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Yikes! An undefeated Texas and an undefeated Oklahoma. It doesn't hurt that both are playing well.
The annual Red River Shootout (or "Rivalry") ensues early tomorrow morning, and I think two months ago, nobody really knew where each team would be.
Both teams, I think, have had a tough start of the season, in terms of opponents. Clearly, Oklahoma having Missouri and Florida State trumps Texas' BYU, UCLA and Iowa State, but it's a lot more even than you think. Considering Texas typically schedules NAIA and directional Missouri schools, we probably have a pretty accurate judgement of Texas.
There are certain facts, still: Oklahoma is one of the best teams in the nation. Texas might be in two years.
Still, Texas was abysmal last season and stuck with the Sooners for most of that game.
Five keys:
Quarterback
Typically, you can look at the best and most experience quarterback on either team and pretty much place a bet. Landry Jones has been through two Texas-Oklahoma games and has been pretty ordinary in each. Not bad, but not great. Frankly, Jones seems just like an ordinary college quarterback. He'll never quite knock your socks off, but you'll rarely have anything better. The Longhorns are still doing the Staubach-Morton switch-out with David Ash and Case McCoy. It's the only reason the Longhorns have a shot in this game because they were not winning it with Garrett Gilbert. Major edge here for OU.
Controlling The Ball
The OU offense is high powered. The Longhorns' best defense might be to keep them off the field as much as humanly possible. There is little coincidence that the play of Texas improved once Gilbert was out and Malcolm Brown was made the primary running back. The Longhorns average 206 rushing yards a game. Meanwhile, the Sooners are a good team, but they are not without their own issues. They allow about 129 rushing yards per game. Remember, they've played Tulsa and Ball State this year already. Oklahoma allows more rushing yards per game than Vanderbilt, Duke and Ohio.
Turnovers
Seems like every Texas-Oklahoma game comes down to the big turnover. Or the turnover that doesn't happen. I think it was last year that Landry Jones had that fumble and the ball hung near the sideline for an eternity and the Longhorn defenseman was unable to retrieve without it going out of bounds (I think it was a reviewed play). It goes back to Roy Williams befuddling Chris Simms. There will be one. It will be huge. Who will be responsible?
Longhorn Defense
What's turned around the most for the Longhorns is their defense. They're 12th in the nation in points allowed and 15th in yards per game. For points, it's the best defense Oklahoma's seen this season (Florida State is sixth in yards allowed ... and OU had a little trouble shaking them). (And it should be noted that Oklahoma is 13th in the nation in points allowed ... however, the Longhorn offense is not their strength ... so the strength of OU is kinda wasted here, but that just puts even more pressure on the Texas defense.)
Rivalry
People say that you can throw certain aspects and stats out of the window for a rivalry game. The problem is that those kids on Texas' roster have never quite experienced the Cotton Bowl, half orange, half maroon, in the early morning in Dallas. The jitters that comes with your first OU-UT affair might be too much. Plus, I don't know what it really means to them right now. The upper classmen will play their asses off, but if you don't think Landry Jones wants this more than Case McCoy, you are crazy.
Prediction
Oklahoma 26, Texas 13
It's close at halftime. OU lays it on in the second half.
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