College Football Rankings 2016: Projected AP Top 25 after Week 5

Sep 30, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies running back Myles Gaskin (9) tosses the ball to an official after scoring on a eight-yard run against the Stanford Cardinal during the second half at Husky Stadium. Washington won 44-6. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports /

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Sep 29, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Greg Ward Jr. (1) scores a touchdown on a keeper during the second quarter against the Connecticut Huskies at TDECU Stadium. The Cougars won 42-14. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

Greg Ward Jr. went off on Connecticut in the Cougars’ four-touchdown victory on Thursday night. The quarterback completed 84 percent of his passes for 389 yards and three touchdowns and added another 65 yards and two rushing scores. UConn actually played a decent game, holding Houston scoreless in the first quarter, but once the floodgates opened there was no stopping Tom Herman’s team from nabbing its eighth straight win.

Last year the Huskies dealt Houston their only lost last year, so that crisis is averted. While they are still technically a mid-major program, Houston has big-time ambitions. The Cougars take on Navy in Annapolis next weekend in a game with big AAC West implications, and they close out the year with a tough stretch of top-five Louisville at home and a Memphis team that has its own ambitions on the AAC title this season. If they go undefeated, they’ll have a serious case for College Football Playoff inclusion.

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