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The Houston Cougars recently moved up in the AP Top 25 after an exciting Saturday win. The win showed that the Cougars aren't done yet with making significant noise in the college football world.
That leaves the important question: where do the Cougars fall in the College Football Playoff Rankings?
Last week, the Cougars ranked No. 17 in the CFP rankings, the same ranking they held in the AP Top 25 before moving up three spots yesterday. Reaching the Top 12 is crucial to get to the CFP this season, especially for a Big 12 team.
The Cougars played an interesting game against Cincinnati, that's for sure. No one knew what kind of team the Cougars would take on in the Bearcats, who either play extremely well, or the opposite.
Overall, it was extremely good. After taking a 14-0 lead, the Bearcats crawled back into the contest, keeping it close until they tied it at 24-24 late. On the next drive, however, running back Re'Shaun Sanford II smoked the Bearcats' defense, running for a long touchdown to put Houston back in the lead.
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Cincinnati drove down the field, but then Bearcats quarterback JC French IV threw a backward pass that running back Zylan Perry dropped. After review, the pass was ruled a fumble, which Houston recovered. Behind running back Makhi Hughes, the Cougars were able to run out the clock, coming away with a narrow win.
In my opinion, the AP Poll got it right; I think that the CFP rankings will reflect that. The win wasn't horrible, but it wasn't the most convincing thing in the world. I expect that the Cougars will move to 14 in the CFP. The good news is that's not bad.
Let's recap some stunning games. The LSU Tigers got belted by the Alabama Crimson Tide 31-13, falling to 6-3 and barely remaining ranked. The Ohio State Buckeyes allowed 38 unanswered points in a 41-28 loss to the Oregon Ducks, dropping to 6-3. The Ole Miss Rebels were surprisingly crushed by the Georgia Bulldogs 42-7, suffering their third loss.
The BYU Cougars fell to 7-2 after falling short of upsetting the No. 2 Utah Utes. The field is looking better and better for the Cougars, who still have only two losses. The Cougars finish their season by visiting the Colorado Buffaloes, visiting the West Virginia Mountaineers, and finally hosting the Baylor Bears.
What an ideal situation! If Houston finishes 10-2, it's not only on track to reach the CFP, but also to potentially play in the Big 12 title game. This season needs to be more than another 10-3 season where the Cougars finish with a bowl win. Houston has to fix one current issue, but that seems very possible.
Houston needs to focus on getting wins right now and stay focused on the road right in front of them, but this season has so much potential. It will be intriguing to see where the Cougars rank.