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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.

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With the big names in college football losing left and right, the Houston Cougars went out and took care of business with the spotlight getting brighter on them as the season's end gets near. With the 37-7 victory over SMU on Saturday, Kevin Sumlin's bunch is now at No. 7 in this week's coaches poll, and with rivalry week and conference championship Saturday coming up, its not unfathomable to think that Houston could end up in the top 5.

If Houston wins out, a spot in the Sugar Bowl could be in their reach. Key word is, win.

Here is the full USA Today Coaches Poll for Week 12:

Rank
Team (first-place votes)
Record
Points
Last week's poll
1.
LSU (59)
11-0
1,475
1
2.
Alabama
10-1
1,413
3
3.
Arkansas
10-1
1,349
6
4.
Virginia Tech
10-1
1,242
7
5.
Stanford
10-1
1,222
9
6.
Oklahoma State
10-1
1,156
2
7.
Houston
11-0
1,075
10
8.
Boise State
9-1
982
11
9.
Oregon
9-2
933
4
10.
Michigan State
9-2
928
12
11.
Oklahoma
8-2
826
5
12.
Wisconsin
9-2
808
13
13.
South Carolina
9-2
806
14
14.
Georgia
9-2
803
15
15.
Kansas State
9-2
671
17
16.
Michigan
9-2
618
18
17.
Clemson
9-2
587
8
18.
TCU
9-2
494
19
19.
Penn State
9-2
455
21
20.
Baylor
7-3
302
NR
21.
Georgia Tech
8-3
203
23 (tie)
22.
Nebraska
8-3
165
16
23.
West Virginia
7-3
158
23 (tie)
24.
Notre Dame
8-3
156
25
25.
Virginia
8-3
154
NR

Dropped out
No. 20 Southern Mississippi (9-2, lost to Alabama-Birmingham 34-31), No. 22 Florida State (7-4, lost to then-unranked Virginia 14-13).

Others receiving votes
Rutgers (8-3) 54; Auburn (7-4) 33; Southern Mississippi (9-2) 25; Tulsa (8-3) 23; Brigham Young (8-3) 21; Arkansas State (9-2) 10; Northern Illinois (8-3) 10; Missouri (6-5) 8; Texas A&M (6-5) 4; Utah (7-4) 3; Florida State (7-4) 1; Iowa State (6-4) 1; Texas (6-4) 1.

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