Now over halfway through the season, the Houston Cougars are one of the best stories in college football. Or, at least they should be.
After back-to-back 4-8 finishes, the Cougars are now 6-1 on the season and have already earned bowl eligibility for the first time since 2022. Willie Fritz’s team also appears to be one of the more resilient in the country, and Saturday’s 31-28 victory over the Arizona Wildcats, where the Cougars bounced back after blowing a 14-point fourth quarter lead to kick a game-winning field goal as time expired.
However, the Cougars continue to go unnoticed by the national media, and that’s very apparent in the polls.
Oct 18, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Conner Weigman (1) runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown during the second quarter against the Arizona Wildcats at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
Despite earning probably their biggest win of the season so far, the Cougars still can’t seem to find their way into the AP top 25. They’re the fourth team in the others receiving votes category with 34 points – placing them behind USC with 97 points, Utah with 40 and Tulane with 37 – so they’re essentially the No. 29 team in the rankings.
The main knock against the Cougars is that they don’t have a signature victory yet, as their win over Arizona was their first over a team with a winning record (at least in the FBS). They’ve also had some close games that really shouldn’t have been close, with their 27-24 overtime win over Oregon State, which just won its first game of the season on Friday, on Sept. 26, being the most notable example.
However, the Cougars are still a quality team, and they deserve a bit more respect in the AP Poll.
It’s a similar story in the Coaches Poll, as the Cougars are fifth in the others receiving votes category with 34 points. This essentially places them as the No. 30 team in the country, but that still feels a bit low with what they’ve accomplished so far.
Luckily, Houston has a chance to really impress the voters this week as it travels to face No. 24 Arizona State, which just knocked off undefeated Texas Tech on Saturday. If the Cougars can pull off the upset, it will be very hard to keep them out of the polls at that point.
The Cougars have been content to go about their business while flying under the radar, but they may be ready to make their presence known.