A year ago, under new offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley, Oklahomas schedule allowed them to ease into things especially on that side of the ball.The Sooners started the season with Akron before moving on to a much more difficult task: going to Tennessee in the second week.This season, there wont be a chance to steadily ramp things up as No. 3 Oklahoma starts off with No. 15 Houston on Saturday at NRG Stadium before playing No. 6 Ohio State at home two weeks later.If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best, Sooners cornerback Dakota Austin said. If you can pop it off and just get it out of the way, you know what youll bring to it.Its a great opportunity to show what youre worth early in the season. Once we get in conference play, we can capitalize on that.Houston, one of the top candidates outside the Power 5 to crash the playoff party after a 13-1 season capped with a New Years Eve destruction of Florida State, no longer looks at itself as the underdog. The Cougars view the opener as a must-win to give the January dream any prayer of coming true.Weve raised the bar so high and our internal expectations of the culture around here ... Whats the saying? Weve created a monster, Herman said. And youve got to feed the monster.Oklahoma has aspirations of returning to the College Football Playoff, where they were beaten in the semifinals by Clemson to end last season. That 37-17 loss in the Orange Bowl -- the Sooners second consecutive bowl loss to the Tigers -- has been a focus for Oklahoma throughout the offseason.Losing to the same team twice, two years in a row, theres definitely a chip on our shoulder, Austin said. We know how far we can go. We know how close we have gotten by not even playing our best. Were really focused on that this offseason and I feel like well have a way better team this year.In order for that to be a possibility, Oklahoma needs a strong start.Rileys task figures to be easier, having figured out how to utilize running backs Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon into his wide-open offense and with quarterback Baker Mayfield and his two tackles on the offensive line returning. Perine, a junior, needs just 1,057 yards to become Oklahomas all-time leading rusher, passing Billy Sims.But Riley is guarding against complacency.You cant feel comfortable here, Riley said. If I feel comfortable, Id be selling my house here in a year. You dont feel comfortable at this place. Thats how you want it though. Thats what I want. I want a place where you expect to win. Last years over. None of that matters. We have to go win games this year. We have one of the toughest schedules in the country that we have to get ready to go attack.Sooners coach Bob Stoops said that while his players might use last year as motivation, its not something he considers.I dont tie years together; I never have, Stoops said. If they were living off the past they sure got woke up in the Orange Bowl. That was all over on that night. Point being: years, in my mind, dont tie together. You have new people, new guys in new positions, different schedule. Its a whole new thing.Oklahoma leads the series with Houston 2-0, winning the last meeting 63-13 in Norman in 2004. The other meeting came in the 1981 Sun Bowl which the Sooners won 40-14. Cheap Jazz Jerseys . After taking two big hits this week -- losing at home and dropping back-to-back games for the first time all season -- Indiana struck back by playing its most complete game of the year. Custom Jazz Jersey China . 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Christine Sinclair, the Canadian star who scored the winning goal in the bronze-medal match at the Olympics this summer, has been named the Canadian womens Player of the Year for the 13th time.The 33-year-old forward, who also plays for the Portland Thorns of the National Womens Soccer League, won the honor Thursday based on a poll of Canadas coaches and the media.Sinclair had seven goals and four assists in 17 overall appearances this year with the national team, which won its second straight bronze medal at the Summer Games.Christine Sinclair is such a great Canadian, and this is reflected in her leadership of our team, not only in the way that she can inspire her teammates, but also in the way that she can inspire all Canadians. She thoroughly deserves this award, said Canada coach John Herdman.Sinclair had six goals and two assists in 11 appearances for the Thorns this season. She was not available to play a full season because of Olympicc training with the national team.dddddddddddd She was the NWSL Player of the Month for June with three goals and an assist in four games.In February, she surpassed Mia Hamm for second on the all-time international goal list with her 159th international goal. Sinclair now has 165 goals in 250 career matches, second only to Abby Wambach.Sinclair, a 17-year veteran of the team, is credited with raising the profile of the Canadian womens team.The mentality of the team now is were heading into every game to win. I love that these younger player expect to win and they know no different. All they know is Canadas been to back-to-back Olympic podiums, lost in the quarterfinals of a World Cup and is ranked fourth in the world, she said in a conference call with reporters. They expect nothing less and I absolutely love it. ' ' '