HOUSTON -- Houston coach Tom Herman and the Cougars are past the point of proving they are for real.Shocking the world is for the real underdogs and if a Power Five conference happens to take note of what Houston is doing thats fine.Whatever.We were prepared to win. We expected to win. We train to win, Herman said. It wasnt about making a statement, it was about going 1-0 the first week of the season.Greg Ward Jr., Brandon Wilson and the 15th-ranked Cougars looked every bit ready to compete in the Big 12 -- or any other conference for that matter -- in a 33-23 victory against No. 3 Oklahoma on Saturday.Houston is one of 11 schools that will meet with Big 12 officials starting next week to make a pitch to the Power Five conference that is pondering expansion.Regardless of whether Houston (1-0) ends up in the Big 12, the Cougars latest surprising win could have season-long ramifications on the College Football Playoff.Were not your typical Group of Five program, Houston athletic director Hunter Yurachek said.The elusive quarterback Ward passed for 321 yards and two touchdowns. Wilson, though, provided the key play in the biggest regular-season nonconference game the Cougars have played in 25 years and Houstons third victory in school history against a top-three team.The versatile senior defensive back went end line to end zone to score a touchdown with a short 54-yard field goal attempt to give Houston 26-17 lead with 8:28 left in the third quarter.Wilson reached up to catch the ball, barely keeping his feet in bounds. Reminiscent of Auburns Kick Six against Alabama in 2013, Wilson went flying out of the end zone and hurdled a fallen teammate to score what went into the books as a 100-yard return.I thought I stepped out, but I didnt, Wilson said. I just saw the green grass and I scored.Herman said he was looking for penalty flags.I was thinking this is too good to be true, surely theres a flag somewhere, Herman said.Oklahoma called a timeout before trying the kick, which Herman said allowed Houston to see the Sooners personnel and set up for the return.You know you have to cover it, but the personnel on the field isnt the best cover guys because the best cover guys wouldnt be able to protect the field goal. So youre in a little bit of a dilemma, Sooners coach Bob Stoops said. I dont really second-guess. Ive seen Austin (Seibert) make that quite a few times.THE TAKEAWAYOklahoma: The good news for the Sooners is they have plenty of time and opportunities left to make another playoff run. But they need to get things fixed quickly with No. 6 Ohio State in two weeks and No. 13 TCU on Oct 1.Baker Mayfield threw for 323 yards and two scores for the defending Big 12 champions Oklahoma (0-1). He was 9 for 9 for 162 yards in the first half, but ended up being sacked five times and fumbled once.Houston: After finishing last season 13-1 with a Peach Bowl victory against Florida State, the Cougars have consecutive victories against top-10 ranked opponents for the first time in school history. Playing outside the Power Five in the American Athletic Conference, Houston still will likely have little margin for error if it wants to force its way into the playoff. But this certainly makes it look possible.POLL IMPLICATIONSOklahoma: The Sooners can expect to tumble when the new rankings come out Tuesday, but remember: Oklahoma looked done when it was upset by Texas last season and went on to make the playoff.Houston: The last time the Cougars were ranked in the top five was 1990, when they reached No. 3. It wouldnt be shocking see them get there again soon.UP NEXTOklahoma: The Sooners get a break next week with a home game against Louisiana Monroe.Houston: The Cougars face FCS Lamar next Saturday at home, but they might get a little work done for Cincinnati this week, too. The Cougars have a Thursday night road game on short rest against the Bearcats on Sept. 15. Soccer Jerseys China . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. Clearance Soccer Jerseys . LOUIS -- Lance Lynn was one of the more enthusiastic participants as the St. https://www.soccerjerseyschina.us/ . LOUIS -- St. Stitched Soccer Jerseys . The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrators decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season. Soccer Jerseys Outlet . Francis told several hundred members of the European Olympic Committees that when sport "is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at every cost . PITTSBURGH -- Jhoulys Chacin was determined to eat up innings for his team and its weary bullpen. Absorbing a sharply-hit line drive off his pitching forearm wasnt going to deter him. Chacin allowed one run on six hits over eight innings and the Colorado Rockies snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night. Chacin (10-5), who has won seven of his past nine decisions, stayed in the game after a ball off the bat of Starling Marte deflected off his right forearm in the fifth inning. "I didnt want to come out; I just wanted to keep pitching," said Chain, who lowered his road ERA to 1.78. "It hit me good, but just I moved my hand and it felt fine. "I really wanted to give the team seven or eight innings at least, so I was trying to do my job and help my bullpen, also. It was nice I was able to do that." Colorados Troy Tulowitzki had a solo homer and an RBI single, and Todd Helton had a two-run single 16 years to the day after making his major-league debut in the same city. The Rockies were coming off being outscored 40-13 by Atlanta in a four-game sweep at Turner Field. They won despite their lineup missing two of their best hitters for the second consecutive game -- Michael Cuddyer is away on a family emergency and Carlos Gonzalez did not enter the game until in the eighth inning as a defensive replacement after aggravating a sprained right middle finger on Wednesday night. After Fridays game, Gonzalez expressed doubt hed be ready to return to the lineup by Saturday but was encouraged it could happen Sunday. Neil Walker had two doubles for the Pirates (65-44), who came in with the best record in the majors. Pittsburgh has been outscored 17-2 in losing its past two after taking over the best record in the NL with four straight wins over the St. Louis Cardinals this week. The Pirates scored in the ninth with consecutive one-out doubles by Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez off temporary closer Rex Brothers. But Russell Martin flied out to deep centre and pinch-hitter Gaby Sanchez lined out to right to end it, earning Brothers his eighth save in nine opportunities. "The scoreboard dictated the situation and what I was throwing," Brothers said. "We had a three-run lead so I threw a lot of fastballs so they could put it in plaay.dddddddddddd." Pirates rookie Gerrit Cole (5-5) needed 102 pitches to make it through 5 1-3 innings, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Cole dropped to 1-5 since winning his first four major league starts. "He came out of the chute good -- then at times it seemed that he couldnt put away the hitters because all the foul balls extended innings," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "He ran a lot of deeper counts that extended his pitch count. He didnt allow much damage to be done, though." Chacin is 7-2 with a 2.24 ERA since June 11 -- the same day as Coles debut. Chacin retired the final 14 he faced -- the last nine coming after Martes line drive deflected off his forearm to shortstop Tulowitzki, who threw to first to complete the putout. Chacin grimaced and shook his arm, but appeared to tell catcher Wilin Rosario, manager Walt Weiss and a member of the training staff that he was fine. Chacin retreated from the dugout into the tunnel after the inning ended but returned for the bottom of the sixth following a lengthy wait because his team sent eight men to the plate and scored three runs in the top half. "That thing hit him square, and I thought he might be done," Colorado manager Walt Weiss said. "And he goes out there and gives us three more innings. Really an impressive showing. "This year, we gave him the responsibility of being a top-of-the-rotation guy, and hes taken it and hes run with it." NOTES: Before the game, the Pirates swapped out a pair of relievers when they reinstated RHP Jared Hughes from the disabled list and optioned RHP Vic Black to Triple-A Indianapolis. ... The paid attendance of 37,487 was the 10th sellout at PNC Park this season ... This was the seasons first meeting between the teams; each has now played every NL team. ... Helton went 2-for-4 with a home run while batting fifth and playing left field for the Rockies in his first game in the majors Aug. 2, 1997, at Three Rivers Stadium. ... Hes 14 innings short of qualifying for the league leaders, but Saturday Pittsburgh starter LHP Francisco Liriano (11-4, 2.16) would rank second in the NL in ERA if he did. Rockies counterpart LHP Jorge De La Rosa (10-5, 3.21) allowed a season-high five runs in his most recent outing for Colorado. ' ' '