Texas cannot afford to take Oklahoma lightly

The Longhorns can all but eliminate Oklahoma from Big 12 contention with a win Saturday.

The Texas Longhorns have their biggest game of the season on Saturday. They face their Red River rival, Oklahoma, who will be desperate to get their first conference win.

On paper, the Longhorns face a team that got blown out 55-24 by TCU. In reality, it’s much more complex than that one performance.

Oklahoma is 10-3 against the Longhorns since 2010 and currently owns a four-game winning streak in the series.

Brent Venebles is the same defensive play caller that held Colt McCoy and the 2009 offense to 16 points in a 16-13 loss to Texas. Steve Sarkisian and company need to prepare for the Sooners’ best game.

The Sooners are known for prioritizing the Texas game on their schedule. Barry Switzer famously donned a “Beat Texas,” hat when facing his biggest rival. Bob Stoops certainly prioritized the game winning 63-14 in 2000 and 65-13 in 2003.

The Longhorns must view the Sooners as the highly touted team they were made to be in preseason. If they take them seriously, Texas can virtually eliminate the Sooners from Big 12 contention by handing Oklahoma its third conference loss.

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Texas Football: 10 game-defining aspects that could shape Red River in 2022

Venables will look to get his first Red River win as a head coach this year.

The Red River game is one of the highlights of the college football season. The rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma is unmatched for many reasons.

The Cotton Bowl venue is unlike any other in college football. Georgia and Florida’s matchup in Jacksonville is the closest atmosphere to the historic Red River Shootout.

This year’s matchup pits two teams who have uncertainty on either side. Texas comes off a 5-7 season last year, while Oklahoma replaces elite offensive mind Lincoln Riley with new head coach Brent Venables.

Venables has proven to be a great play caller, but, as Texas fans saw last year, that does not always immediately translate to success as head coach. Lincoln Riley’s replacement will look to get his first Red River win as a head coach this year.

Here is a look at a few unique aspects that could play a role in this year’s matchup between the two teams.