The Houston Cougars are now ranked No. 14 in the country, and this season so far has truly put the program back on the map on the big national stage. There were a lot of hopes for Houston in 2026 to truly compete in the Big 12 and make that contending jump.

That looks to have come to fruition through the first seven weeks. Houston is now bowl-eligible for the second straight season, but the Cougars and coach Willie Fritz have much higher expectations. Here's what we've learned about Houston.

Houston's Offense is Elite and One of the Most Balanced in the Country

One of the key points of an offense under Fritz is the balance between the run and the pass. Part of Houston's game plan is to be effective first by running the ball while also getting it done in the air. The Cougars have improved in both of those areas from last season thanks to the depth and talent around the offense.

Houston is currently the second-highest-scoring offense in the Big 12 at 39.3 points per game. The Cougars are fourth in rushing and seventh in passing yards per game in the conference. UH is 10th overall in the country in total yards per game at 485.1.

Houston is 36th in the country in passing yards per game and 16th on the ground. The Cougars have proven to be explosive in the air, but the balance between run and pass can sometimes hide that in the statistics. The Cougars have a tremendous one-two punch at running back between redshirt junior Re'Shaun Sanford II, who has run for 440 yards and two touchdowns, and the senior starter in Makhi Hughes has 464 yards and three scores.

The offensive line has created this balance with its elite play so far. The group is on the Joe Moore Midseason Honor Roll list, with its run blocking one of the best in the country and four of the 10 highest-graded offensive linemen in the Big 12. Center Anthony Boswell has been a massive part of that, with the top offensive grade among FBS centers and no sacks allowed so far. Boswell was just named the Outland Trophy National Player of the Week.

Conner Weigman Is One of the Best Quarterbacks in the Country

While Weigman has started to receive some well-deserved attention now, he's been the most underrated quarterback in college football. The fifth-year field general put together the best game of his career against No. 18 Oklahoma State with 343 yards and five touchdowns, along with 52 yards on the ground.

Weigman is tied for the most total touchdowns in college football with 26. He has 20 touchdown passes and just two interceptions through seven weeks, along with 229 yards and six rushing touchdowns. Both of his interceptions were also tipped in the air, with one of them definitely not his fault.

The former five-star product has thrown for 1,771 yards on an almost 68 percent completion rate. Weigman is fourth in total QBR, the only Big 12 quarterback in the top 10. He's top 30 in the country in numerous other categories such as completion percentage, passing yards, rating and yards per attempt.

Four-Man Pass Rush Has Struggled, But Defense Has Improved

The Houston defense had added more depth in a number of areas during the offseason, and it was expected to be a strong unit. The Cougars have been a good run defense so far, with just under 83 yards per game allowed. That's good for second in the Big 12 and fourth in the country.

It's been a different story than originally expected regarding the secondary. There's plenty of talent and experience in the back end, with two fifth-year safeties in Jordan Allen and Kentrell Webb, fifth-year transfer corner Jalen May, and redshirt junior corner Will James.

They've each played well individually, but it hasn't all come together. A big reason for that has been the lack of pass rush with four rushers. Prior to the season, it felt like Houston had what it took up front to get consistent pressure, with redshirt junior Ashton Porter, senior JACK Brandon Mack and Latreveon McCutchin among the top names.

It wasn't there at the start of the year enough, but it has slowly improved along with the secondary that has limited bigger plays and tackled better. Houston's defense is a work in progress, but it has also started getting those turnovers.