The Houston Cougars are entering some season-defining weeks. Houston got a much-needed bye week after taking a disappointing 21-13 loss against the Utah Utes.

Here's where Cougars rank in the newest AP Top 25 rankings:

Houston Moves Up One Spot In the Rankings

The Cougars fell four spots in the AP Top 25 after the loss to Utah. The Cougars, after the bye week, moved up to No. 17.

On Tuesday, a major ranking will be released. The College Football Playoff rankings will be released for the first time in 2026. Finishing in the top 12 by the end of the season will be critical to a team's College Football Playoff chances. It will be interesting to see whether the Cougars rank higher, lower, or the same in the CFP rankings.

Houston is entering the end stretch of the season. Head coach Willie Fritz and Houston know a 9-3 team will struggle to enter the CFP. An SEC team, or even a Big Ten team, might find their way into the CFP, but a Big 12 team doesn't really have that luxury. This means that the main goal is simple: 4-0. Houston starts its end stretch by hosting the Cincinnati Bearcats in Week 10 in what could be an interesting challenge.

The Bearcats are a dangerous team - sometimes. At times, the Bearcats are playing poorly or playing like a different and dangerous team. A couple of weeks ago, the Bearcats simply routed the undefeated Texas Tech Red Raiders at home, winning in thrilling fashion 37-24.

Texas Tech just wasn't a match for a Bearcats team playing with so much energy and excitement. And then, they got a quick and ugly reality check that just didn't feel good.

Yesterday, the Bearcats got another chance to pull off a big upset against Utah. Unfortunately for the Bearcats, they were no match for the undefeated Utes. The Bearcats lost 49-25 and were dominated.

The Cougars have yet to lose at home this season, and they are hoping to continue their good ways against the Bearcats. Then, the Cougars visit the Colorado Buffaloes and West Virginia Mountaineers. Houston will finish the regular season by hosting the Baylor Bears.

Houston is too talented to go 9-3 or worse this season. It must rally after this bye week, use the time off to clean things up, and come back stronger. The Cougars have moved up in the rankings and have a chance to continue to do so with a not-so-bad schedule in front of them.

It will be interesting to see how Fritz and the Cougars respond after the Utah loss. Especially after having an extra week to get things going in the right direction.