SOONERS’ HOPES REST WITH BAKER MAYFIELD
Baker Mayfield kept talking. The Ohio State lead kept growing — 14-0, 28-10, 42-17 — but Mayfield kept talking.
The Buckeyes eventually beat the Sooners 45-24 last September, a defeat Mayfield now calls embarrassing. But Mayfield didn’t shut up. Until the final gun, he talked trash to the Buckeyes.
And the Buckeyes were impressed.
“One thing I learned about Baker Mayfield, he’s a competitor,” said Ohio State’s star linebacker Jerome Baker. “That’s what I loved about last year. Every play ... no matter the score. That’s why I have so much respect for him.”
Mayfield played perhaps his worst game as a Sooner that night in Norman, yet won over the Buckeyes. Now comes another OU-Ohio State showdown, Saturday night in Ohio Stadium, and the Sooners need not only Mayfield’s competitiveness, but his skill.
OU and Ohio State sport college football’s winningest quarterbacks. Mayfield is 28-6 as a starter. Buckeye senior J.T. Barrett is 27-4. Those are the most wins in America by current quarterbacks.
Seems like they’ve been around forever.
Barrett as the redshirt freshman who stepped in for the injured Braxton Miller in August 2014 and led Ohio State to the Big Ten title game, before Barrett was injured, too, and Cardale Jones came on to quarterback the Buckeyes to the national championship.
But Mayfield arrived even sooner, as the first true freshman quarterback without a scholarship to start a season opener. That was way back in 2013, at Texas Tech, where Mayfield was 5-2 as a starter. Mayfield has had an epic college career.
And now that career arrives in the fabled Horseshoe, where the
Buckeyes have home field advantage and appear to have a talent edge. But the Sooners have a quarterback advantage. When Mayfield and Barrett both are on top of their games, Mayfield is the bigger difference-maker.
“He’s definitely magical; he can make nothing out of something,” said Jerome Baker, who a year ago spied Mayfield on third downs, keeping his scrambling to a minimum. And Jerome Baker figures to do the same Saturday night.
“Can’t stop guys like that,” Baker said. “Just contain him. He has one of those arms, he can throw it 50 yards down the field, no problem. Flick of the wrist, seems like. His arm makes him very, very good.”
Mayfield is more elusive, more accurate and more apt to make a big play. But Barrett outplayed Mayfield in Norman, completing 14 of 20 for 152 yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing for 74 yards on 17 carries.
Mayfield completed 17 of 32 for 226 and two touchdowns, but two interceptions. Just like last season, OU can’t lose this quarterback battle and expect to leave a winner.
“People might make the headline about J.T. Barrett and I, but no, it’s going to be a huge matchup in the trenches,” Mayfield said. “Every game starts up front. The big games like this, you see how physical you are.”
Mayfield follows college football. He knows the landscape. He knows what kind of quarterback Ohio State has.
“A good player, always has been,” Mayfield said of Barrett. “A great leader, I’ve always respected him for that. Ever since he’s walked on that campus he’s been a great leader for that team. Anytime you’re a three-time captain for a school like that, it’s a big deal. All of the respect in the world to him. He always takes care of his business.”
Barrett took care of business on Owen Field. Now Mayfield gets the chance to take care of business in Ohio Stadium. Talking big is fine. Playing big is better. It’s OU’s best chance to take down the Buckeyes.
Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at (405) 760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM98.1. You can also view his personality page at newsok. com/berrytramel.