After struggling in Week 1, Baker Mayfield and the Oklahoma Sooners came storming out of the gates last weekend to blow by Louisiana-Monroe with a 59-point offensive output.
This week, things get tougher once again when the No. 14 Sooners welcome the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes to Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman. Mayfield’s playmaking ability will be crucial for Oklahoma if they hope to pull off the upset win, and the Buckeyes are well aware.
In fact, the Ohio State coaching staff has so much respect for Mayfield’s abilities that they are likening him to Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre.
Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Greg Schiano made the comparison.
“I liken him to when I was with the Bears going against Brett Favre,” Schiano said, via ESPN.com. “He’s that unpredictable. He’ll be scrambling this way and chuck it that way. How do you coach [against] that other than be disciplined and stay with your guys? That’s the kind of really fine athlete that he is.
“It’s not just what he can do at quarterback. They have a really good scheme, they have an integrated run game with their pass game, but I think what makes him most dangerous is when the play breaks down and he begins to create things.”
Buckeyes star linebacker Raekwon McMillan echoed that praise for Mayfield’s playmaking, urging the importance of limiting his time with the ball in his hands.
“When you think you’ve got him on the ground and when you think you’ve held coverage for five, six seconds, then he breaks out and creates another four or five seconds for his offense,” McMillan said. “He creates more time on plays and more time for receivers to get open.
“It’s just hard to play defense on one play for 10 or 12 seconds.”
The Buckeyes say that they are up and ready for the challenge, so we will have to see in a matter of days when they take the field at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX Saturday night. This game is a crucial for both teams, who hope to finish the season as one of four teams in the College Football Playoff.
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