HOUSTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 27: Traville Frederick Jr. #85 of the Houston Cougars celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown in the second half against the Louisiana State Tigers during the Kinder's Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium on December 27, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images For the first time as members of the Big 12 Conference, the Houston Cougars enter a season with a number beside their name.Houston checked in at No. 23 in the preseason AP Top 25. It’s the program’s first preseason ranking since starting No. 24 in 2022 and highest preseason ranking since 2016, when it opened at No. 15. This marks the Cougars’ third preseason AP Top 25 appearance of the 21st century and 13th in program history.The Cougars are the fourth highest-ranked team in the Big 12, sitting behind No. 12 Texas Tech, No. 14 BYU, and No. 21 Utah. These were the top four Big 12 teams ranked in the final 2025 AP Poll, and they remain in the same order. It is noteworthy that all five Big 12 programs (the four aforementioned teams, plus TCU) that finished ranked in 2025 are ranked lower in the 2026 preseason AP Poll. In Houston’s case, it fell just one spot after landing at No. 22 last January.Houston is the fifth-highest ranked team in the state of Texas, following No. 5 Texas, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 12 Texas Tech, and No. 19 SMU.The reigning Texas Bowl champions return 12 primary starters from last year’s 10-3 finish, highlighted by starting quarterback Conner Weigman and All-Big 12 selections Amare Thomas and Will James. In addition to strong roster retention, the Cougars landed notable transfers additions including running back Makhi Hughes and guard Shadre Hurst, both of whom were two-time First Team All-American Conference honorees at Tulane.Houston opens its 2026 campaign at home against Oregon State, a matchup which featured a thrilling overtime finish in 2025. Kickoff is slated for 12 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. CT on ESPN, and a number will be adjacent to Houston’s name for that contest.Here is the full 2026 preseason AP Top 25:RankTeam2025 RecordConference1Ohio State12-2Big Ten2Oregon13-2Big Ten3Georgia12-2SEC4Notre Dame10-2Independent5Texas10-3SEC6Indiana16-0Big Ten7Miami (FL)13-3ACC8Texas A&M11-2SEC9Ole Miss13-2SEC10Oklahoma10-3SEC11LSU7-6SEC12Texas Tech12-2Big 1213Alabama11-4SEC14BYU12-2Big 1215USC9-4Big Ten16Michigan9-4Big Ten17Washington9-4Big Ten18Penn State7-6Big Ten19SMU9-4ACC20Tennessee8-5SEC21Utah11-2Big 1222Iowa9-4Big Ten23Houston10-3Big 1224Louisville9-4ACC25Missouri8-5SEC

Source: Yahoo Sports