Undefeated Houston can handle Cincinnati

In his first season at Houston, football coach Tom Herman has been a big reason the American Athletic Conference is making some noise nationally.

First, Memphis knocked off Southeastern Conference power Mississippi, and then previously undefeated Temple gave Notre Dame all it could handle last week before losing in the final moments.

Houston's resume to date might lack the pizazz of its AAC brethren, but the Cougars are perhaps the wild card of the bunch. In the first College Football Playoff rankings released this week, Memphis was listed at No. 13, Temple No. 22 and Houston No. 25.

Herman, Ohio State's offensive coordinator for last season's national championship run, long was considered one of the game's top assistants. He has the Cougars off to a 8-0 start entering today's home game against Cincinnati.

Herman's work has gained him acclaim as an up-and-comer in the college ranks, and some have suggested this might be his only season at Houston. The Miami opening is just one of the jobs for which Herman's name has come up as a possible candidate.

First things first, however, and Herman has the Cougars in the thick of the AAC conversation.

Sophomore Greg Ward Jr., who saw extensive time at wide receiver as a freshman, is a true dual-threat quarterback, having rushed for 16 touchdowns and passed for 11. The Tyler, Texas, product, who attended the same high school as NFL Hall of Famer Earl Campbell, is on track to throw for more than 3,000 yards and rush for more than 1,000.

With Ward leading the way, I recommend taking the Cougars as 8½-point favorites over the Bearcats.

Five more plays for Saturday (home team in CAPS):

* NORTHWESTERN (-2) over Penn State — After starting 5-0, including a season-opening home win over Stanford as double-digit underdogs, the Wildcats took a step back with decisive losses to Michigan and Iowa. Still, Northwestern should be energized coming off a bye. The Nittany Lions and underachieving quarterback Christian Hackenberg are playing for the 10th straight week without a signature win.

* Iowa State (+25) over OKLAHOMA — These are not the same Cyclones — at least they haven't been since Joel Lanning replaced Sam B. Richardson at quarterback. In its past six quarters, Iowa State has outscored Baylor and Texas by a 44-10 margin.

The Sooners have had difficulty getting their backers to the window in recent years as big conference favorites, covering just four of their past 11 when favored by 20 or more points.

* OKLAHOMA STATE (+5) over Texas Christian — TCU is simply not the same team outside the borders of Texas. Since joining the Big 12 before the 2012 season, the Horned Frogs have failed to cover in six of seven tries as out-of-state road favorites.

Like TCU, Oklahoma State is 8-0. Unlike the Horned Frogs, the Cowboys are not getting much mention as a possible entry in the four-team playoff. Mike Gundy is a coaching moneymaker, with his Oklahoma State teams covering 59 percent of its games overall since he took over in 2005.

* Navy (+9) over MEMPHIS — The Tigers arguably have been the darlings of the AAC this season. But Navy's option attack, led by record-setting quarterback Keenan Reynolds, poses problems for any opposing defense.

The Midshipmen are cast in their preferred role as road underdogs, having covered 24 of their past 34. With matchups against Houston and Temple looming the following two weeks, look for the Tigers to show up a little stale.

* Arizona State-WASHINGTON STATE (Over 66½) — Both high-flying Pac-12 teams like to play fast, and both rank in the top 10 in offensive plays per game. Last year, in a 52-31 Arizona State victory, the teams combined for 161 plays. This game should yield similar results. The Cougars under coach Mike Leach are averaging just a shade under 40 points in five conference games.

Last week: 3-2 against the spread

Season: 22-23-5

Paul Stone of VegasSportsAuthority.com is providing college football analysis for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.