Oklahoma will travel to Ohio State in Week 2 looking to avenge their heaviest loss from last season. Here’s a full preview and prediction of the rematch.
Last season, Ohio State vs. Oklahoma was one of the most anticipated games on the schedule and it ended in a 45-24 win for the Buckeyes. Even though the Sooners lost to Houston in Week 1, that loss may have been what kept them out of the College Football Playoff. From that point on, Oklahoma went on a 10-game tear to end the season while their offense looked like one of the most unstoppable in the country.
Ohio State, meanwhile, made it to the playoff despite not winning their conference. The committee clearly preferred their one-loss record compared to Penn State’s two, as well as their number of quality wins. Oklahoma’s winning streak certainly boosted Ohio State’s resume by the end of the year.
It’s highly unlikely the Sooners forgot about that loss, so they’ll be very eager to march into the Horseshoe and return the favor against the Buckeyes. This year’s version will arguably be more exciting than last — according to the AP Poll, we’ll be treated to a matchup between the second and fifth best teams in the country.
While both teams got strong wins in Week 1, Ohio State facing a conference opponent was a much better tune-up for this game than Oklahoma against UTEP. However, Baker Mayfield and many of the Sooner starters got lots of rest after they got pulled from the game at halftime.
Nevertheless, both teams will feel very confident in what their rosters are capable of. Hopefully, we’ll see less petty trolling from the two teams on Twitter and more action on the field. The neutral observer will also be hoping for a closer game, since last year’s was over by halftime.