Texas Football: 5 reasons the Longhorns will upset Oklahoma

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LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 16: Sam Ehlinger #11 of the Texas Longhorns is tackled by Jack Jones #25 and Uchenna Nwosu #42 of the USC Trojans during the first quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)Texas Longhorns is tackled by Jack Jones #25 and Uchenna Nwosu #42 of the USC Trojans during the first quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 16, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

1. Herman is masterful as an underdog

Give Lincoln Riley props for taking his team into Columbus and getting the best of Urban Meyer and Ohio State 31-16. It was a great win, and can’t be overlooked.

Truth-be-told, Riley is still new to this “head coaching” thing. Were there cracks in the armor last week against Iowa State? Did the Cyclones take advantage of the Sooners’ weaknesses on defense? It sure appeared so, and if Riley and his staff don’t shore up the secondary, you can bet Herman and his assistants will have a game plan to attack it.

Another factor I guarantee won’t be overlooked is Herman’s perfect record over the past two and a half seasons as an underdog. Herman is 6-0 against the spread and 5-1 overall as an underdog in games with Houston and Texas. His teams are plus-22.8 in scoring margin in those six games.

Somehow Herman and his staff have gotten their players to play loose and with confidence. I fully expect to see a confident Longhorns’ team take the field. A confident group that will play with swagger.

Next: NFL Mock Draft 2018: First round after Week 6

Texas leads the all-time series 61-45-5. Herman has demonstrated he is a ‘live underdog’ the past three seasons. With a plethora of favorable match-ups, I see no reason that doesn’t continue Saturday. The Horns’ continue to trend upward pulling off the upset.

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