INSTANT IMPACT
OU-HOUSTON SEASON OPENER ARRIVES WITH LOTS AT STAKE FOR BOTH TEAMS
When Oklahoma and Houston were announced in September 2014 as the participants in the 2016 AdvoCare Texas Kickoff, the college football landscape for those two schools looked radically different than today.
The Sooners, 2-0 and ranked fourth nationally, had a star quarterback. Fellow by the name of Trevor Knight.
The Cougars, coached by Tony Levine, were 1-1, having opened their season — and their new TDECU Stadium — with a 27-7 loss to Texas-San Antonio.
Tom Herman was offensive coordinator at Ohio
State; his Buckeyes had just lost at home to Virginia Tech. Baker Mayfield was sitting out a transfer season at OU, with everyone wondering what in the heck he was thinking, trying to compete with Knight.
OU-Houston hardly seemed like inspired scheduling.
But what was born innocently enough now arrives at a most remarkable crossroads.
A possible glorious season for the Sooners — led by Mayfield, the hottest quarterback this side of Deshaun Watson — now has an extra landmine.
A possible glorious season for the Cougars — led by Herman, the hottest coach in America — now has an extra launchpad.
All within the fervor of Big 12 expansion, with Houston hailed as a leading candidate but OU clearly wary of adding another Texas school.
It’s Shakespearean, I tell you, and it has a major American city abuzz.
Houston mayor Sylvester Turner, a UH graduate, even predicted a Cougar victory by multiple touchdowns. Given a mulligan last May, Turner stood by his prediction.
“There’s not a place I go in this city that people don’t know Houston and Oklahoma are playing in NRG” Stadium, said UH athletic director Hunter Yurachek. “There’s an excitement unlike anything I’ve seen.”
Talk about fortuitous timing for Houston. The Cougars went 13-1 last season and beat Florida State 38-24 in the now-major Peach Bowl. Herman stayed in Houston, despite reports of Georgia and South Carolina trying to turn his head. Quarterback Greg Ward Jr. returns as a veteran senior playmaker.
And in July, the Big 12 announced it was back in the market for expansion candidates.
“That’s part of the buzz going on right now for sure,” Yurachek said. “Our goal for awhile now has been to put ourselves in the best position possible to compete at the highest level. Potential door opening, potential opportunity to do that, you kind of feel a level of energy around our entire campus, anticipation tied to the game, tied to the talk of Big 12 expansion. Just a phenomenal level of energy on our campus.”
The outcome of the OU-Houston game shouldn’t affect expansion talks. You can’t make such huge decisions based on one scoreboard on a particular Saturday. But obviously the game is vital to UH’s profile as a legit contender to join a college football power conference.
“We’re doing everything we can do,” Houston board of regents chairman Tilman Fertitta said Thursday during a press conference to announce his $20 million donation to renovate UH’s basketball arena. “We think in the next 60-90 days, it will all be over and hopefully the University of Houston will be in the Big 12.
“I think there is a whole lot of support out there. I just don’t see how you can’t say Houston when it’s all over with.”
Well, the six non-Texas schools can see it. Especially OU and OSU, which fear that Big 12 membership could galvanize the Houston program the way it did TCU’s. Even the Texas schools, despite public support from Texas Tech and the University of Texas, have to have qualms about adding a fifth school from south of the Red River.
“I feel a lot of the (Big 12) presidents feel the league is Texas heavy already,” Iowa State president Steve Leath told the Ames Tribune last month. “It’s a little problematic … all I can say on that is they will get a fair shake. They certainly have a lot of factors we’re interested in.”
Houston absolutely would fill the short-term void that the Big 12 seeks, of better football. A Houston/Brigham Young combination would increase the league’s football status immediately. You don’t want to bring
And Houston has a someone who makes your ready answer for those conference weaker.” who wonder if the Cougars And so arrives the could inflict recruiting OU-Houston drama, with damage onto fellow Big 12 so much more at stake schools. According to fig- than just the outcome of ures compiled by UH, the a football game. Except to Big 12 has increasingly lost the people who will decide Texas high school recruits the outcome. to the SEC, since Texas “The furthest thing from A&M joined that league in any of our players’ mind is 2012. In 2010, SEC schools the Big 12,” Yurachek said. signed only three of the top The game is an “opportunity 50 Texans. In 2016, SEC to prove ourselves schools signed 20 of the against one of the best programs top 50 Texans, and A&M in the country and accounted for just six of one of the best programs those 20. in the history of college
“If I remember correctly, football. one of President (David) “If we win that game, we Boren’s comments was, he still have 11 more to play. If was looking for a member we lose that game, still we that would make the Big have 11 more to play. To say 12 competitively better,” that has any bearing on any Yurachek said. presidential vote would be
“Concern over Houston, reaching.” what that could mean, But to say it won’t be on shows we could bring a the minds of 70,000 people different level of competitiveness. at NRG Stadium, and If you’re a football millions more watching on coach and you want a ABC, would be misleading. metric that can help you What was scheduled get in the College Football as a decent game at best Playoff, playing an opponent has turned into a crusade. the quality of Houston The third-ranked Sooners …” against the 15th-ranked
Yes, UH would get some Cougars, with not just conference recruits away from Big 12 pride, but conference schools. UH also would get affiliation meeting at some recruits away from a crossroads. SEC schools.
“They’re all pulling kids out of the area,” Yurachek said. “Competition is a great thing.
“You want to make your conference better.