Advanced metrics favor Texas over Oklahoma on Saturday

Could we be overthinking the matchup between Texas and Oklahoma?

Texas and Oklahoma meet in a battle of unranked teams for the first time since 1998. Given the unpredictability of the rivalry, the Longhorns are the betting favorite by a sizable margin.

Vegas is spotting the Longhorns a touchdown in the Big 12’s premier regular season game. Even so, other factors favor Texas heading into the matchup this weekend.

We’ve noticed individual matchups that could favor each team. As a whole it appears Texas is the better team so far through five games, according to football analyst Parker Fleming.

His metrics project Texas to score just under 35 points compared to roughly 26 points for Oklahoma.

What may not surprise you is Texas’ offensive performance. The offense is No. 12 in the nation in success rate and No. 4 in passing success rate. In contrast, Oklahoma is No. 96 in defensive success rate and No. 88 in pass defensive success rate.

The numbers don’t account for the variables that the rivalry provides. Nevertheless, they hint that Texas is the better team through five games.

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