2011 was a very exciting year for the Houston Cougars, who were one win away from being potential BCS busters. But that one loss didn't dampen the spirits of the team. Even losing their head coach before the bowl game didn't slow down Houston. Entering 2012 with a new coach and a relatively new quarterback would make people think you aren't going to be very competitive.
While there will be some new faces in the offense this season, Sophomore QB David Piland is expected to pick up where Case Keenum left off. But Piland has seen some playing time back when Keenum was injured in 2010. He will have some help from junior running back Charles Sims who looks to carry the load for the Cougars this season.
Plus Piland will have a receiving corps with a lot of talent, including Houston’s first five star recruit Deontay Greenberry, who looks to be a force from the very first game. While they lost some quality players from the receiving corps, look for them to still put up some good numbers.
Houston has a very seasoned defense this year and will rely on the experience of the defense to keep them close in games. While they may struggle with a youthful offense, the defense will be able to pick up the slack and keep the Cougars in the hunt. The Defense may be the key to this team competing for a conference title, or being in the middle of the pack.
Coach Levine will be the man in charge for the first time and looks to continue the winning ways and keep Houston in the hung for a conference title. Levine and the Cougars would love to leave the Conference USA as champions and head into the Big East with a chance to compete for a championship in 2013.