Written By: Evan Perkins
The Houston Cougars (0-1) seek to get back on track when they face the 15th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners (1-0) on Saturday, September 7 at 7:45 PM ET at Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners are heavy favorites with a point spread of -30.0 (-105).
The Cougars are coming off a disappointing 27-7 loss against the UNLV Rebels. They failed to generate much offense through three quarters and finally scored a touchdown in the fourth.
Donovan Smith struggled with 15 of his 31 passes completed for 135 yards, along with two interceptions. The offense did not have much flow, so the receivers and running backs could have had more success too.
They threw for 235 yards and allowed 308, which does not bode well for their momentum coming into the Sooners' game. They also cannot turn the ball over against them, or this game will be out of reach quickly.
The Cougars do not have many weapons to show for their offense, which could become stagnant against a stronger defensive team like the Sooners. Their defense also struggled against a weaker quarterback and offensive line.
The Sooners breezed past the Temple Owls 51-3 in their season opener at home, scoring 34 points in the first half to effectively end any chances for the Owls to creep back. Jackson Arnold was practical with his passing, completing 17 of 25 passes, and had four touchdowns.
Arnold accumulated 141 yards, while Taylor Tatum had five carries for 69 yards and a touchdown. They only had possession of the ball for about 28 minutes, but it was enough to score points and get back on defense quickly.
They forced the Owls to turn the ball over six times, and they did not commit any turnovers themselves. They had 378 total yards and held the Owls to 197. If they swarm the Cougars and force bad passes, this game will be out of reach quickly.
Since Smith only completed half of his passes and had two interceptions, the Sooners' defense will swarm him and remain aggressive all game. This will be the most significant factor behind their success.
College football betting odds for the Houston Cougars vs. Oklahoma Sooners battle are brought to you by MyBookie, who has the Sooners as 30.0-point favorites. The Cougars have many issues on both sides of the ball, and there is likely not enough time to fix this prior to this game.
According to market research, the Sooners have a 96.7 percent chance of winning at home. Based on recent trends from both teams' first performances, the Sooners have an excellent opportunity to cover the spread.
