Wednesday, rushing a bit to beat afternoon thundershower

NORMAN, Okla. -- A quarterback matchup the likes of Saturdays showdown between Oklahomas Baker Mayfield and Ohio States J.T. Barrett is rare, especially in the regular season.Barrett finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy balloting in 2014, Mayfield finished fourth last year, and both are in the discussion this year.The most recent matchup between quarterbacks who both entered a game having finished in the top five in any previous Heisman race came when Mayfields Sooners played Deshaun Watsons Clemson Tigers last season in the College Football Playoff. Before that, it was when Oregons Marcus Mariota and Florida States Jameis Winston met in the College Football Playoff after the 2014 season. Before that, youd have to go back to the championship game after the 2008 season, when Floridas Tim Tebow and Oklahomas Sam Bradford squared off.Mayfield welcomes the pressure that comes with playing a team with an elite signal caller. He knows that Barretts talent leaves the 14th-ranked Sooners with little margin for error against the third-ranked Buckeyes .It makes the competition fun, but Ive just got to focus in on my job, Mayfield said. I also know Ive got to push a little bit harder, got to push those guys (teammates) a little bit more.A loss against Ohio State would likely kill Oklahomas national title hopes and Mayfields Heisman hopes. A win would boost both causes significantly.This is kind of the opportunity you come to a place like this to play in games like this, where everybodys watching on a Saturday night, Mayfield said. It has a lot of things that could happen after.Barretts arrival at this point hasnt been smooth. He suffered a season-ending broken right ankle against Michigan late in that dynamic 2014 season, and Cardale Jones took over and led the Buckeyes to the national title. Barrett and Jones split time last season, but now Barrett has the job to himself and looks like his 2014 self. He has completed 66 percent of his passes for 498 yards and six touchdowns in two games this season, and has 85 yards and three touchdowns rushing.Hes just an all-around good player, Mayfield said. Id say theres three guys in the country that do what he does, including him. Deshaun Watson and Greg Ward (Houston) would be the other two. Guys that are able to throw it as best as anybody and also run it better than anybody else.Mayfield walked on at Texas Tech and played there as a freshman in 2013 before transferring to Oklahoma and sitting out a year. He won the starting job at Oklahoma last season in a preseason battle with Trevor Knight and quickly proved himself capable. He eventually passed for 3,700 yards and 36 touchdowns and led the Sooners to the Playoff.The ball is out fast, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said. They give him a lot of responsibility like we do J.T. as far as on run plays, throwing screens and the tempo. Obviously, he knows that offense, you can tell, very well.When the ball isnt out quickly, Mayfield can be even more dangerous. He ran for 405 yards and seven touchdowns last season. He is not as effective a runner as Barrett, but his ability to improvise makes him dangerous.The biggest thing is hes a creator of plays, Meyer said. He just doesnt make the plays when they are there, but he had a couple of outstanding plays where nothing was there, and its hard to bring him down.---Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter (at)CliffBruntAP Nike Air Vapormax 2019 Pas Cher .Y. -- Paul Byron and Matt Stajan scored as the Calgary Flames started a five-game road trip with a 2-1 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday afternoon. Air Max 720 Pas Cher . -- The boos poured down on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots at the end of a horrible first half. http://www.nike720pascher.fr/pas-cher-air-vapormax/vapormax-plus.html . The 17-year-old native of Marystown, N.L., pulled out of Skate Canada International last month in Saint John, N.B., with the same problem. Air Max 270 Bowfin Soldes . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. Air Max 270 Destockage . Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. The second-ranked Norwegian made her season debut after missing the LPGA Tours opening event last month in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury.PITTSBURGH -- Seven-time major league All-Star Dave Parker is dealing with Parkinsons disease. Parker told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he was diagnosed with the disease in February 2012. Parkers condition was first reported by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "I went in for a physical, went through the whole physical and my hand was shaking," Parker said by telephone. "The docs saw it and I said Ive been having problems with that. They said Yeah, you got Parkinsons, thats how I found out." Parkinsons is a progressive disorder that gradually takes a toll on the nervous system. Notable figures with the disease include Muhammad Ali and actor Michael J. Fox. The 62-year-old Parker said his older sister is also suffering from Parkinsons. The 1978 National League MVP is able to get by without medication at this point and relies on a healthy diet and plenty of exercise, including at least an hour a day on his bicycle. He got in his usual round of golf on Wednesday, rushing a bit to beat afternoon thundershowers. &qquot;Im managing it pretty well," he said.dddddddddddd Nicknamed "Cobra" because of his lethal bat and cannon-like arm, Parker hit 339 home runs during a 19-year career with five teams, most notably the Pittsburgh Pirates. He helped Pittsburgh win the 1979 World Series and was named MVP of the All-Star game that year after a pair of outfield assists helped the National League pull out a 7-6 victory. Parker won another title with the Oakland As in 1989, when he hit 22 homers and drove in 97 runs at age 38. He is still active in the game, occasionally working as a hitting coach. Parker said he believes the Pirates, in first-place in the NL Central, are ready to end two decades of losing. "I know the fans are used to winning when I played," Parker said. "They desperately need a winning season. (Twenty) years of losing baseball is unacceptable as far as I concerned. When I played, we threw everything out on the field and including the kitchen sink. Its nice to see these guys doing the same." ' ' '