Familiar problem on offense resurfaces
Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield didn’t just get even for last year’s loss at home to Ohio State, the quarterback took a major step to the front of the pack in the Heisman Trophy race after his dazzling display of scrambling and accuracy in a 31-16 win over the Buckeyes on Saturday night.
J.T. Barrett is going to get a lot of the blame for the sputtering Ohio State offense. But what was often a malady from last season was present again for the OSU offense — at critical times, no one appeared to be open.
Stars of the game
Mayfield was 27-of-35 passing for 387 yards and three touchdowns. The Buckeyes had no counterpunch, with Barrett going just 19-of-35 for 183 yards and an interception. Oklahoma had three receivers with five catches by late in the fourth quarter, led by running back Dmitri Flowers, whose 99 yards receiving included a TD catch.
Unsung workers
On J.K. Dobbins’ 6-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, center Billy Price and left guard Michael Jordan had a double-team block that paved the way. But for Oklahoma, the unheralded group going in, a defensive line led by Ogbonnia Okoronkwo took control at several points in the game, taking advantage of right tackle Isaiah Prince and others at times.
Strategically speaking
The Ohio State offense, stymied most of the first half, got back to the running game, primarily Dobbins, to start the second half. It paid immediate dividends on a touchdown drive after Parris Campbell set it up with a 56-yard kickoff return to the Sooners 44-yard line. But the OSU offense lost its way again after that. Oklahoma was wheeling and dealing, and though it gained just three points in the first half, it paid off much more in the second half, and then Mayfield took control.
Did you see that?
Nick Bosa had a sack in the third quarter reminiscent of his older brother Joey’s game-ending sack in overtime in the win at Penn State in 2014. Nick Bosa shoved Oklahoma guard Erick Wren backward and then sacked Mayfield at the Oklahoma 2, which left the Sooners facing second-and-30. Injury report
Ohio State receiver Austin Mack made a spectacular catch at the Oklahoma 7 to set up an OSU field goal in the third quarter, but Mack also suffered an apparent concussion when he hit the back of his head on the turf while landing. Oklahoma lost its No. 1 receiver, tight end Mark Andrews, in the second quarter to an apparent knee injury.
By the numbers
81: Yards Oklahoma had rushing early in fourth, but it had 10-point lead. So much for that maxim.
2-2: In this series, the home team has lost each time, Oklahoma in Ohio Stadium in 1977 and 2017, OSU at Norman in 1983 and 2016.
Next step
While Oklahoma might vault to No. 2 in the polls, the Buckeyes will plummet. So will their chances of making the College Football Playoff, obviously, and it’s just two games into the season. They have to pick up the pieces and try to hold off Army and its triple-option Saturday.