Where Houston Ranks in New AP Top 25 After Texas Tech Game

Interestingly, despite Friday night's loss, the Houston Cougars remain ranked in the AP Top 25. This should give Houston more confidence moving forward.

Houston Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman gives the ball to running back Makhi Huges against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Houston Cougars came close to upsetting the now No. 11 Texas Tech Red Raiders on Friday night. However, their 28-26 loss didn't knock them out of the AP Top 25 or out of contention for the College Football Playoff and the Big 12.

Here's where Houston ranks after Week 3:

Houston Falls Three Spots in Week 4 AP Top 25

Houston fell from No. 22 to No. 25 in the Top 25. Despite the loss, AP voters recognized Houston's effort and kept the Cougars in the rankings.

This loss feels like something that Houston can still come back from. In Week 1, Louisville lost by just three points to the talented Ole Miss Rebels. Louisville didn't fall out of the rankings despite being ranked No. 24. Now, the Cardinals are No. 16 and recently impressed with a 41-31 win over the former No. 16 SMU Mustangs.

This shows that Houston can bounce back from this loss if it strings together some wins down the road. The Cougars' Big 12 hopes are hurt by the loss to the reigning Big 12 champs, but they can still contend for the conference if they do well in the future.

What's Ahead for the Cougars

The schedule ahead doesn't seem too rough for the Cougars:

@ Georgia Southern, vs. UCF, @ Kansas State, vs. Oklahoma State, @ Utah, vs. Cincinnati, @ Colorado, @ West Virginia, vs. Baylor.

Houston faces some potentially major challenges. This includes three straight weeks of potentially strong opponents at Kansas State, vs. Oklahoma State, and at Utah. That three-week stretch could be brutal or could kick-start Houston's season because, aside from those games, Houston is probably the better team in the rest of their games.

At. West Virginia may also present a big challenge after the Mountaineers beat the ranked Virginia Cavaliers (38-27 win on the road). But the road ahead doesn't really have a game that the Cougars can't win.

Being ranked should encourage Will Fritz and his Cougars, showing there is still a good chance of contending for a College Football Playoff spot or even the Big 12 title.

How Houston Can Bounce Back Immediately

To become contenders, Houston needs to fix a couple of things, starting against the Georgia Southern Eagles. The Eagles have a solid QB in Max Johnson, who has put up strong numbers so far in 2026: 619 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.

Houston's secondary has been abysmal so far, especially against Texas Tech. The Red Raiders went 6/10 on 3rd down, and many of those conversions were long. Houston's defense couldn't get off the field when they needed to. To clean things up and compete in the future, the first thing that needs improvement is, easily, the pass defense.

Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Will Hammond passes against the Houston Cougars in the first half at Galaxy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Houston also needs to improve its sack production. The Cougars have only six sacks so far and managed just one sack on Friday night. An effective pass rush can make life a lot harder for a QB in the future. If Houston can clean up those two issues, they will be a really good team in 2026.

The good news is that this new ranking in the AP Top 25 shows that the voters have some confidence in Houston. Otherwise, the Cougars would've easily tumbled out of the rankings. Whether the Cougars can use this to get better in the future will be a big question. But there is definitely a reason to believe Houston can still be a really good team in 2026.