Where Houston Ranks in New AP Top 25 After Kansas State Game

The Houston Cougars went to Manhattan, Kansas, and took care of business as 2.5-point underdogs yesterday.

Houston dominated, winning 35-16. As a result, the Houston Cougars have moved up in the rankings. Here's where they rank now:

Houston Moves Up to No. 20 in the AP Top 25.

The Cougars went up two spots in the AP Top 25 poll after crushing the Wildcats. Houston got off to a fast start and led 21-3 before the end of the first half.

Houston allowed two touchdowns in the second half after largely shutting down the Wildcat offense, but it also scored a couple of times. The tight end Patrick Overmyer caught four touchdown passes, the most by a tight end since Isaiah Likely, who also caught four touchdowns in 2021 with the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers.

The Cougars also totaled 475 yards on offense, led by quarterback Conner Weigman and the running back room. The Wildcats presented a unique road challenge and brought the nation's best secondary. However, the secondary didn't perform well, while Weigman showed great poise and delivered when he needed to.

Houston definitely changed the national perception of the Cougars in 2026, even though they only moved up two spots. Houston showed cracks in its foundation against the UCF Knights the week prior, needing a big rally to win 27-17 after going down 17-0 in the third quarter.

That left some doubt surrounding the talent of the now 5-1 Cougars, which was probably why the Wildcats were favored to win this game. Fortunately, though, Kansas State ended up being no match for Houston.

The Cougars Now Enter the Biggest Two Weeks of the Season

Houston's next game will be against the No. 18, 4-1 Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Cougars host the Cowboys, who have won four straight games after an embarrassing 24-10 season-opening loss to the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes.

Since then, the Cowboys have been hot, defeating the No. 6 Oregon Ducks 39-31 in a stunning Week 2 upset and not losing since. Quarterback Drew Mestemaker and the high-powered Cowboys offense will pose a big challenge for the Houston secondary, which finally looked good against the Wildcats.

This game alone is a test for Houston, but then on Oct. 24th it must face the No. 11 Utah Utes, who have yet to lose but recently struggled to beat the Kansas Jayhawks. After these two massive games, the Cougars will then get to recuperate with a bye week.

Obviously, any College Football Playoff hopes or Big 12 hopes in 2026 are in the balance in the next couple of weeks. Even if Houston loses once, well, it is likely out of contention for the Big 12. Twice? And all CFP hopes are officially dead.

The good news is simple: this past Saturday showed that Houston can be a force to be reckoned with. The Cougars dominated a strong Kansas State team. If people thought Houston couldn't win its next two games, the Cougars proved them wrong.

Houston moved up slightly in the latest AP Top 25 poll. But like many other teams, voters want to see the Cougars prove themselves a bit more. If Houston wins its next two games, it will climb the rankings.

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