The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Ohio State Buckeyes 45, Oklahoma Sooners 24

A very tough loss for a team that is either badly overrated or executing at a terrible level. It's likely some combination of both.

This has been a painful process for the Sooner fan base, but OU could have followed the Baylor route: going 3-0 with no real idea what the team is.

The one saving grace for this season is that the Big 12 is just awful. OU could go on a nine-game winning streak, but the gap between the Sooners and a top five-ish team will still be wide.

The Good

Joe Mixon’s kickoff return

Ignoring his DeSean Jackson move, Mixon made the biggest special teams play for OU in almost two years. It almost looked like he had reset the game.

A.D. MIller

He made some nice plays at the outside receiver spot and could become a bigger weapon during Big 12 play.

The Bad

Defensive line depth

It is evaporating. Matt Romar was held out. Matt Dimon and Jordan Wade both were hurt during the game. The nose guard position went from three solid players to one almost overnight.

The Really Bad

Quarterback

Baker Mayfield had a terrible game. The two first-half interceptions were crippling. The pick-six right after missing Mark Andrews for a likely touchdown put OU behind by two scores pretty much all game.

The second INT came after the struggling defense finally got a stop, and it was crushing. It
was a terrible play by Mayfield, who was going for a home run instead of simply moving the chains. It turned out to be OU’s last legitimate chance to make it a game.

The sack on first and goal at OSU's 3 was terrible, too. In the second half, more failed fourth down
conversions doomed any remote chance at a comeback.

Mayfield has gone from legit preseason Heisman Trophy candidate to the third- or fourth-best QB in the Big 12.

Right cornerback spot

Four passes = four TDs. Nothing is working. Answers going into Big 12 play did not appear to be forthcoming.

Kicking game

Austin Siebert’s missed field hurt momentum. Punting wasn't good, either.

The Ugly

Mike Stoops' game plan

Mike got completely worked by Urban Meyer’s offense. Ohio State ran at will, scheming against OU’s tendencies.

Mike never seemed to adjust, even as Ohio State abused nickelback Will Johnson. Sooner fans are wondering where outside linebackers Caleb Kelly and Kapri Doucet were.

From an admitted layman’s viewpoint, Mikelooks lost trying to call this hybrid 3-4 defense instead of his traditional 4-2-5, which got eviscerated every week in Big 12 play in 2013.

Before Sooner fans get too nostalgic, remember that Brent Venables' last year as defensive coordiantor was not exactly a work of art.

Mike and Bob need to adjust their thinking from a starting 11 to a starting 18, with heavy and light looks depending on the competition.

Red zone offense

Let's extend the red zone to the area inside the opponent's 40 yard line. OU’s first three offensive trips led to a missed 27-yard FG, a pick-six TD for the Buckeyes and a made 26-yard FG.

So, three possessions produced three points for OU, and seven for Ohio State.

-Atlantasooner