No. 3 Oklahoma Sooner vs No. 15 Houston Cougars
After Baker Mayfield put himself in the Heisman Trophy race last year and with Greg Ward Jr. looking to do the same in 2016, both the Oklahoma Sooners and Houston Cougars have big expectation for this season. However, one team’s hopes and dreams of doing big things will go down in flames right away in Week 1. That’s because they’ll begin their respective college football seasons with a matchup from NRG Stadium in Houston on Saturday afternoon.
This game will be broadcast on ABC on Saturday afternoon. That means that live streaming through the game can be accessed through WatchESPN. If you log in to WatchESPN online or through the ESPN app with a cable or satellite subscription, you’ll be ready to roll.
Details for Saturday’s game are below:
Date: Saturday, September 3
Start Time: Noon ET
Location: Houston, TX
Stadium: NRG Stadium
TV Info: ABC/ESPN3
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Keys to Victory
For the Sooners, it’s going to begin with Baker Mayfield and end with Samaje Perine on the offensive end. Even with the loss of Sterling Shepard, these are two of the most exciting players in the country. Both figure to be in the Heisman mix and should have success anywhere. The key, though, comes with their defense. Oklahoma’s defense left something to be desired at times last season. So when they’re up against a player like Greg Ward Jr., you have to wonder what they’ll look like trying to contain him.
Though the defense of the Cougars will be key in trying to slow Mayfield and Perine, it truly is Ward or bust for Houston. The electric quarterback burned defenses regularly last season and looks to do it again in 2016. However, the Sooners are one of the best he’ll face all year. Thus, how he responds will likely determine the outcome for Houston.
More fansided.com: 30 Best College Football Quarterbacks of All-Time
Betting Odds
Oklahoma is heavily favored in this game over Houston, despite the Cougars being ranked No. 15. Bovada has the Sooners favored by 12 points. They also expect a big scoring day at the sportsbooks as it’s set at 68 points on Saturday.
Prediction
You’d love to take Houston here. Everyone’s doubting them when you look at that line and then consider what everyone’s saying. However, that just doesn’t seem like the wise move. The Sooners are a legit College Football Playoff contender yet again. And while I think Ward will put up points and highlights, I don’t believe Houston has the defense to do anything about Mayfield and Perine.
Pick: Oklahoma Sooners: 38, Houston Cougars: 28