Houston back on national stage (cont.)

Houston was the only school to offer Case Keenum a scholarship, but he has developed into a prolific passer. Thomas B. Shea/Icon SMI

"He brought a lot of discipline to the program that we needed," said Keenum. "A lot of what he's done is still coming into effect, little stuff like pregame routines to how we travel to the way we practice and the way we meet."

Shaking off a 1-3 start, the Cougars finished 8-5 in Sumlin's debut season, including a 70-30 explosion against then 8-1 Tulsa. Shortly thereafter, Sumlin and his staff signed a recruiting class they hope will help elevate the program to a new level.

Houston signed 11 Rivals.com three- or four-star prospects -- one more than in its previous three classes combined -- and Sumlin has not waited to put his young talent on the field. This year's squad includes nine starters recruited in the past two classes, most notably sophomore running back Bryce Beall, a 1,247-yard rusher last season who caught the go-ahead touchdown against Oklahoma State. Remarkably, five of the top eight defensive linemen are true freshmen, including starting end Zeke Riser.

"These coaches are building a program," said Yeoman. "We're located in an area where there are an inordinate number of good players available, and these guys have gone out and found them. With about one more good year of recruiting and playing together, these guys could go play anyone in the country."

That may sound a little lofty, but consider the sport's present landscape. Both Boise State and Utah have produced significant BCS bowl wins and earned national prestige despite residing in untraditional football locales. A program such as Houston's, with both a recognizable history and a talent-rich backyard, seems like a potential juggernaut in comparison.

Sumlin's timing could not be better. Hurry-up spread offenses have become the rage at Texas high schools, from which a slew of successful college quarterbacks (Keenum, Colt McCoy, Chase Daniel, Todd Reesing, et. al.) have emerged in recent years.

"There are a bunch of positives we should be able to take advantage of," said Sumlin. "We don't have to be a one-hit wonder, but a team that sustains success."

Several obstacles remain in the program's path. For one, Conference USA has garnered little national respect since the Big East pilfered Louisville, Cincinnati and South Florida in 2005, so the Cougars will have to keep scheduling -- and beating -- BCS conference teams. (Houston also visits Mississippi State, on Oct. 10. Next year, the Cougars travel to UCLA and Texas Tech and host the Bulldogs.)

Also, fan support may always be an issue. As Keenum noted, "We've had people wearing other teams' jerseys on campus in the past." A lack of natural rivalries in the Cougars' conference certainly doesn't help -- lifelong Longhorns or Aggies fans don't come running to see Houston face Southern Miss and Memphis.

Most important, however, is the question of how long the school will be able to keep Sumlin. His name has already surfaced as a replacement for struggling Colorado coach Dan Hawkins. Sumlin signed an extension last winter through the 2013 season (with a reported annual salary of $700,000), but if Houston has a big season, his stock will continue to rise.

"He knows what it takes to win," said Klingler, who lives in Houston and served as a radio analyst for Cougars games in past seasons. "There are a lot of guys who can call plays, but he stresses attention to detail, work habits and the things that make you successful.

"U of H has made some strides, but for them to go onto the national stage, they have to win 'em all."

First comes Texas Tech, a team with its own high-octane offense and a defense that held No. 2 Texas to 340 total yards last Saturday.

The last time Houston played in a game of this magnitude, it didn't end well. On Sept. 12, 1991, the No. 10 Cougars fell 40-10 at No. 1 Miami. Two weeks later, they fell out of the rankings, and they didn't return until last week. Sumlin, though, won't let the past cloud the present.

"Being ranked in '91 has nothing to do with this team," Sumlin said. "Our expectations have been pretty high since we've been here."

Win Saturday, and expectations from around the country will be pretty high, too.