Ohio State Buckeyes Vs. Oklahoma Sooners Previews And Predictions
One of the most highly anticipated games this weekend will feature one of the top teams in the Big 10 and one of the top teams in the Big 12. According to ESPN.com, the Ohio State Buckeyes will travel to Norman, Oklahoma, to face off against the Oklahoma Sooners.
The Ohio State Buckeyes cruised through the past two games this season. The team destroyed Bowling Green 77-10 in the opener. Last week, the Buckeyes beat Tulsa 48-3. Ohio State was the heavy favorite in both of those games.
This match-up against the Oklahoma Sooners will be the first big test for a very young Ohio State Buckeyes team. The Buckeyes have six starters returning to the team led by star quarterback J.T. Barrett. They have not shown any signs of slowing down. Ohio State is the number three in the Top 25 AP polls, according to CBS Sports.
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For the Ohio State Buckeyes to win this game against the Oklahoma Sooners, they will need their key players to come through.
The key players on offense for the Buckeyes will be J.T. Barrett, freshman running back Mike Weber, and junior running back Curtis Samuel. Barrett has thrown for 498 yards through the air, completing 66 percent of his passes and has thrown six touchdowns with a QBR of 178.6. Barrett also has 85 yards rushing the ball with three touchdowns. The star quarterback is fourth on the Heisman watch list, according to ESPN.com
Freshman running back Mike Weber is in the top 20 in rushing yards to start off the season. He has 228 yards on the ground on 36 attempts to go along with one touchdown. The freshman is averaging 6.8 yards per carry. Weber is the feature back for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Curtis Samuel has played a key role for the Ohio State Buckeyes so far this season. He is a running back who can do it all. Samuel, who ranks second in the FBS with 401 yards from scrimmage. He has 162 yards on the ground on 21 carries averaging 7.7 yards per carry. He also has 239 receiving yards on 14 receptions. Samuel has three total touchdowns.
The Oklahoma Sooners are still in the hunt to be in the College Football Playoffs, even with the loss to the Houston Cougars in the season opener. The Sooners will need to beat Ohio State to keep their playoff chances alive. The team is currently number 14 in the Top 25 AP polls.
The Oklahoma Sooners bounced back from their loss against the Houston Cougars by destroying ULM last week 59-17.
Baker Mayfield will be leading the charge against the Ohio State Buckeyes. He has played very efficiently so far this season. The former Heisman candidate has thrown for 567 yards through the air to go along with five touchdowns. Mayfield will need to play at a high level for the Sooners to have a chance at beating the Buckeyes.
The Oklahoma Sooners have plenty of offensive weapons to challenge the Ohio State defense. They have two of the better running backs in the nation in Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine. Mixon is an all purpose back, while Perine is more of the power back.
The Sooners also have one of the best tight ends in college football in Mark Andrews. With Sterling Shepard moving on to the NFL, Andrews is expected to become one of Baker Mayfield’s go to targets. Wide receiver Dede Westbrook is another one of Mayfield’s go to targets.
This is a big match-up between two ranked teams. The Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Oklahoma Sooners could be a potential playoff match-up at the end of the season. The Buckeyes are currently a one point favorite over the Sooners.
[Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images]
