UH v OU Texas Advocare Bowl battle @ NRG on Saturday

Someone wearing red on Saturday will win the most anticipated college football game of the 2016 opening weekend as possible Big 12 entry #15 University of Houston hosts third ranked Oklahoma Sooners. The game features two of the best coaches in college football,two prolific offenses and a multitude of GREAT storylines one of which are the parallels between Cougars head man Tom Herman and Oklahoma’s winningest coach Bob Stoops.

UH’s Tom Herman and Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops face off in what will either be a bloodbath or a nailbiter…Don’t expect any in between for these two clubs.

In the beginning

Stoops is a native of Youngstown, Ohio and like Herman, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio came up through the ranks under legendary coaches. While the Cougars top guy was learning under Mack Brown, Paul Rhoads and Meyer. Stoops was studying his craft under Hayden fry at Iowa, Dickie Crum at Kent State, Bill Snyder at Kansas State and Steve Spurrier at Florida.

Both started as graduate assistants at their alma maters; Herman at Texas Lutheran and Stoops at Iowa.

Stoops has been at Oklahoma nearly as long as Herman has been coaching. Herman began at Texas Lutheran in 1998 while Stoops took over the Sooners program in 1999.

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Immediate impact

Each brought their teams to national relevancy in one season. In his first season following a 38-24 New year’s Day bowl win over Florida State, the Cougars under Herman were ranked number eight in both the AP and the Coaches Poll, their highest finish since 1979.

The Sooners under Stoops won seven games in 1999 and earned their first bowl appearance in five seasons. The following year, Oklahoma won the 2000 national championship, its first since Barry Switzer was at the helm in 1985.

Tom Hermann came to Houston last season with high hopes and if anything his Cougars exceeded all expectations. finishing 13-1 and a berth in the Peach Bowl.

Each lead defending conference champions into the 2016 season. Stoops and the Sooners won their ninth Big 12 title in 2015 while Houston gathered in the American Athletic Conference crown. For his team’s effort, Stoops was the 2015 Big 12 Coach of the Year and Herman was the 2015 Co-Coach of the Year in the AAC.

Both teams ranked in the top 20 in total offense with just two total touchdowns and 50 yards per game average separating the two sides.

Premium signal callers

The two schools feature two names that Texas knows well. In 2011, Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr was the quarterback of Tyler’s John Tyler High School football team that lost to Waco Hewitt Midway in the state semi-finals. The loss postponed a state finals meeting Ward and Lake Travis signal caller and now Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. Fast forward to 2016 and the two meet in one of the most notable games on the 2016 college schedule. Ward is listed as a Heisman hopeful by Vegas bookmakers while Mayfield finished fourth in the 2015 Heisman voting. Although the two met previously at the Manning Passing Academy, they have never met on the gridiron until now.

On a personal note

Both coaches have three children. Each have a daughter and two soons.

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