Oklahoma vs Texas prediction, game preview, how to watch: Saturday, October 9
Oklahoma vs Texas How To Watch
Date: Saturday, October 9
Game Time: 12:00 ET
Venue: Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX
How To Watch: ABC
Record: Oklahoma (5-0), Texas (4-1)
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Oklahoma vs Texas Game Preview
Why Texas Will Win
Oklahoma’s offense needs a tune-up.
It’s fine by normal standards.
It’s averaging 433 yards and 38 points per game, the passing attack is adequate, and the team has done something right to get to 5-0, but outside of a scrimmage against Western Carolina, the pop just isn’t there.
Texas is the one coming into this with the hot offense the kids are all slamming to.
No. 1 in the Big 12 in scoring, yards, ruining, and passing efficiency, everything that was supposed to happen with Steve Sarkisian taking over is actually kicking in.
The Longhorns figured out that Casey Thompson was the right quarterback fit for now, Bijan Robinson is close to becoming the best running back in college football, and it’s all leading to lots of big plays, lots of third down conversions, and the ability to come through in tight games like the 32-27 win over TCU.
Oklahoma’s problem is the inability to run with any consistency. Without a Jalen Hurts or Kyler Murray under center, and Rhamondre Stevenson off being a New England Patriot, the ground game is okay. It’s not good enough, though, for Oklahoma to be Oklahoma.
If Texas gets out to a quick lead, then OU will have to press for the first time all year, but …
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Why Oklahoma Will Win
The team has figured something out.
So Oklahoma isn’t ripping through teams with frightening precision. So it’s having way too hard a time putting games away. So all four games against FBS teams were decided by a touchdown or less.
There’s a little too much playing with fire, but the Sooners have been able to pull off several solid wins with defense, not screwing up, and enough offense to get the job done without taking any unnecessary chances.
The running game isn’t that bad. Kennedy Brooks and Eric Gray are combining for over five yards per carry.
Spencer Rattler doesn’t rip off big runs, but that’s not his job. He’s not making the big plays through the air he did last year, but he’s more accurate – hitting 76% of his passes – and he’s not making the killer mistakes.
The D is getting the job done, too, when it absolutely has to.
The Sooners aren’t allowing much of anything on the ground – Bijan Robinson isn’t going to find a whole lot of room to move – and the pass rush is good enough to be a bother. And then there’s the other key to the new and not-really-improved-but-different Sooners …
Turnovers. There really aren’t any.
Last year at this point there were nine. This year after five games there are four, and two of them were in the opener against Tulane.
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What’s Going To Happen
Is this still going to be as much fun when the two are in the SEC and not playing for Big 12 world domination? That’s for another day.
The real question is this. Is Oklahoma really playing so many tight games because it’s being relatively conservative – and sputtering in a play-not-to-lose sort of way – or is it because it can’t do what it’s supposed to.
We’re about to find out.
This probably goes one of two ways. Either the Oklahoma defense rises up and rocks – and that becomes the storyline – or the Texas offense gets hot and the OU O really doesn’t have the extra gear.
Or it might be a little of both. The Texas offense plays better, the Oklahoma defense keeps this in range, and in the end, Rattler and the attack doesn’t quite come through with the one clutch scoring drive it needs to pull this out.
Oklahoma vs Texas Prediction, Line
Texas 31, Oklahoma 27
Line: Oklahoma -3.5, o/u: 63.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 1.5
Must See Rating: 5
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