ESPN Ultimate Road Trip: Oklahoma comes to Morgantown

As the guys over at the ESPN Big 12 Blog make their way through the 2016 season, two of the three writers have chosen the Sooners trip to Morgantown as their Week 12 pick. Reigning Big 12 Player of the Year Baker Mayfield will be making his first trip to Morgantown.

Jake Trotter had this to say about the Sooners-Mountaineers matchup:

West Virginia has yet to knock off the Sooners since joining the Big 12, but will have a prime opportunity here to do just that. Oklahoma will be making the long trek to Morgantown the week after taking on Baylor.

West Virginia quarterback Skyler Howard struggled mightily in Norman last season. This could be a chance for his redemption. And coach Dana Holgorsen's chance for a victory to pin his future on at West Virginia.

And here is Max Olson's take:

I thought the Oklahoma-West Virginia matchup early in the 2015 season would be a close call and potentially an upset. Baker Mayfield and his posse prevailed against a stout WVU defense. I think their meeting in Morgantown this season has that upset potential once again.

That will depend entirely on what WVU is bringing to the table at this juncture. Howard has the weapons around him to put up points. A defense full of new starters will have had ample time to gel. If the Mountaineers get a night kickoff and a raucous crowd, this should be a fun ballgame. And if the Sooners are as good as expected, every late-season game will have seriously high stakes.

The Mountaineers are 0-4 against Oklahoma since joining the Big 12 but the games have been competitive and close. In the first matchup in the 2012 season, with the Mountaineers in free fall, Dana Holgorsen moved WR/RB Tavon Austin to running back and let the most elusive player in WVU history make Sooners DC Mike Stoops question his life existence.

(Writer's note: I really just wanted a reason to re-watch this video. It makes me happy)

In 2013, WVU went to Norman for the first time as a Big 12 member and fought the Sooners hard in a 16-7 defeat. WVU was the only team to keep the Sooners under 17 points all year.

2014 was the most non-competitive game for the Mountaineers as freshman running back Samaje Perrine established himself as a breakout candidate.

2015 saw the Mountaineers claw their way back after falling back 24-7 and looking lackluster. The Mountaineers would score after half time and then force a fumble fighting their way back to make it 27-24 Oklahoma before a Skyler Howard fumble in the fourth quarter broke their backs and sealed their fate.