No. 1 Texas faces off against No. 19 Oklahoma in one of the most anticipated Red River Rivalry games in recent years. The Longhorns enter the matchup as No. 1 for the first time since 1984 after starting 5-0 and crushing Mississippi State in their first SEC conference game.
The Texas-Oklahoma rivalry is one of the most heated and unique in college football. Since 1932, it has been played at the Cotton Bowl in the State Fair of Texas, which is nearly equidistant between the two schools. Texas holds a 63-51-5 victory, but Oklahoma is 17-8 since 2000. The last time these two teams played, the Sooners shocked No. 3 Texas 34-30 behind 285 yards passing and 113 yards rushing from Dillon Gabriel.
Texas vs. Oklahoma: Need to know
Quarterback health: Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers went out in the first half against UTSA with a pulled muscle and missed starts against ULM and Mississippi State. In his stead, backup Arch Manning exploded for more than 800 yards and 10 total touchdowns in 10 quarters of action. If Ewers is healthy, he is guaranteed his starting job back. The junior similarly returned from an injury against Oklahoma in 2022 and delivered with four touchdowns in a 49-0 decimation of the Sooners.
Searching for offense: Oklahoma similarly came into the season with an expected quarterback but benched Jackson Arnold for freshman Michael Hawkins in the SEC opener. The Sooners rank No. 122 nationally in total offense and behind UCLA, Northwestern and UMass in yards per play. Hawkins has added a boost to Oklahoma on the ground, rushing for 69 yards and a touchdown in a come-from-behind victory over Auburn. Against Texas, Hawkins will need more help from an injured wide receiver corps and lackluster running back unit.
Get off schedule: Texas has been perhaps the best team in the nation in generating long drives. In the first half against Michigan, when Texas took a 24-3 lead it would never relinquish, the Longhorns averaged 9.4 plays per drive and converted three of its four red zone trips into touchdowns. Oklahoma's defense has thrived creating chaos. Defensive lineman R Mason Thomas leads the way with 6.5 tackles for loss, but 11 different players at all three levels have multiple. If the Sooners can consistently push the Longhorns backwards and force them behind the chains, it gives them the best chance to get Texas off the field.
How to watch Texas vs. Oklahoma live
Date: Saturday, Oct. 12 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Cotton Bowl -- Dallas, Texas
TV: ABC | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
Texas vs. Oklahoma prediction, picks
The Red River Rivalry is one of those matchups where you have to throw the records out. Granted, this is one of the more difficult ones to do so as Texas comes in as a wildly higher quality team than Oklahoma, but strange things happen at the Cotton Bowl. A win for Oklahoma would be massive for Brent Venables' fortunes after a disappointing start to his third year. Taking care of business would help cement Texas as a serious national title contender. The Longhorns come away with a win, but two touchdowns is excessive in a heated rivalry game . Pick: Oklahoma +14.5
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