This is no longer just a good story. It’s still that, I suppose. But Houston’s rapid ascent into college football’s elite—a habitation reserved for a select few and a place unwelcoming to newcomers—is something more now.
Beating Florida State in a bowl game was fun. The little guy had his day. Fans were acquired. Momentum was gained. Houston, powered by Tom Herman—one of the best young coaches in college football—became a thing.
There was a ceiling, though. Or so we thought. We love the little guys in small doses because that’s the only environments that allow them to thrive.