The Red River Rivalry will add another chapter on Saturday in Dallas as the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns meet in a top-20 clash.
Whenever the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns go head-to-head, you’re always going to see something exciting. One team could be competing for a national title and the other could be fighting for bowl eligibility, and you can still bank on these two teams making some sparks fly wherever they meet. That’s the beauty of the Red River Rivalry, which adds a new installment on Saturday from the Cotton Bowl.
At the start of the year, it seemed like Texas might indeed be the team fighting for bowl eligibility. For the second-straight season, the Longhorns started the year ranked and were promptly upset by the Maryland Terrapins. Tom Herman’s team, however, wasn’t undone by the loss and have rebounded in a big way.
Winning their last four games, the Longhorns have looked like a different team, including notching impressive wins over USC, TCU and a tough win against Kansas State last week. Sam Ehlinger has gotten his legs under him and has been performing like a leader at quarterback, aided by big-time weapons like Collin Johnson and Lil’Jordan Humphrey. However, the defense, which has been much better of late, will be the real unit tested on Saturday.
Kyler Murray has picked up in the Oklahoma offense right where Baker Mayfield left off. They are vastly different players, but the Sooners attack remains just as potent. Whether it’s explosive plays from Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, CeeDee Lamb or Trey Sermon — or even Murray himself taking off — this team can score in bunches and at any moment.
There were questions coming into the season about Oklahoma’s defense after they suffered big departures on the side of the ball after last year. However, this is a talented group that has improved as they’ve garnered more experience. Even still, how they perform in a rivalry game against a quality and also-explosive offense will be critical.
TV and Game Info
Date: Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018
Start Time: Noon ET
Location: Dallas, TX
Stadium: Cotton Bowl
TV Info: FOX
Live Stream: FOX Sports Go, FuboTV
Not surprisingly, the Sooners are favored in this matchup as they’ve been the better and more consistent team to this point in the year. What is a big shocking, however, is how heavy the moneyline odds are swayed. Regardless, expect some scoring with the Over/Under set above 60 points.
Betting Odds (via Odds Shark)
Point Spread: Oklahoma -7.5
Moneyline: Oklahoma -310, Texas +255
Over/Under: 61.5
Prediction
This is a rivalry game, so we know that it’s going to be close to some degree. However, I just don’t see Texas having the ability to keep up with Murray and the Sooners offense. Riley’s playmakers that he has to work with can cause anyone problems and the Longhorns’ inconsistency with scoring leaves me a bit tepid about their chances. Give me OU staying unbeaten on the year.
Final Score: Texas Longhorns 27, Oklahoma Sooners 38