The bigger they are ...

I don't know what was more impressive on Saturday last, McNeese State's 40-35 win at Appalachian State or Houston's 45-35 defeat of Oklahoma State in Stillwater.

Both wins were potential season-makers. McNeese's win over the then-No. 2 team in the Football Championship Subdivision boosted the Cowboys from 16th-ranked to No. 8 in the FCS.

Newton native and MSU running back Todd Pendland was a straight-up man, amassing 127 yards rushing and 121 more receiving. Pendland accounted for 20 points on his own. Game ball time.

The then-unranked Cougars went to the No. 5 team in the country and put on a show from start to finish. The win earns them a berth in The Associated Press Top-25 Poll, with a debut at No. 21 this week.

It was the program's first win over a top-5 team since 1984 when the Cougs beat the University of Texas.

Momentum like this can turn into a special season if used properly. Houston has another big test this Saturday against Texas Tech. Can the Cougs make it 2 for 2 against the Big 12?

McNeese gets a breather at home against Savannah State.

College football in the area just got a whole lot more interesting.