Houston Moves Down in Week 5 AP Poll Even After Big Comeback Win
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The Houston Cougars went all-in on the space-themed helmets in the 27-17 win over UCF this past week. Houston was down 17-0 in the third quarter, but stormed back and scored 27 unanswered points in the second half total.
Houston improved to 4-1 on the season and won a critical Big 12 home opener against its biggest "Space Game" opponent. Although the Cougars eventually won by 10 points against a conference opponent that also came in at 3-1, it was not enough to move up or stay in the same spot in the AP Poll.
Houston moved down two spots in the Week 5 AP Poll to No. 22 in the country. The Cougars were No. 20 in the rankings heading into last week, which was the highest mark since 2021.
More on Houston's Ranking
Houston has remained ranked through the first six weeks of the season for the first time since 2016. UCLA moved up two spots from No. 23 to No. 21 thanks to being undefeated while Iowa took over Houston's previous No. 20 mark.
Missouri put together a tremendous performance over Florida and that allowed it to move up from No. 25 to No. 14. That, in return, was another reason why Houston moved down a spot. However, Mississippi State got demolished by 33 points to Alabama, and the Bulldogs only moved down one spot in the rankings.
Some of the movement in the AP Poll is always debatable week to week, but Houston staying in the high 20s after being down 17-0 to UCF in the middle of the third quarter is still somewhat fair. Houston remains the fifth Big 12 team in the top 25, with BYU up to No. 8, Texas Tech to No. 11 and Utah to No. 12.
Oklahoma State is currently No. 19 after a bye week, and is now three spots ahead of Houston. This could set up an intriguing Week 7 ranked matchup between the Cowboys and the Cougars at TDECU Stadium.
That will be a key test for Houston to pass to stay in contention in the Big 12. Houston did jump up one spot to No. 19 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. The Cougars are one spot ahead of Mississippi State in those rankings.
Houston is also one of four Texas teams that remains ranked in the AP Poll this week. Texas leads at No. 1 overall, followed by Texas Tech and then SMU at No. 24.
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Maanav Gupta is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He graduated from the University of Houston in the summer of 2025 with his bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Gupta spent three years at the student newspaper, The Daily Cougar, and also covered the 2025 Final Four and National Championship as Houston beat writer for College Basketball Review. He also has his own YouTube channel, Maanav’s Sports Talk, where he has interviewed professional athletes and broadcasters like Jim Nantz, Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt, Rich Eisen, and Alperen Sengun. Gupta was also a contributor to the Houston athletic program as a student. You can find Gupta on X, Instagram and TikTok @MGSportsTalk.