following three seasons at Texas A&M in which he never threw for 1,000 yards in a season.
In four of the last five games dating back to last season, Colorado has not yielded more than 200 passing yards.
Colorado WR Joseph Williams Projection: 34.5 Receiving Yards
Colorado WR Joseph Williams was held to 1 catch for 10 yards in the season opening loss to Georgia Tech. He bounced back by hauling in 4 receptions for 55 yards against Delaware, including a 31-yard catch.
Colorado has kept the ball in the air so far this year, with 56.7% of its plays coming via the pass.
Williams compiled 588 receiving yards in his freshman season at Tulsa before transferring to Colorado. In six of seven games last season, Williams racked up at least 50 receiving yards.
Houston TE Tanner Koziol Projection: 46.5 Receiving Yards
Houston TE Tanner Koziol spent his first three seasons at Ball State before transferring to Houston. Last season, Koziol brought in 94 receptions for 839 yards for the Cardinals, making him one of the top tight ends heading into the transfer portal.
Through two games, he has already made an impact on the Cougars’ offense. In the opening shutout of Stephen F. Austin, Koziol put up 63 yards and a touchdown.
He followed up that performance with 52 receiving yards against cross-city rival Houston, marking the 10th game in the last 14 tries with at least 50 yards.
According to PFF, Koziol is the highest ranked Houston offensive player at his position, posting a 72.1 offensive score and ranking 51st among tight ends in the country.
Make CFB Picks on PrizePicks
Colorado and Houston seek their first Big 12 victory of the season and get things going with conference play on Friday night to kickoff Week 3.
There’s never been a better time to add to the excitement of every college football game than with PrizePicks, where you can cash in on your college football predictions.
Just pick at least two player stat projections and predict More or Less to build your Lineup on PrizePicks and cash in if your picks are right..
Check out the Playbook throughout the remainder of the CFB season for more analysis for your PrizePicks and CFB DFS Lineups.
