A s the week went on, University of Houston’s football players started to feel more and more like TCU did in Bill Belichick’s ESPN infomercial of a North Carolina opener. Like an afterthought. A virtual non consideration. Only this one felt even worse. Because Willie Fritz’s team was at home. Not that anyone nationally seemed to notice that or anything else about this UH program. Not with Deion Sanders and his merry army of influencers in town for Colorado football.

“I was sitting with (running back) Zane Smith in the hotel today and we were watching the Pat McAfee Show and our game came up and not a word was said about Houston,” UH running Dean Connors says. “I kind of looked at (Zane) and said, ‘That’s motivating.’ ”

It turns out The After Thought has plenty of bite. Willie Fritz’s

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