Oklahoma stakes claim
Rout at Ohio State, shows Sooners are legit powerhouse
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Sooners make a statement: Oklahoma traveled to Columbus, Ohio, and stunned Ohio State 31-16 as Baker Mayfield passed for 386 yards and three touchdowns. The Sooners earned a huge statement win in coach Lincoln Riley’s first year after replacing Bob Stoops, who was in the stadium cheering on his former team.
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Mayfield has a chip on his shoulder: The Oklahoma quarterback has always played like he has something to prove, and that mentality has helped him guide the Sooners to 12 consecutive wins and a 24-4 record as Oklahoma’s starting quarterback.
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Ohio State’s offense still needs fixing: Urban Meyer retooled the Buckeyes offense in the offseason by hiring offensive tactician Kevin Wilson, but quarterback J.T. Barrett continues to underwhelm. He failed to throw a touchdown pass for the third time in the last four games.
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Can’t count out Clemson: While the offense may still be a work in progress, the stout play of the defense has many believing Clemson isn’t far from finding its way back to the national title game, especially after sacking Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham 11 times.
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Back to the drawing board for Auburn’s offense: Many assumed the arrival of Stidham, who transferred from Baylor, would revive the Tigers offense, but Auburn sputtered during a loss to Clemson. The consistent struggles suggest perhaps it is the Tigers’ play-caller, Gus Malzahn, who needs to change.
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Andre Smith talked the talk, Lamar Jackson walked the walk: Smith’s bold prediction that North Carolina’s defense would stop the Louisville quarterback fell flat as Jackson, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, accounted for 525 yards and six touchdowns during a 47-35 win.
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The blue in Big Blue stands for blue collar: Michigan may be 2-0, but it’s not because of an offense that has looked sloppy and turned the ball over four times in two games. The defense has forced five turnovers while holding opponents to 200 yards per game.
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Heisman race is packed: The Heisman Trophy isn’t won in the first month of the season, but there have been some outstanding performances by players such as Mayfield, Jackson, Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen and Saquon Barkley.
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Deja vu for the Irish: Say what you want about how hard Notre Dame fought during its 20-19 loss to Georgia, but until the Irish can find a way to win close games against elite opponents, coach Brian Kelly will continue to draw the ire of fans who expect more out of the program.
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Darnold rebounded in a big way: After failing to find the end zone in the opener against Western Michigan last week, Darnold bounced back in a big way by passing for 316 yards and four touchdowns while leading USC to an impressive 42-24 victory over No. 14 Stanford.