The Houston Cougars were unable to retain a 10-point lead against the Utah Utes yesterday as the Utes offense surged.

The Cougars lost disappointingly, 21-13. As a result, here's where the Cougars rank in the new AP Top 25:

Houston Falls to No. 18 in the AP Top 25

The Cougars' defense was a bright spot, shutting out the Utes in the first half. The first half featured missed opportunities, as Houston turned the ball over on downs after failing to convert on fourth-and-one.

Houston also failed to punch the ball into the end zone late in the first half, settling for a field goal instead of a touchdown. The Cougars left 11 points off the board and couldn't execute when they needed to in the first half.

The high-powered offense scored a touchdown on the first drive of the second half, putting Utah in a difficult position. Unfortunately, Utah responded with a touchdown to make it 10-7. Houston got a field goal to make it 13-7 on the next drive, but Utah responded again.

Utah took the lead and didn't look back. Houston's final four drives ended with a punt, a punt, a fumble loss, and a turnover on downs. Quarterback Conner Weigman fumbled deep in Houston territory, leading to another touchdown from the Utes and a 21-13 lead.

Houston couldn't tie the game, as the final drive ended with an incompletion in the end zone. This game stings for Houston, especially after Texas Tech and BYU lost yesterday. Houston was primed to look like the best team in the conference with a win, but it just couldn't execute when it needed to most.

The Cougars fell only four spots in the rankings and can rebound from this loss. But with the number of chances Houston had to do something significant in this game, this loss feels like a major disappointment.

How Can Houston End Its Regular Season?

Now, competing for the Big 12 doesn't seem realistic (two conference losses). But competing for a College Football Playoff spot is realistic. The Cougars enter a much-needed bye week next, during which they must recover and return strong.

Houston will finish its regular season with the following schedule: vs. the Cincinnati Beacats, at. the West Virginia Mountaineers, at. the Colorado Buffaloes, and vs. the Baylor Bears. Some games now seem noticeably more challenging, especially its next matchup against the Bearcats (defeated Texas Tech 37-24 yesterday).

However, Houston will have a great chance to go 4-0 in this stretch. The Cougars must execute better and have to get things together over this bye week, but this schedule seems more friendly than not.

This loss just doesn't feel nice for Cougar fans. But now Houston is in a situation similar to many other teams with two losses. Many coaches must answer the question, "Can this team survive the second half of the season?" It's not all doom and gloom in Houston.

The Cougars will have a significant chance to bounce back. Falling only four spots shows that. It will be hard for fans to forget this loss, but the Utah loss will begin to fade if Houston does what it should for the rest of the schedule: show it is an elite team.