Houston’s bounce-back win over Cincinnati did more than steady the Cougars in the Big 12 race. It pushed them right back into the upper tier of the AP Poll.
After a 31-24 homecoming victory at TDECU Stadium on Saturday evening, Houston climbed three spots to No. 14 in the Week 10 AP Poll. The Cougars entered the weekend at No. 17 and are now back in the top 15 for the second time this season.
The result moved Houston to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in Big 12 play, keeping the Cougars alive for another week in the conference championship chase. It wasn’t a flawless showing, but it was the kind of response Houston needed after a rougher stretch.
The Cougars were already sitting at No. 14 just three weeks ago in the Week 8 poll after beating a ranked Oklahoma State team, and this latest jump puts them ahead of USC and just behind Kentucky. Both teams are also 7-2.
Houston’s run in the rankings has now stretched to 11 straight polls since the season opened, the longest streak in the polls since the 1990 season. The Cougars began the year at No. 23 in the preseason AP Poll.
The recognition has carried over to the other major rankings, too. Houston was No. 16 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, and the College Football Playoff’s first rankings last week placed the Cougars at No. 17, the highest CFP ranking in program history. Their previous best in the CFP rankings was No. 18 during the 2015 Peach Bowl season.
With Houston moving up three spots in the AP Poll, a rise in the CFP rankings seems likely as well. Still, the Cougars will need to finish strong. The source points to a 10-2 record as the target to stay in the mix.
Three games remain, and two of them are on the road. Houston heads to Colorado on Friday night before a tougher trip to West Virginia in Morgantown in Week 12.
There’s still a path to the CFP if Houston can reach the Big 12 Championship and win it. And for now, the Cougars have something else going for them: both Houston football and basketball are in the top 15 nationally. Only Texas, Miami, and Tennessee can say the same, and Houston is the only program with that distinction along with a ranked women’s soccer team.
In Other News...
Houston Finally Ended A Frustrating Cincinnati Trend But Exposed A Concern
Houstons 31-24 win over Cincinnati at TDECU Stadium gave the No. 17 Cougars a needed response in a game that carried more weight than a typical November conference matchup. The victory pushed Houston to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in league play, with quarterback Weigman helping steady the offense and targets like Amare Thomas and tight end Patrick Overmyer contributing to a first-half lead that looked comfortable at 21-10 by halftime.
But the finish also offered a reminder that Houston is still sorting through some things. Cincinnati clawed all the way back to tie the game, and Houston had to rely on a late spark from ReShaun Sanford II plus a recovered backward pass to finally close it out, which is the kind of ending that can feel satisfying one minute and concerning the next. The Cougars got the result they needed, but the way it unfolded left plenty to clean up before the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Gets A Brutal Reality Check Ahead Of Ranked Houston
Colorado heads into Saturdays matchup with No. 17 Houston trying to steady itself after a loss to Arizona State, and the betting market has not exactly been kind to the Buffaloes. At Folsom Field, the Cougars arrive as the more proven side, carrying the rankings edge and the kind of profile that usually makes a road favorite feel comfortable even in a tricky setting.
For Houston, this is the sort of game that can reinforce its standing if it handles business away from home, while Colorado is looking for a response that would change the tone around its season in a hurry. The matchup brings together two teams with enough offensive intrigue to make it worth watching, but the spread also says plenty about how the oddsmakers see the gap right now. [Read more 🡒]