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Lincoln Riley's first game as a 34-year old will go down as one of the finest coaching jobs of his young career. Oklahoma went in to Columbus as a touchdown underdog to the Buckeyes and came out as a legit College Football Playoff and national title contender.
Saturday night's 31-16 win was the most impressive victory we've seen so far this season.
Baker Mayfield was limping around with apparent cramping issues in the first half but still leading long drives into Ohio State's territory, only to see those marches end with turnovers and a missed field goal. After halftime, everyone settled in and the Sooners offense heated up, scoring four touchdowns on their five possessions of the second half.
Mayfield finished the game 27-for-35 passing for 386 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions, connecting with nine different receivers. He's been the starting quarterback for Lincoln Riley since the head coach arrived as an offensive coordinator,
and that productive combo has seen the loss of multiple key contributors only to reload each season and maintain it's place as one of the top offenses in the country.
Transfers and true freshmen were on the field with Mayfield as he kept Ohio State's defense on its heels all night. Formerly a Heisman Trophy finalist, Mayfield will be in the mix as the face of this team's run at a return to the College Football Playoff.
There's a long nine-game Big 12 schedule to face and a new Big 12 title game, but right now it's hard to bet against Oklahoma with a quality win like this added to its resume.
Here are three things to know about Oklahoma's win.
1. Ohio State's offensive struggles will define the post-title years: Since winning it all in the 2014 season, Ohio State has fielded offensive units packed with talent that have fallen short of expectations in a few huge spots against great teams.
One common refrain is that the Buckeyes haven't had a consistent downfield threat to stretch the field, so as long as opposing defenses can avoid allowing one of the Buckeyes' speedy skill players to get loose in the open field, you can limit the explosive plays and keep them from getting in a good rhythm. Could Ohio State bounce back from this loss and still make the playoff if they run the table in the Big Ten? Maybe, but if the offense can't attack through the air and down the field consistently, there will probably be another loss somewhere down the road.
2. Oklahoma's defense deserves credit too: The Sooners did a great job applying pressure to J.T. Barrett with Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and Emmanuel Beal charging into the backfield, and the secondary that has been a weakness at times in recent years stepped up with some huge plays.
3. Urban Meyer, back into the spotlight after a high-profile loss: Meyer was furious with his team's offensive performance in the first half, letting it be known during an interview with ESPN heading into the locker room. He hired Kevin Wilson in the offseason to address some of these lingering issues, and now the head coach who is so revered for his offensive creativity will be tasked with turning things around.