Win the Turnover Battle
Houston is a very opportunistic defense. The Cougars led the nation last season with 35 total takeaways. Most of those (21) came on interceptions, but they did force 14 fumbles.
The Cougars also were one of the nation’s top teams a year ago in turnover margin. Their plus-21 margin ranked as the second best in the country.
This is a pretty solid indicator that Tom Herman’s Houston squad is not going to beat itself. The Sooners did a good job of protecting the football last season, but they’ll have to be better than just good against a team like Houston that thrives on its opponent’s mistakes.
It’s probably a safe assumption that the team that does the best job of protecting the football and wins the turnover battle will win this game.
Next: Austin Seibert's Big Leg