COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Not only did Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield beat Ohio State in Columbus and avenge last year's embarrassing Buckeyes blowout, he also powered his way into the Heisman Trophy conversation.
Mayfield is on a roll, and so are the Sooners.
The confident quarterback, a Heisman finalist last season, carved up the No. 2 Buckeyes in a national TV game Saturday night by repeatedly scrambling away from a robust pass rush and firing precision passes to receivers often wide open in the secondary. He completed 27-of-35 throws for 386 yards and three touchdowns in the 31-16 win. Meanwhile, Ohio State's offense could never get out of second gear.
The game really wasn't as close as the score, as Oklahoma fumbled the ball away on consecutive possessions in the first quarter and was locked in a 3-all tie with the Buckeyes at the half. The Sooners took the lead for good near the end of the third quarter, and Mayfield poured it on in the fourth.
"We should have won by a lot more," Mayfield said.
His performance came a week after the 22-year-old set a school record by starting the opener against UTEP with 16 straight completions. He was 19-for-20 for 329 yards and three TDs before taking a seat for the entire second half of the 56-7 home win. He hasn't lost a game since last September's stumble against Ohio State.
"Baker deserves a ton of credit," said first-year Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley, who didn't have to wait long for a signature win. "I mean he's a great player, he played extremely, extremely well tonight against a defense as good as theirs."
Ohio State coach Urban Meyer was disgusted with his team's performance but recognized Mayfield's effort.
"He's a good player, really good player," Meyer said. "And I told him afterward. Got a lot of respect. I love his competitiveness and energy. We had him wrapped up, I want to say, eight times and he came out of that thing."
As the Sooners celebrated late Saturday, Mayfield grabbed an Oklahoma flag and raced around the field before stopping and emphatically planting it in the middle of the block "O" logo at midfield as the Ohio State band stood and watched.