Oklahoma football: Can Sooners hold off Texas in 2018 Red River Rivalry?

Texas and Oklahoma football meet up again in Dallas for the annual Red River Shootout. Which Big 12 hopeful will leave the Cotton Bowl victorious?

No matter where each of the two rivals sit in the standings, the annual battle between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners is always sure to provide some intrigue. This year, both schools have high hopes of a run at the Big 12 title and a possible spot in the four-team College Football Playoff.

Oklahoma lost Baker Mayfield, but they have been even more dynamic offensively thanks to the play of another transfer quarterback. Former Texas A&M quarterback Kyler Murray took over for Mayfield under center and has boasted an even higher efficiency rating than his Heisman-winning predecessor. Murray has racked up two games with passer ratings over 300 points, and he also has 285 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

Even though the Sooners rank outside the top 50 in the FBS in points allowed on defense and sit among the worst 15 teams in the country in terms of possession, it hasn’t mattered in the slightest. Lincoln Riley’s squad is still doubling up the score on their opponents, and they will look to do the same against their rival on Saturday.

Texas, meanwhile, seems to finally be making a solid turnaround under second-year head coach Tom Herman. After another inexplicable loss against Maryland for the second straight year, the Longhorns have run away with four straight wins. That includes a takedown of defending Pac-12 champion USC and then-No. 17 TCU.

Sam Ehlinger has started to develop into a respectable quarterback for Texas. Ehlinger has an interception-free streak that coincides with the Longhorns’ winning streak, and he will look to earn the biggest win yet of his burgeoning career. No matter where your loyalties lie, this should be another Red River Shootout worth watching. Here’s how you can watch the early Saturday game between No. 7 Oklahoma and No. 19 Texas:

Date: Saturday, Oct. 6
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: Dallas, Texas
Venue: Cotton Bowl
TV: FOX
Live Stream: FOX Sports Go | FuboTV

Keys to Victory

For Oklahoma to win on Saturday in Dallas, they need to prevent Texas from even getting into the red zone. When the Sooners did let opponents inside their own 20, those opponents walked away with points every single time in September. For Lincoln Riley’s crew to stay undefeated and keep themselves in contention for the College Football Playoff, that trend needs to turn around against a Longhorns squad that itself has been horrible at scoring when they get in the red zone.

Texas will obviously need to change that trend for themselves if they hope to win. Beyond that, though, the Longhorns front seven needs to get better pressure on Kyler Murray than they have against other quarterbacks in 2018. They also need to take advantage of the third-best punt return unit in the country to win the field position battle and create shorter fields for their offense to operate.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

Point Spread: Oklahoma -7
Over/Under: 60.5

Prediction

Oklahoma will take the field at the Cotton Bowl as a one-touchdown favorite against their Texan rivals. The Sooners will show once again why they boast the nation’s highest-scoring offense, as Murray outwits the Longhorns defense and carves up their secondary. Look for offense to win out in general in this Big 12 showcase as the two sides go way over the total points line.

Final Score: Oklahoma 48, Texas 38