The Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns are set to throw down in college football action on Saturday. The Red River Rivalry has always been an important game, but this season it just means more. Texas and Oklahoma are now full members of the SEC this year and it’s time to see which is the better of the two and who will bring home the Golden Hat Trophy.
Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns Predictions
A Legendary Rivalry
When it comes to college football rivalries, it doesn’t get more intense than the Red River Rivalry. This series goes back to the inception of college football as a sport. No matter who you are in the South, even if you’re not a fan, you inevitably end up watching or hearing about this game every single year. Legends like Bob Stoops, Mack Brown, and Bud Wilkinson have all played a hand in making this rivalry what it is today.
There have been 119 games in total. The Texas Longhorns lead the series total by twelve games, but that’s more so due to the dominance of Texas football in the 1900s than anything else. Since 2000, Oklahoma has been dominating the rivalry. Except for 2022, they’ve all been incredibly close games. Head coach Brent Venables is currently 1-1 in his record for the series. Undoubtedly, he’ll be looking to make his mark with gusto this year and notch another win in the record books for Oklahoma.
The Longhorn Stampede
The Texas Longhorns, under head coach Steve Sarkisian, are on a hot streak this year. The Longhorns are fulfilling the faith of those pre-season polls. Although the teams they’ve beaten aren’t exactly impressive, yes, even Michigan, there’s nothing to be ashamed of in being undefeated this many weeks in.
While Sarkisian has had a roller coaster of a career, he seems to have found his footing in Texas. Last year he led them to capture the Big 12 Championship in their swan song season with the Big 12. This year they’ve quickly risen to the top of the rankings nationally and are intent on staying there. With Heisman contenders Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning, it’s no surprise that Texas is coming in as the heavy favorite.
Matthew Golden and Isaiah Bond will be out in the wide receiver position this weekend. Together they’ve racked up nearly 600 yards and six touchdowns, three a-piece, this season. For comparison, Oklahoma’s best receivers this year have only 265 yards and two touchdowns. It’ll be interesting to see how Bond and Golden fare against an Oklahoma defense that has made even the most up-tempo teams slow to a crawl.
Ewers, despite injury, is expected to start against Oklahoma this week. If they’re looking to conserve him for the playoffs, however, the Longhorns can easily swap to Arch. Whether you’re calling it a dynasty or a legacy, the youngest Manning has stepped up to make his mark already. With such big shadows to escape, the young quarterback is going to leave it all on the field if he gets a chance.
Oklahoma’s Last Stand
Before this season started, it appeared that the Sooners could make a run for the playoffs. Their roster was stacked with talent and Venables appeared ready to right the wrongs of his previous seasons.
Then Temple happened. And Houston. And Tennessee.
It’s become painfully clear now that Oklahoma isn’t aiming for the stars anymore. They’re just looking to stop the bleeding. If they can survive long enough to obtain a winning season, that’ll be enough to stay the ship until next year.
Starting quarterback Jackson Arnold has turned into a bust. His wild, gunslinging style is only balanced by an extraordinarily good running game. Arnold currently holds the most rushing yards for his team, while his actual running backs are far, far behind him. Backup quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr., who started against Auburn, will once again start against Texas.
Hawkins put on an impressive showing at Auburn. However, Texas is a different beast entirely. Out of the 119 games played against the Longhorns, the Sooners have never fielded a quarterback fresh out of high school. This year they’re starting the truest freshman of the season. For one of the biggest games of the year, it’s an incredibly risky move.
The defensive side is the one area without concerns. The Sooners have put together a stellar team in this respect. The nominal team captain, Danny Stutsman, is a good old country boy who lives and breathes football. His ability to remain calm under pressure and rally his team has proved invaluable. Following behind him are stars like Kip Lewis, Robert Spears Jennings, Billy Bowman, and Damonic Williams.
Oklahoma Sooners vs Texas Longhorns Prediction
It’s clear that this game is going to go one way and go that way very hard, and very early. Texas has the home-field advantage this year. If you know anything about college football, you know that it’s a way of life in the Lone Star state. No matter how hot Oklahoma starts, Texas is going to win this one easily.
And yet there’s something about this game that, every year, erases all expectations and overrules all predictions. No matter who steps onto the field, the aura and energy push everyone to their upper limits. The Red River Rivalry is a game that truly meets the definition of ‘it just means more’.
Whatever happens on Saturday, you can be certain that Last Word On Sports will have the only breakdown of the game you’ll want to read.
