Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Group of Five: Week 9 Access Bowl Power Rankings

By Zach Bigalke

Dec 22, 2015; Boca Raton, FL, USA;Toledo Rockets tight end Michael Roberts (80) is brought down by Temple Owls defenders in the 2015 Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Duyos-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2015; Boca Raton, FL, USA;Toledo Rockets tight end Michael Roberts (80) is brought down by Temple Owls defenders in the 2015 Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Duyos-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 13
Next
Oct 29, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Greg Ward Jr. (1) runs for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Central Florida Knights at TDECU Stadium. The Cougars won 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars quarterback Greg Ward Jr. (1) runs for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Central Florida Knights at TDECU Stadium. The Cougars won 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

After losing to SMU on the road, the Cougars nearly stumbled again away from Houston in Week 9. Down at one point 24-6 to UCF, Houston scored 25 unanswered points in the second half to steal away with the upset bid. Greg Ward Jr. threw three interceptions against the Knights, and neither he nor Duke Catalon could get the running game going. Though they pulled out the victory to move to 7-2 on the season, Houston looks more and more vulnerable with each passing week and any chance at defending their conference title looks further and further away.

The Cougars will be hoping for Tulsa to knock off Navy in two weeks, as it could create a situation where the division leaders are all 1-1 against one another. But Houston must also win out, something that is hardly guaranteed. They get a much-needed bye next week to regroup before back-to-back home games against Tulane and Louisville. The regular-season finale at Memphis over Thanksgiving weekend no longer looks like it will be a winner-take-all affair, but with the right results Houston could still be in the AAC mix at the end of the month.

Home/College Football Rankings