Baker Mayfield didn’t just plant a flag at midfield after Oklahoma beat Ohio State 31-16 in a top-five showdown at Ohio State: He made a compelling early Heisman Trophy statement.
Mayfield passed for 386 yards and three touchdowns for Oklahoma in a victory that is sure to keep the attention of the College Football Playoff committee later.
MORE: Mayfield plants Sooners' flag in playoff hunt
Mayfield, a two-time Heisman finalist, is on a roll in the early season. Here is evidence to support Mayfield’s case:
Five good numbers
— Mayfield completed 27 of 35 passes against the Buckeyes and owns an 83.6 completion percentage through two weeks.
— Mayfield averages 357.5 passing yards per game.
— Mayfield has the highest passer rating (228.8) of any Power 5 quarterback.
— Mayfield has three touchdown passes in each of Oklahoma’s first two games — and looks like he can match his 40-touchdown total from last season.
— Mayfield became just the fifth quarterback to win a night game at Ohio State, joining a list that includes Texas’ Vince Young, Penn State’s Daryll Clark, USC’s Matt Barkley and Virginia Tech’s Michael Brewer.
Heisman Trophy Top 5
1. Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma
2. Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville
3. Sam Darnold, QB, USC
4. Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA
5. Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State