Texas Longhorns vs Oklahoma Sooners Week 7 Match Preview
Coming off a bye week, the Oklahoma Sooners are gearing up to add another memorable chapter to the historic Red River Rivalry.
In one of the most anticipated games of the season, the 18th-ranked Sooners will face the No. 1 Texas Longhorns in the Red River Showdown, set for 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
Review
For Texas: The Longhorns remain the only undefeated team in the SEC and are expected to welcome back their starting quarterback, Quinn Ewers, from injury. After a dominant win over Mississippi State, Texas enjoyed a bye week. The Longhorns have been impressive on both sides of the ball, and their defense could pose significant challenges to Oklahoma’s offense, which has struggled and will be starting a true freshman quarterback. With several upsets in college football over the weekend, head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns have a prime opportunity to solidify their place as one of the top teams in the nation with a victory.
For Oklahoma: The Sooners are coming off an emotional comeback win on the road against Auburn, followed by a bye week that may have helped some players recover from injuries. Oklahoma could ride that momentum and lean on its defense to make it a close game. Despite looking dominant, Texas’ resume is lackluster thus far and the Longhorns’ Week 2 win at Michigan is looking less impressive as the Wolverines lost by 10 points at Washington on Saturday. Rivalry games, particularly this one, are unpredictable, and Neither one of these programs has ever been accused of overlooking each other.
“It’s a rivalry game. Forget whatever we’re favored by or not, it doesn’t matter,” Sarkisian said. “Records and things don’t matter in games like this.”
The Longhorns lead the all-time series 63-51-5, but since 1960, the two teams are evenly matched with a 31-31-3 record. Interestingly, in 16 past meetings, the lower-ranked team has come out on top, often derailing their rival’s postseason ambitions.
“So I want to make sure that we stay true to who we are, that we do have emotion,” Sarkisian said. “There’s nothing wrong with that, but we fight the urge to get emotional. When we get emotional, that’s when things happen that can put us in a position not to be successful. That’s what I’m preaching throughout the week, to get ourselves in the right frame of mind for Saturday when we kick off.”
Analysis
Texas has dominated every opponent so far, though the Sooners present the toughest test they’ve faced. The health of quarterback Quinn Ewers remains crucial, as he hasn’t played since being injured in Week 3 against UTSA. Although Arch Manning has filled in admirably, Ewers is expected to regain the starting position if healthy.
The backbone of Texas’ offense is left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. After the Mississippi State game, Banks earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors, having allowed no sacks or quarterback pressures. His blocking also contributed to Texas averaging 8.4 yards per play and 6.4 yards per rush. Banks, a preseason First Team All-America left tackle, is ranked as the No. 4 overall player on ESPN’s latest NFL Draft big board.
While Texas’ offense garners most of the attention, the team’s success has been well-rounded. The Longhorns boast a fifth-ranked scoring offense and second-ranked scoring defense, scoring at least 30 points and allowing fewer than 13 in every game this season.
Oklahoma’s chances of keeping the game close rest on generating pressure, forcing turnovers, and hitting big plays. The Sooners’ defense has been impressive, allowing no more than 25 points in any game and ranking 12th in the nation, giving up just 16 points per game.
Despite the odds, Oklahoma has a chance to compete, particularly in this neutral setting in Dallas. The Sooners won’t be able to win in a high-scoring affair, and both teams know that. Oklahoma will likely try to slow the game down, lean on the running game, and look for their freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. to use his mobility to create problems for Texas.
Prediction
Texas enters this game as a favorite in every matchup this season, but their upcoming contest against Georgia may prove to be their toughest challenge yet.
On paper, Texas is significantly better than Oklahoma. However, football is not played on paper, and the Red River Showdown has a history of unpredictability.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Texas is a 14-point favorite over Oklahoma. The total points line is set at 51.5, with Texas at -650 and Oklahoma at +475 to win outright.
The implied score projects a comfortable 35-20 win for Texas in this rivalry game, according to the spread and total.
