Texas vs. Oklahoma is arguably the biggest rivalry game in college football, rivaled only by Ohio State-Michigan and the Iron Bowl (Alabama vs. Auburn).
For 26 years, the Red River Shootout (Showdown, Rivalry, etc.) was the premiere rivalry matchup in the Big 12, but on Saturday, it will officially become part of SEC lore.
The Longhorns hold the edge in the all-time series, 63-51-5, but the Sooners have owned the series lately, winning seven of the last nine meetings and 17 of the last 25.
Last season, Oklahoma entered the game as a 3.5-point underdog but emerged victorious in a 34-30 thriller that came down to the final seconds. It was a far cry from the 2022 matchup, which gave Texas its most lopsided victory in series history — a 49-0 beatdown in Brent Venables’ first season.
Heading into this year’s matchup, it feels like we might see another one-sided affair that ends in the Longhorns’ favor, as Texas enters Week 7 as the No. 1 team in the nation and has yet to trail at any point this season.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma has spent the majority of the past eight quarters playing from behind and barely eeked out a win over hapless Auburn two weeks ago. The Sooners also come into this game with a slew of injury issues, particularly at the wide receiver position. That doesn’t bode well for Michael Hawkins, a true freshman quarterback, who is making his second career start in this game.
Combine that with the number that Vegas is giving on the game, and it feels like this game is far from a toss-up.
According to the latest lines at ESPN Bet, the Longhorns are a 15-point favorite in this game. With the line and total 50.5 taken into consideration, the implied score in this one is 33-18 in favor of Texas.
So, will this game be a blowout, or will Oklahoma find a way to keep it close?
The majority of bets to this point suggest the latter, as 62% of bettors predict the Sooners with either win outright or cover the points.
Texas and Oklahoma are scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. kick on Saturday, with coverage provided on ABC.
What do you think will happen in this game? Let us know in the HCS member forum!
