Oklahoma poised to finish what it started

Oklahoma will learn quickly whether it has what it takes to return to the College Football Playoff.

The Sooners made a surprising run to win the Big 12 title last season before losing to Clemson in the national semifinals. Now, with much of the key talent returning from that 11-2 squad, Oklahoma is poised to finish the job.

The Sooners will be tested immediately when they open with Houston at Reliant Stadium on Sept. 3. Two weeks later, they will host Ohio State in one of the season’s biggest games.

“There’s two of the teams in the top 12-13 in the country, and deservedly so,” Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said of Houston and Ohio State. “Excellent football teams.”

In conference play, the Sooners will play at TCU on Oct. 1, then will play Texas in Dallas the following week. If the Sooners can get past the second weekend of October unscathed, they’ll be in position to have some margin for error if they fall later in the season.

“Our season, the front part of it is very loaded up,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “We have been preparing to be ready for the season at the very beginning. We can’t have any rust to knock off. We have to go in ready to play, and that’s how we’re treating camp right now.”

Here are some things to watch for this season.

HEISMAN HYPE: Mayfield, one of the nation’s most exciting and innovative players, finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting last season after passing for 3,700 yards and 36 touchdowns.

He is still striving for improvement.

“My work ethic has been the same, if not even harder,” he said. “I’ve been pushing myself and I need those guys to see that, because if they were to see me taking a day off or just saying, ‘Oh, I’ve got it figured out,’ that wouldn’t be good for the program. So I’ve been working hard and that’s how I expect the other guys to do it, too.”

SEASON OPENER

Sept. 3 vs. Houston at Reliant Stadium.

PREDICTION

12-0 regular season, Big 12 champion.