Oklahoma vs Houston recap: 3 things we learned

Three things we learned from Oklahoma vs Houston after a thrilling Week 1 matchup in college football

We should have known that Oklahoma vs Houston would bring the fireworks on Saturday. After all, these were two of the most exciting and quality teams in 2015 returning most of their key players. Even though we should have been expecting it, that didn’t make Saturday afternoon from NRG Stadium any less entertaining.

From the very start, both the Sooners and Cougars were opening up the throttle and going full-force at one another. Oklahoma picked up the early lead thanks to Joe Mixon and solid passing from Baker Mayfield. The experienced and exceptionally dangerous Greg Ward Jr. wouldn’t let his Houston team go away, though. He pieced together drive after drive and seemed to always come up with points. This led to Houston being up 19-17 at halftime.

That’s when the calamity truly began. Early in the third quarter, Bob Stoops elected to try and take a 53-yard field goal. Stoops’ call turned out to be a fatal error as the attempt fell way short and allowed Brandon Wilson to receive it. Wilson, a playmaker in his own right, turned on the burners and took off up the field. When the dust settled, he’d gone 109 yards for the kick-six score.

Even though Oklahoma put together a late fourth-quarter comeback attempt, the momentum was securely in favor of Houston from that point forward. Ward added another touchdown in the third quarter for a cushion that was enough to withstand the comeback attempt. As the final buzzer sounded, it was Houston knocking off the No. 3 ranked Sooners, 33-23.

With such a shocking result and way things played out, there’s a lot to learn. Here are the three things we learned from Saturday’s Oklahoma vs Houston matchup.

1. #Ward4Heisman

There’s no way to walk away from this game and not think that Greg Ward Jr. isn’t a viable Heisman Trophy contender. Not only is he on a team that’s going to make serious noise, but he’s so versatile and dynamic. He wasn’t even able to use his legs a great deal against Oklahoma and still torched them through the air. If I’m pencilling early Heisman ballots, Ward is on there without question.

2. Oklahoma’s Defense = Trash Emoji

Okay, so saying that the Sooners defense is trash might be a bit hyperbolic. However, they aren’t nearly the team they were on that side of the ball last year. Even if it was against a Herman offense that is fantastic, they looked lost oftentimes on Saturday. If they’re going to fight to get back into the College Football Playoff hunt, it’s going to start with improving their defense.

3. Houston Might Be a Viable CFP Contender

It’s only one game and there’s still plenty left to be learned about both teams. However, it’s impossible not to see a team like the Cougars handle the Sooners with ease and not think about their ceiling. Playing in the American, they should have a road to an undefeated season with only one more major test (Louisville) remaining. Subsequently, they could be bound for the College Football Playoff. Moreover, they’ll be dancing if they play as they did against OU.

For good measure, here’s a look at the highlights from Oklahoma vs Houston:

It’ll be interesting to see what’s next for both of these teams. However, this certainly throws an early wrench into what many people had planned for the 2016 college football season.