It's no secret the Sooners have one of the toughest non-conference schedules in recent memory.
According to Sports Illustrated's Gabriel Baumgaertner, two of OU's early-season tests could be among the most important games in shaping the race for the College Football Playoff.
Of the eight games Baumgaertner listed, his first two are Oklahoma's neutral-site meeting with Houston to open the season and its home showdown with Ohio State on Sept. 17.
"The reason this matchup matters? If the Cougars win this game (or keep it competitive), beat Louisville later in the season and eventually finish undefeated, they'll offer the first significant test for the playoff selection committee on whether a Group of Five team should make the semifinals," Baumgaertner wrote of Houston.