College Football Playoff: Projected Top 4 after Week 3

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Sep 15, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Greg Ward Jr. (1) carries the ball for a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the second half at Nippert Stadium. Houston won 40-16. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

I had Houston in my top four last week and I’m keeping them right where they belong at No. 4 in the projections. The Cougars were ready to jump to third or potentially second following a huge 40-16 victory against Cincinnati on the road, but the teams ahead of them impressed even more.

Houston found itself in a dogfight with the first game of AAC action against Cincinnati underway, but the Cougars survived and they will now advance.

Greg Ward Jr. returned from a shoulder injury after missing a Week 2 contest against Lamar and it seemed like he was a little shaky early on. The Cougars were down 16-12 with about 15 minutes to play but Houston wasn’t ready to let the Bearcats steal its national title hopes.

The Cougars scored 28 straight points in the fourth to win 40-16, asserting their dominance against a lesser opponent in a hostile environment.

Ward Jr. finished the game with 326 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions while completing 24-of-36 passes. He will need to avoid crucial picks moving forward if the Cougars are going to keep staving off potential upsets.

Tom Herman is now 16-1 as the head coach of Houston. Pretty impressive, if you ask me.

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