NORMAN — Oklahoma didn't have many issues last week's 48-point win over Temple.

But it did show some areas where the Sooners need to improve.

Saturday's game against Houston isn't likely to test the Sooners too much. The Sooners are a 30-point favorite against the Cougars, who are coming off a 27-7 loss to UNLV last Saturday. The Cougars have struggled since joining the Big 12 last year — they've won just four of 13 games, with those victories coming over UTSA, Sam Houston, West Virginia and Baylor.

Obviously the Sooners can't overlook anybody, though it's difficult to expect the Cougars to challenge the Sooners. But there's still some things for the Sooners to figure out before facing a tougher test next week in Tulane and before SEC play begins in two weeks.

Here's a few things to watch when the Sooners take the field:

When: 6:45 p.m. CT

Where: Oklahoma Memorial Stadium

TV: SEC Network

Radio: 107.7 FM

"(Houston coach Willie Fritz) and his staff are really know for being well-coached and incredibly disciplined, patient. Gonna play a tight game, try to get it to the fourth quarter, try to possess the ball, run it a variety of ways and take their shots. And excellent in the kicking game. Really, really good. They've got some real playmakers in their kicking game, return game in particular. Really explosive players.

"They've got explosive players on offense. Donovan Smith is a guy that has taken over 1,600 snaps in the Big 12. Big, strong, athletic and really dangerous, and they've got a couple of their backups that are very similar, almost clones to him. A big, strong running back, and again, long, explosive receivers and tight ends. So, ought a be a good matchup and certainly a step up from where we were a week ago."

1. The offensive line

This is obvious, given the struggles last week.

The Sooners gave up three sacks against Temple last week. That's two more than they gave up through the first three weeks of last season. The offensive line also gave up nine quarterback pressures against the Owls. For comparison, opponents averaged under eight QB pressures per game last season against Oklahoma. And, the Sooners averaged just 4.1 yards per rush in the first half as the running game struggled to find a rhythm.

Branson Hickman's early injury didn't help things, particularly with Troy Everett still recovering from his knee injury he suffered in the spring. It forced Geirean Hatchet, who also doesn't appear to be 100%, into action at center. The offensive line also shifted around a lot after Hickman's injury, as Bill Bedenbaugh searched for answers.

The good news is that Jake Taylor is expected to return after missing last week, and he's likely one of the starting tackles. The bad news is that Hickman's status is uncertain, and it's unclear when Everett will return, putting focus on who plays at center.

From a personnel standpoint, it'll be interesting to see which group starts the game, and which positions they play. Does Jacob Sexton start at left tackle, or does he play a lot at left guard? Who gets the start at right guard?

From a general standpoint, it'll be interesting to see how the Sooners hold up against a Houston team that ranked 95th last season in rushing defense (168.8 yards per game), 109th in passing defense (255.3 yards per game) and 67th in sacks per game (2.2). The Cougars will be a step up from Temple, but not by much. Even with the injuries, the Sooners' offensive line should've have many issues with the Cougars. If it does, that'll be something to note.

2. What happens at wide receiver?

Here's what we know. Jayden Gibson is out for the year. Jalil Farooq is out for the next 6-8 weeks. Nic Anderson didn't play last week and is uncertain for Saturday. Andrel Anthony only played eight snaps last week and it's unclear when he'll see a full workload.

That's, presumably, four of the Sooners' top five receivers dealing with or recovering from an injury. That opens up a lot more opportunities for the other receivers.

As the Sooners pummeled Temple last week, nine different receivers logged at least seven snaps, per Pro Football Focus. If the Sooners have no issues with Houston, Emmett Jones will likely be inclined to empty his depth chart again.

But this can't just be about garbage time. The Sooners need to find which players can contribute when SEC play begins. Could someone like Brenen Thompson or Jaquaize Pettaway emerge? Or does one of the freshmen (Zion Ragins, Zion Kearney, Ivan Carreon) prove they're really to play now?

The Sooners — who admittedly played a "vanilla" game plan against Temple — will likely open the playbook up just a bit more. Of Arnold's 25 passing attempts last week, over half of them had an average depth of target of nine yards or fewer. Only three of them went beyond 20 yards. Expect the Sooners to air it out a bit more, both for Arnold to develop chemistry with his receivers and for the coaching staff to find which receivers are ready to be playmakers.

3. Can the takeaways continue for OU's defense?

The Sooners tied for third nationally in takeaways per game last season (2.0) and led the country in interceptions (20). They continued that against Temple with six takeaways, the most of any team in Week 1.

It's impossible for the Sooners to keep that pace up, but it does pose an interesting question. Can the Sooners' ability to generate turnovers at an elite level continue? It was a huge part of their success last season, ranking 28th nationally in turnover margin.

They should have opportunities against Houston. They turned the ball over 15 times last season, and Donovan Smith threw two interceptions against UNLV.

The Sooners are unlikely to force six more takeaways, but there should be chances to cause chaos. If they're going to keep pace as one of the best team's in the country at forcing turnovers, this game should be a chance to keep that going.

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