After a week off, the Texas Longhorns are back in action on Saturday afternoon against SEC foe the Oklahoma Sooners. The Longhorns enter the latest installment of the Red Rivalry as the best team in the country due to a 5-0 start.
Quinn Ewers will be under center after missing the last two and a half games. In his absence, Arch Maning kept the offense rolling and recorded the first SEC win of his career.
While the Longhorns have been the talk of the college football world, Oklahoma has also been hard to beat. Through five games, the Sooners have posted a 4-1 record, averaging 297.8 yards per game. This should be another memorable game in a historic rivalry.
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Jamie Gatlin’s Prediction:
This weekend the Longhorns have the opportunity to make a statement in conference play. The Sooners will be a challenging team to beat and have a tough defense. However, they will be tasked with slowing down a Longhorns offense averaging 45 points per game.
Last year, the Longhorns’ only regular-season loss came against the Sooners, meaning they will be looking for revenge. Both teams have plenty to prove in a competitive conference that features nine ranked teams putting wins at a premium.
With Quinn Ewers back in action, the Longhorns offense should continue to roll thanks to a receiving core that features Ryan Wingo, Isaiah Bond, and Matthew Golden. If Oklahoma cannot stop the Longhorns passing attack, it could be a long afternoon.
Final Score: Texas 35, Oklahoma 17
Trey Luerssen’s Prediction:
This should be Texas’ year. Texas has the quarterback advantage. The advantage on offense. And despite the praise Oklahoma’s defense gets, I believe Texas has the advantage on that side of the ball too. Texas is the better team. But crazy things can happen in this game.
Last year, Texas suffered one single regular season loss. That’s right, it was the Sooners. The result was some very nervous moments when the four-team college football playoff participants were revealed, instead of a rubber stamp. A loss to the Sooners will mean less this season with the playoffs expanded to 12 teams. But that’s not something anything in burnt orange is thinking about.
Quinn Ewers, back from injury, will be the key. We should be able to tell early on in the game if he’s healed and mentally ready for the day. If he is, it’s hard to see a path for Oklahoma to win. They will need Texas turnovers, and Ewers has been more careful with the ball this year.
Oklahoma is going with redshirt freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. at QB. He definitely has speed that the Texas defense hasn’t encountered yet this year. Hawkins also throws a good deep ball. But OU’s line is suspect at best.
It’s hard to see Oklahoma winning this game unless Texas implodes. Based on what we’ve seen so far in 2024, that includes a win a the Big House and two and a half games with a backup QB, the Longhorns don’t resemble a team that beats itself.
Final Score: Texas 38, Oklahoma 13