NCAA Football Rankings: With Top Teams Losing, Houston Rises To No. 7 In Coaches Poll

The Houston Cougars continue to win and keep climbing the polls, now sitting at No. 7 in this week's coaches poll.

Houston Vs. SMU Final Score: Cougars Take Care Of SMU, 37-7

The Houston Cougars had a lot to lose today and they came out victorious. Houston had extra pressure with ESPN's GameDay on site today and the win kept alive their chance at their first ever BCS bowl game. The Houston offense did not put up the fireworks that they normally do and were held 27 points below their season average of 54 points.  

Even though the passing game was not as lights out as normal, Houston quarterback Case Keenum did tie an NCAA record:

@skhanjr Case Keenum has now tied the NCAA record for 300 yard passing games (Timmy Chang, 36). 

On the day Keenum finished with 318 yards on 30-for-45 passing and with a touchdown and a pick. The defense really stepped up today by intercepting J.J. McDermott once in the endzone to stop the SMU drive. This was the third game this year that Houston held a team to seven points or fewer.

Now Houston has a date with Tulsa who is on a roll and undefeated in Conference USA. The winner of that game will advance to the Conference USA. However, Houston has their eyes set on a bigger goal and that is the BCS, and with today's win they are one step closer to reaching that goal.

Houston Vs. SMU: Cougars Put Up 10 Points In Third, Lead 23-0

After three quarters of play the Houston Cougars offense has not shown up as it has in the past, but the defense is making up for that by posting a shutout through three quarters of play. The SMU Mustangs nearly got on the board when the had a first-and-goal at the Houston five, but Phillip Steward made an athletic play to pick off J.J. McDermott in the end zone.

In the third quarter the Houston offense has been able to move the ball, but only got into the endzone once. Houston made it down to the SMU 5-yard line and had to settel for a 22-yard chip shot field goal. It was not until Case Keenum was able to connect on a 12-yard pass to Justin Johnson which was Keenum's first touchdown pass on the day and it extended Houston's lead over SMU 23-0. That touchdown was set up by the Houston defense which forced a McDermott fumble which was recovered by D.J. Hayden.

Barring a major collapse Houston should be on their way to victory and be 11-0.

Houston Vs. SMU Halftime Score: Cougar Offense Struggling, But Still Lead 13-0

The Houston Cougars offense which is one of the best in the country has been stifled by the SMU Mustangs defense and at the have half settled for two field goals and only one touchdown. Case Keenum is 16-for-23 with 166 yards but he has not been able to get into the endzone. There were a few downfield attempts but the passes were off the mark.

SMU was able to stop Houston on their first four drives by forcing them to punt twice and kick two field goals and it was the fifth drive where Houston was able to break through and get on the board. Houston scored on an impressive run by Michael Hayes that was for 36 yards.

The SMU offense has not been able to take advantage of Houston's sputtering offense and have been shut out so far. The rushing game has produced nothing and have only 11 yards as a team and the passing game is not doing much better with J.J. McDermott who is only 9-for-14 with 82 yards.

Heading into the half Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin mentioned that the offense needs to start running the ball better since the SMU defense is playing soft against the pass, plus he mentioned that the offense just needs to be more patient.

VIDEO: Lee Corso Curses On College GameDay, Officially Old And Senile

Houston Vs. SMU Game Odds: Cougars A 20-Point Favorite

The Houston Cougars are known for their offense and can put up points against any team and are tops in the nation in scoring at 54 points per game. The SMU Mustangs offense pales to Houston's as they average half of what Houston does at 27 per game. So, when the odds for this game came out it should not have been a surprise that Houston was listed as a 20-point favorite.

Houston Vs. SMU: TV Times, Radio Info And More

Houston's rolled several inferior road opponents in the C-USA to almost empty audiences this month, but Saturday's home game against in-state, in-conference rival SMU is an official sellout, with the secondary market for tickets thriving. The Houston Chronicle profiled the rising rate for tickets earlier this week, when head coach Kevin Sumlin officially announced a rare sellout at Robertson Stadium:

Amidst cheers and applause, Sumlin addressed the crowd and talked about the goings on of his program, including the arrival of the traveling pregame show, ESPN’s College GameDay. When it came to the SMU game, which is at 2:30 p.m. at Robertson Stadium, Sumlin said "If you have tickets, congratulations, because there are no more."

While UH has played to many capacity or near-capacity crowds at Robertson Stadium in recent years, it isn’t very often that a statement of that type can be made around Cullen Boulevard with five days to go before game day.

Date, Time: Saturday, November 19, 2:30pm CT

Location: Robertson Stadium, Houston, Texas

TV: FSN

Radio: 790 AM 

Streaming: none

For more on Houston, SMU and everything college football, check out SB Nation's college football news hub. 

SMU Injury Update: Mustangs Won't Have Star RB Against Houston

SMU's chances of spoiling their old Southwest Conference rival Houston's undefeated season took a devastating blow today when it was announced that Zach Line, their star RB, will be out of the season with a toe injury.

Line, a 6'1 230 RB, had averaged 5.9 yards per carry while rushing for 1,224 yards and 17 TD's this season.

Using Line to control the clock and keep Case Keenum off the field would have been crucial for the Mustangs, as they have struggled against spread offenses similar to Kevin Sumlin's this season. They gave up 46 points to Texas A&M and 38 to Tulsa.

Now their offense will be in the hands of senior transfer QB J.J. McDermott, whose thrown 14 TD's and 13 INT's this season.

If the Cougars can force McDermott into some early mistakes and give Case Keenum a short field, an SMU defense that's given up 27.4 points per game this season, 63rd in the country, could be in for a long day.

Houston Vs. SMU: ESPN Gameday Makes Their First-Ever Visit To UH

 ESPN's live "Gameday" broadcast will visit the University of Houston's campus for the first time ever on Saturday, setting up shop in front of Cullen Circle, adjacent to the Cullen Performance Hall and the University Center. Head coach Kevin Sumlin mentioned the extra attention that "Gameday" brings in his Tuesday press conference is a validation of the program's success.

"For our University it is fantastic. Not just for football, but for our city. It is a window to the world for the University of Houston. It is great, especially for recruiting. It validates what we are trying to do. We want to compete for championships and be a top twenty-five program."

Fans are encouraged to arrive as early as possible on Saturday morning for admittance to the "pit" behind the "Gameday" broadcast team. ESPN begins screening fans for entrance to the "pit" starting at 6 a.m. CT on Saturday, with the broadcast starting at 8 a.m. CT. 

The University of Houston has an official page set up for questions, schedules and info related to the "Gameday" broadcast, and the Houston Chronicle spoke with "Gameday" analyst Lee Corso this week, and revealed the Cougar-centric portions of Saturday's broadcast.

Coordinating producer Lee Fitting said the show will include Tom Rinaldi's interview with Case Keenum, an interview with Ware, who is calling the Kentucky-Georgia game for ESPN's SEC Network and, of course, lots of shots of excited UH fans.

"People always ask what is my favorite place to visit," said Fitting, who is in his eighth year with the show. "And I tell them it's anyplace we visit for the first time. The kids get so excited."

For more on the Houston Cougars, SMU and everything college football, visit SB Nation's college football news hub. 

Houston Vs. SMU: Mid-Majors Take Center Stage As ESPN Focuses On Cougars' BCS Hopes

Houston hopes to live up to the hype this time around, starting with a huge in-state game against the Mustangs Saturday.

Houston Has A Chance To Put "Coogin' It" To Rest Once And For All

Case Keenum and Houston have seen too many great chances slip through their grasp over the years. It's time to capitalize on one.

Houston-SMU - The Hottest Ticket In Town