2014 Record: 8-5

2015 Las Vegas Season Win Total: 8.5*

2015 Season Win Total Picks NCAA Football: 'Over'

Tony Levine had coaxed back-to-back eight-win seasons out of the Cougars. But it wasn't enough to save his job as Levine was axed to make room for former Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman. Herman, fresh off a national title with the Buckeyes, inherits a team with just 11 returning starters and will be installing new systems on both sides of the ball.

Houston rebounded from an ugly season-opening loss to Texas-San Antonio to still get eight wins and a bowl victory over Pittsburgh. Also, none of their other four losses were by more than one score, and only one occurred in a game in which Houston was favored.

The Cougars have a very manageable schedule again this year. They have to travel to rebuilding Louisville in Week 2. But the Cardinals are the only one of Houston's first six opponents that won more than three games last year. The Cougars do have to travel to Central Florida. But then they get three straight and four of their last five games at home.

Houston is very much a wild card in the AAC. Their quarterback-running back duo seems tailor-made for Herman's offensive approach. But QB Greg Ward was a wide receiver as recently as last October. And Farrow will be working behind an uneven line. Houston's secondary is stacked. But the team is switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense, and there will be some growing pains.

I like how things set up for the Cougars, and they have a schedule begging for 10 wins. I think they'll lose at Louisville, at UCF and against Cincinnati. That means they have to sweep the rest of their games, including against Vanderbilt on Halloween. That's a tall task, but I think they can pull it off. Shop around for this number and see if you can get 8.0, though. That's much better value.

2015 Houston Cougars Schedule

DATE OPPONENT TIME (ET) Location

Sat, Sep 5th, 2015 Tenn Tech 08:00 PM TDECU Stadium

Sat, Sep 12th, 2015 at Louisville 12:00 PM Papa John`s Cardinal Stadium

Sat, Sep 26th, 2015 Texas State TBA TDECU Stadium

Sat, Oct 3rd, 2015 at Tulsa TBA Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman S

Thu, Oct 8th, 2015 SMU 08:00 PM TDECU Stadium

Fri, Oct 16th, 2015 at Tulane 09:00 PM Yulman Stadium

Sat, Oct 24th, 2015 at UCF TBA Bright House Networks Stadium

Sat, Oct 31st, 2015 Vanderbilt TBA TDECU Stadium

Sat, Nov 7th, 2015 Cincinnati TBA TDECU Stadium

Sat, Nov 14th, 2015 Memphis TBA TDECU Stadium

Sat, Nov 21st, 2015 at Connecticut TBA Rentschler Field

Sat, Nov 28th, 2015 Navy TBA TDECU Stadium

All Times EST

*Season Win Total Odds from 5Dimes Sportsbook.

Robert Ferringo has been the top football handicapper in the country the past two years, earning nearly $13,000 in total football profit with back-to-back winning seasons. Robert has tallied over $20,000 in football profit the last four years and in 2013 he hit 62.1 percent for the entire NFL season (95-58). Robert has produced an incredible 12 of 16 winning football months. Going back further he has churned out 35 of 51 winning football months, four of five winning overall seasons, seven of eight winning preseasons and he is at nearly 60 percent winners over his last 600 football picks. Also, Robert's proprietary KING College Football Betting System has posted two of three winning seasons and is 101-71 over the last two years (58.7 percent).

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