Overview
- The No. 1 Texas Longhorns (4-0) will meet unranked Oklahoma (2-2) at the Cotton Bowl on Saturday in the annual Red River Rivalry, a nationally televised game on ABC.
- Betting lines have pushed Texas into a clear edge, with spreads around 7.5–8.5 points, a moneyline near -325 to -330 for Texas, and an over/under close to 39–39.5 points.
- A Wednesday SEC availability report listed far more Oklahoma players (13) than Texas (4), raising concerns about Sooners depth and the availability of at least two offensive-line starters.
- Texas' defense drives the pregame narrative, led by emerging pass rusher Colin Simmons, whose recent school-record 5½-sack game has analysts forecasting heavy pressure on Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer.
- Oklahoma’s offense has struggled all season—poor rushing (about 2.9 yards per carry), low scoring against Power Four teams, and turnover problems—which many media outlets and computer models say makes an upset unlikely and could increase pressure on coach Brent Venables.