College Football Week 2 schedule and predictions

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BLOOMINGTON, IN – AUGUST 31: Ohio State (16) J.T. Barrett (QB) throwing a pass during their season opening college football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Indiana Hoosiers on August 31, 2017 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN. (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

No. 5 Oklahoma Sooners at No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes

Kickoff: Saturday, Sep. 9, 7:30 p.m., ABC

This game has box office written all over it. The Buckeyes went into Norman, OK last season and took down Baker Mayfield and Co. This season, the Sooners will head to Columbus, OH in search of revenge.

Oklahoma is coming off of a dominant victory, defeating UTEP 56-7. On the other hand, Ohio State overpowered Indiana with its depth and talent for a late victory on the road.

Oklahoma at Ohio State: Three Things to Watch

1. Ohio State’s defensive line

Many ranked the OSU defensive line as one of the top units in all of college football. In Week 1, the Buckeyes defensive lineman racked up five sacks, seven tackles for loss and only gave up 17 rushing yards in the process.

Defensive end Nick Bosa and defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones had fantastic performances in Week 1, so look for them to repeat that against Oklahoma. They’ll be tested though, as Oklahoma put up nearly 700 yards of offense this past weekend.

2. Sooners’ new head coach Lincoln Riley

Remember the one knock on ex-head coach Bob Stoops? It was that, in big games, the Sooners looked unprepared for battle and always came up short. Well, UTEP wasn’t much of a test, but Ohio State is a different animal.

Head coach Lincoln Riley is going to have to prove to everyone that he can not only scheme up the offense, but also inspire his players to show up against the top-ranked programs in the nation. It’ll be a difficult test, facing a No. 2 ranked Buckeyes’ squad on the road, so let’s watch and see if Riley can handle it.

3. Ohio State running back Mike Weber

In Week 1, Ohio State didn’t miss injured running back Mike Weber, as freshman J.K Dobbins was absolutely spectacular. Dobbins rushed for 29 times, gaining 182 yards. Weber was supposed to be the starter to begin the season and will likely assume that role when he makes his debut against Oklahoma.

Weber ran for 1,119 yards in 2016 and the expectation for this season is that he and Dobbins will split the load. It’ll be fascinating to watch how Ohio State manages these two backs.

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Prediction:

Week 1’s usually the time to get the nerves out, so hopefully Ohio State will start out better this week. The Buckeyes have the better coach, defense and will be playing at home. I like their chances in this game, especially late with QB J.T. Barrett.

Ohio State 41, Oklahoma 38

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