Among the many great games college football fans will get to watch in the first couple of weeks of the 2016 season is Oklahoma’s home game against Ohio State on September 17. We now know the Buckeyes and Sooners will clash in primetime, which was to be expected. Oklahoma and Ohio State will play at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
The game could very well be one of the many key games in the College Football Playoff race as the season plays out. Oklahoma is expected to be a Big 12 favorite coming into the season, while Ohio State may have a few wrinkles to iron out before hitting their stride after losing so much talent to the NFL this spring. Still, a Baker Mayfield vs. J.T. Barrett quarterback duo could be plenty fun to watch, and it is clearly deserving of primetime billing.
Ohio State and Oklahoma have faced off just twice before, with each winning a game on the other’s home field. Ohio State won a 1983 meeting in Norman, 24-14, and the Sooners took one in Columbus in 1977, winning 29-28.
Oklahoma’s annual game against the Texas Longhorns also has its spot on the television programming. The game has yet to receive an official kickoff time, but it will be aired on FOX Sports 1. Considering the game has been a fixture on a regular network broadcast for years, the relegation to FS1 is a bit of an oddity. It could be the allure of the game has diminished in recent years with the Longhorns being a bit behind the curve (although Texas did smack Oklahoma last fall), or it could simply be a ploy to put an attractive matchup on a network still trying to make inroads in the ratings game. The game has traditionally kicked off in the early afternoon timeslot, and it likely will remain there in the end.