Two of the Best in Week Three

Ever since Bob Stoops arrived in Norman in 1999, the Sooners have annually played one of the toughest schedules in the country. As he likes to say, "We're not hiding from anybody."

And that is certainly the case again in 2016. Two weeks after facing the preseason top-15 Houston Cougars in Houston, OU hosts fellow blueblood Ohio State on Sept. 17 in one of the highlights of the non-conference season nationally.

OU vs. Ohio State

The Buckeyes (.722) and Sooners (.720) rank third and fourth in all-time winning percentage, and have combined for 1,736 victories and 12 national titles. Since 2000, OU and Ohio State are tied for the lead in wins among Power Five conference teams with 170 each.

Under Stoops, OU has already completed home-and-home series with Alabama, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, Oregon, Tennessee, UCLA and Washington, and has future series scheduled with Army, Nebraska (two) and Michigan. OU will play at Ohio State in 2017.

About the Buckeyes

Ohio State was one the best teams in college football in 2015. The Buckeyes went 12-1, narrowly missing the College Football Playoff after a loss to national semifinalist Michigan State late in the year. OSU went on to win the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame, 44-28.

Head coach Urban Meyer will have to replace a large part of that 2015 team as the Buckeyes return just six total starters (three on offense and three on defense). Twelve Ohio State players were selected in the NFL Draft last month, including five in the first round. OSU is in good position to replace its losses, having signed a top-10 recruiting class in each of the last four years according to Rivals.com.

Ohio State loses three of its top four rushers, including third overall pick Ezekiel Elliott who racked up more than 2,000 all-purpose yards last year, and its four leading receivers from a year ago. It does return quarterback J.T. Barrett, however. A junior, Barrett holds the Big Ten and Ohio State records for total touchdowns in a season (45 in 2014). He rushed for 682 yards and 11 scores in 2015 while passing for 992 yards and 11 scores on 63 percent passing.

On defense, the Buckeyes bring back 2015 leading tackler Raekwon McMillan, who made 119 stops last year, and defensive lineman Tyquan Lewis, who led the team with eight sacks.

Dual Threats

The Sooners-Buckeyes showdown won't just feature two of the best teams in college football, it will also showcase two of the best quarterbacks in the game.

OU's Baker Mayfield finished fourth in Heisman voting a year ago and was also named the 2015 Sporting News Player of the Year. Also the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, Mayfield was a finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award, the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, the Manning Award and the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. In 2015, he threw for 3,700 yards while completing 66.3 percent of his passes and added another 595 yards on the ground. Mayfield accounted for 43 total touchdowns a year ago despite missing substantial time in several blowouts and half a game due to injury.

J.T. Barrett will take the QB reins for Ohio State in 2016. Barrett first arrived on the college football scene in 2014 as a freshman when he led Ohio State to an 11-1 record while accounting for 45 total touchdowns before breaking his ankle against Michigan. The Buckeyes went on to win the 2014 national title.

A year ago, Barrett split time with Cardale Jones, throwing for 992 yards on 93 for 147 passing with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. Similar to Mayfield, Barrett is a threat in the ground game as well, piling up 682 yards on 115 carries (5.9 average) while adding 11 scores in 2015.

Mayfield and Barrett are sure to draw plenty of attention in 2016 as potential Heisman candidates.

"The Kick"

This year's OU-Ohio State meeting will be just the third all-time. Oklahoma fell 24-14 to the Buckeyes in Norman in 1983, but in 1977 third-ranked OU traveled to fourth-ranked OSU and delivered one of the most iconic wins in school history.

In a game remembered by its penultimate play, Uwe von Schamann directed the Ohio State faithful in a chant of "Block that kick!" before nailing a 41-yard field goal to give Barry Switzer's Sooners a 29-28 win over Woody Hayes' Buckeyes.

Video

Two of the Best

Two of the most storied programs in college football history, Oklahoma and Ohio State are near the top of nearly every major statistical category. See how they compare: