Should the Houston Cougars Be Receiving Votes in the AP Poll?
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After the Houston’s thrilling overtime comeback victory over the Oregon State Beavers, the Cougars join elite company as one of college football’s few undefeated teams to this point.
Over the course of Week 5, many undefeated programs fell, including LSU, Georgia and Penn State. Houston narrowly avoided joining that group of teams, blocking a field goal and making one of their own to seal the deal late Friday night.
After the Week 6 AP Poll came out, each undefeated program was receiving votes except for two: Houston and Navy. Have the Houston Cougars done enough to woo the AP voters?
Houston Needs to Hustle
No matter how tough the opponent, it seems like the Houston Cougars have shown their “H-Town Hustle” and found a way to win. Despite their unwavering success in the win column what more do the Coogs have to do? They started the season with a victory over an FCS opponent, something most programs do. They decidedly beat their cross-town rival Rice in a historic rivalry game, they beat a Colorado team with high expectations, and showed they can get it done in close quarters with an Oregon State team that faced Oregon State and Texas Tech.
At what point does Houston become undeniable?
Houston’s chances at sneaking into the AP Poll really comes down to what happens on Saturday night when the No. 11 Texas Tech Red Raiders make the trip to TDECU Stadium. If the Cougars can come out on top, there is no doubt they would grace the Top-25.
No. 19 Missouri and No. 23 BYU are both ranked despite similar strengths of schedule to Houston, and South Florida, Utah, Mississippi State, Memphis, Louisville, Southern California, Maryland, North Texas, TCU and UNLV are also receiving votes despite losses.
Houston coach Willie Fritz has seeming been Midas to football programs, with anything he touches turning to gold. He was able to turn around the Sam Houston State Bearkats, build Georgia Southern, turn the Tulane Green Wave into a dominant team, and now he set his sights on the Houston Cougars. So far, it seems like Fritz turning Houston into a formidable opponent is eminent.
While the Coogs have used sub-par teams as punching bags in 2025, they will not grace the Top-25 until they get a win, maybe even multiple, over top-25-caliber teams. Upcoming games against the Red Raiders, Arizona State and TCU will be crucial down the stretch for Houston’s playoff hopes.
