COLUMBUS, Ohio — No. 5 Oklahoma defeated No. 2 Ohio State 31-16 in a top-five showdown on a night that belonged to Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield passed for 386 yards and three touchdowns and made an early Heisman Trophy statement in leading the Sooners to the big victory on the road. Oklahoma dominated the yardage battle and evened the home-and-home series after last season's 45-24 loss.
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Here are five things we learned from Saturday's top-five showdown that should carry College Football Playoff implications later.
This was Mayfield's game
Mayfield, a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist, played with an edge from the outset. He finished 11 of 18 for 158 yards in the first half, where the Sooners missed a few scoring opportunities while outgaining the Buckeyes 222-92.
Mayfield helped the Sooners take control in the third quarter with a 92-yard drive that took just 1:40. He peppered passes of 17, 42 and 18 yards over the top of the Ohio State defense. The Sooners scored touchdowns in three of their first four possessions of the second half.
This was a Heisman statement, and a statement for the Big 12.
Missed opportunities
Mayfield didn't lose his cool, despite a first half in which the Sooners missed several opportunities to score. Oklahoma lost two fumbles in Ohio State territory, missed a field goal and had a drop in the red zone that could have led to more points.
Instead, they addressed those mistakes and played better in the second half. That's a testament to the preparation and play-calling of first-year coach Lincoln Riley. This could have been worse. That's not a bad night considering former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops was in attendance watching his former offensive coordinator.
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Ohio State's offense struggles again
The Buckeyes had just 92 yards in the first half. J.T. Barrett had just 25 passing yards at halftime, and the running back tandem of J.K. Dobbins and Mike Weber didn't get any traction. Ohio State's transition to offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson hasn't gone as smooth through two weeks.
Barrett will be in the crosshairs, but it's not just him. The Buckeyes weren't as creative in their play-calling, didn't have nearly as many chunk plays and were beaten by a better offense.
The Buckeyes need to better collectively; not just Barrett.
Buckeyes' path back to playoff
No, Ohio State's playoff hopes aren't dead. Remember, Oklahoma stayed in the playoff hunt until the end of last season with two losses. The Buckeyes made the College Football Playoff last year without winning the Big Ten.
That won't be the case in 2017. The Buckeyes will still have the necessary spotlight with showdowns against Penn State and Michigan in a loaded Big Ten East, but the margin for error is low. This didn't look like a team that will contend, but the same thing was said after the loss to Virginia Tech in 2014.
Now, it's on Ohio State coach Urban Meyer to make the necessary adjustments against Army and UNLV the next two weeks before Big Ten play begins.
One Big 12 victory
College football is a game of perception, and the Sooners didn't just score a victory for themselves. It's a game that puts the Big 12 Conference in the spotlight for the right reasons, and it's good news for Oklahoma State, too. Those are contending teams that should give the conference a path back to the College Football Playoff, which has happened only once in three seasons.
Mayfield and Riley helped make that possible. This was their night, and it will resonate in November.
