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College football Week 9: 5 teams on upset alert

By Cody Williams

SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 21: Sam Darnold #14 of the USC Trojans looks to pass during a game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium on October 21, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame won 49-14. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 21: Sam Darnold #14 of the USC Trojans looks to pass during a game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium on October 21, 2017 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame won 49-14. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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MANHATTAN, KS – OCTOBER 21: Head coach Lincoln Riley (C) of the Oklahoma Sooners looks on with players Baker Mayfield #6 and Dim tri Flowers #36 against the Kansas State Wildcats during the first half on October 21, 2017 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kansas. (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images)
MANHATTAN, KS – OCTOBER 21: Head coach Lincoln Riley (C) of the Oklahoma Sooners looks on with players Baker Mayfield #6 and Dim tri Flowers #36 against the Kansas State Wildcats during the first half on October 21, 2017 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kansas. (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images) /

2. Oklahoma Sooners

Rank: 10, Opponent: Texas Tech Red Raiders

At this point, there is no reason on the planet to doubt Baker Mayfield. The Oklahoma Sooners quarterback is still in the Heisman Trophy running, is still one of the most exciting and dynamic players and leaders in all of college football and is just a gamer that steps up in the big moments. He’s proven it most weeks this season, likely masking the fact that this Oklahoma team, despite having only one loss to this point, might not be that great.

Subsequently, there’s good reason to believe that Mayfield is going to be motivated on Saturday as he leads his team against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. He and Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury clashed during Mayfield’s brief spell there, so the chip on his shoulder is likely a bit bigger than normal this week. However, the problem arises when you look at the biggest issue for the Sooners.

The defense in Norman has been suspect all season. In their past four games (all Big 12 contests), the low point total that they’ve conceded is 24, which came in a hard-fought struggle against Texas. Outside of that, they gave up 35 or more points in each of the other three games in that stretch.

For all of the warts that Texas Tech has, they know where the end zone is and can put points on the board. If the Sooners defense doesn’t step it up and make plays on Saturday, Mayfield could find himself in a position where he simply can’t do it all.

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