Oklahoma (1-0) at Ohio State (1-0)
When: Saturday, September 1st 2017
Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, OH
Time: 7:30 ET | TV: ABC
Opening Odds: Ohio State -6.5/64
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The Oklahoma Sooners have won 11 consecutive games and if they want to make it 12, they’ll have to beat the team that gave them their last loss – the Ohio State Buckeyes. The two power programs will have their rematch on Saturday night in Columbus, Ohio on ABC. The Buckeyes won 45-24 at Oklahoma last year and went on to make the College Football Playoff while the Sooners won the rest of their games and beat Auburn in the Sugar Bowl. Baker Mayfield completed 19-of-20 passes for 329 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s 56-7 season-opening victory over UTEP and he’ll need another strong effort against the Buckeyes to give new coach Lincoln Riley his second win. Ohio State struggled in the first half before pulling away from Indiana for a 49-21 victory in its opener on August 31st as freshman J.K. Dobbins ran for 181 yards in his collegiate debut with injured starter Mike Weber unavailable. Senior quarterback J.T. Barrett threw for 304 yards against the Hoosiers after a slow start and had four touchdown passes in last year’s victory over Oklahoma, which has won 11 straight true road games. The Sooners won 29-28 in their only other visit to Columbus in 1977, but lost the other two meetings to the Buckeyes.
The Sooners’ three quarterbacks completed 32 of their 36 pass attempts for a total of 496 yards against the UTEP Miners, but Riley told reporters this week that his team is “going to have to be able to run the football,” if they want to beat Ohio State. Sophomore Abdul Adams (53 yards), junior Marcelias Sutton (52, touchdown) and freshman Trey Sermon (51) all showed promise at running back in the opener as they try and replace two 1,000 yard rushers in Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon. Tight end Mark Andrews, who is the leading returning pass-catcher, caught seven passes for 134 yards and a score. Mayfield needs six passing yards to reach 8,000 and is two TD passes from tying Jason White (81) for third on the school’s all-time list. Senior edge rusher Ogbonnia Okoronkwo led the Oklahoma defense with four tackles and a sack against UTEP while cornerback Jordan Parker (knee) was lost for the season.
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Weber (hamstring), who ran for 1,096 yards last year as a freshman, practiced fully this week and is expected to add to a rushing attack that averaged 5.7 yards per carry and three touchdowns last week against the Hoosiers. Barrett completed 20-of-35 passes against Indiana and junior receiver Parris Campbell had six catches for 136 yards and a touchdown to go along with one run for six yards in his swing role on offense. Barrett needs to have a hand in two more touchdowns to tie Drew Brees’ career Big Ten record of 106. The Buckeyes’ defense clamped-down in the second half at Indiana while allowing just seven points and All-American candidate senior defensive lineman Tyquan Lewis finished with a pair of sacks. Ohio State will be favored heavily in their next four games (Army, UNLV, @Rutgers, Maryland) before a trip to Nebraska on October 14th.
I hate to lay this many points against a quality team like Oklahoma, but the Buckeyes are an all-around better team and are playing at home. I think the Sooners will have trouble running the ball and Ohio State will key on Mayfield and give him fits. I’ll lay the points here.
Pick: Ohio State -7.5
TRENDS:
- Sooners are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up win.
- Sooners are 6-0 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
- Sooners are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
- Sooners are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
- Sooners are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games after allowing less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.
- Sooners are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game.
- Sooners are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Sooners are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games on fieldturf.
- Sooners are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
- Sooners are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 non-conference games.
- Sooners are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games in September.
- Sooners are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games after allowing less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Buckeyes are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
- Buckeyes are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 vs. Big 12.
- Buckeyes are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games.
- Buckeyes are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game.
- Buckeyes are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS win.
- Buckeyes are 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 games in September.
- Buckeyes are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
- Buckeyes are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games after accumulating more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Buckeyes are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
- Buckeyes are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Buckeyes are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up win.
- Buckeyes are 2-6 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
- Buckeyes are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games after allowing less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Over is 6-1 in Sooners last 7 games after allowing less than 20 points in their previous game.
- Over is 5-1 in Sooners last 6 games after allowing less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game.
- Under is 5-1 in Sooners last 6 games following a straight up win.
- Over is 4-1 in Sooners last 5 games in September.
- Under is 4-1 in Sooners last 5 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game.
- Under is 4-1 in Sooners last 5 vs. a team with a winning record.
- Over is 12-4 in Sooners last 16 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
- Over is 6-2 in Sooners last 8 games after allowing less than 275 total yards in their previous game.
- Over is 22-8-1 in Sooners last 31 games on fieldturf.
- Over is 19-7-1 in Sooners last 27 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Under is 5-2 in Sooners last 7 games overall.
- Over is 5-2 in Sooners last 7 games after allowing less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.
- Over is 14-6-1 in Sooners last 21 road games.
- Over is 7-3 in Sooners last 10 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.
- Over is 4-0 in Buckeyes last 4 games on fieldturf.
- Under is 4-1 in Buckeyes last 5 games after accumulating more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
- Under is 9-3 in Buckeyes last 12 games following a ATS win.
- Over is 11-4 in Buckeyes last 15 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
- Under is 10-4 in Buckeyes last 14 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.
- Under is 16-7 in Buckeyes last 23 games following a straight up win.
