“Once the running game pops we can start doing better”. “But I want Ohio State to win”.
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These powerhouses are meeting for only the third time. Their defensive coordinator is Bob’s brother, Mike.
On what OU and Ohio State playing does for college football…
Baker Mayfield is not one of those question marks. He’s a guy that used to be the guy that holds the ball down here. Texas Tech 65-21 in 2008. He has completed nearly 72 percent of his passes this season, and almost 67 percent over the course of his college career.
The now No. 14 Sooners will host the now No. 3 Buckeyes, rather than the third ranked team hosting the sixth ranked team like it would’ve been. He threw 40 passes and was sacked just twice.
Plus, Mayfield has plenty of targets.
The defense saw a play it had already seen, albeit out of a different formation, and changed their call without Schiano’s prodding. He and Hooker are two of the many athletes in Ohio State’s secondary this fall. Oklahoma, though, is a major competitor to the Buckeyes’ chances in landing the 6-foot-2, 190-pound prospect. His pass came out wobbly, and his receiver slipped out of his break.
When it comes to the running game, many understandably believed Samaje Perine would lead the way after averaging more than 100 yards a game previous year. That’s under three yards a carry. Add to that his five receptions and ability to return punts, and Mixon has caused trouble for opponents in a number of ways. It may have been against the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks but a win is a win.
“I’d love to tell you it’s an easy fix”, Fitzgerald said. The line features only one upperclassman: junior center Jonathan Alvarez, who moved from guard to center. The Buckeyes have a pair of emerging superstars, with Curtis Samuel leading the way and Dontre Wilson – who struggled to meet astronomical hype when he arrived in 2013 – also stepping up and becoming an impact player. The Buckeyes played great on both sides of the football and now have bumped up to the No. 4 spot in the rankings. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo has two of Oklahoma’s TFLs. “Obviously, the challenge will come next week against a very good team, and we’re going to jump on that one early and get ready to go”. Freshman Parrish Cobb took the place of an under-performing Dakota Austin.
Barrett’s presence is the steadying influence that gives the Buckeyes a veteran they trust at the most important position, a focal point who fits what Meyer’s offenses have traditionally done best because of his mobility and decision-making, which allow Ohio State to run the quarterback, push the tempo and make defenses guess wrong all the time, on top of being athletically overmatched. Houston hurt Oklahoma through the air, passing for 321 yards and rushing for just 89. “I did enjoy watching them play”, he said. Oklahoma’s video board is now the second largest in the country, only smaller than Auburn’s.
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This season represents a stark contrast to 2015, when the Buckeyes were a unanimous preseason No. 1 and brought back almost everyone from their national championship offense – except, most notably, wideout Devin Smith and coordinator Tom Herman – and had to decide on a quarterback with three star players who had differing skill sets and allowed the offense to do different things. In 11 of his 17 previous seasons, he’s gone undefeated at home. If OU can load the box and keep tOSU’s linemen from blocking at the second level, middle linebackers like Jordan Evans should be able to stuff the inside running game and take away at least one facet of Ohio State’s dynamic offense.
