Oklahoma Sooners (5-0, 2-0)
Texas Longhorns (3-2, 2-0)
The Oklahoma Sooners make their annual trek to Dallas this week to take on the Texas Longhorns in the Red River Rivalry. This years game marks the 108th in the series and the 15th time that Bob Stoops and Mack Brown will face off on opposite sidelines. A win for OU and Bob Stoops will achieve the best record against Texas as an OU coach and it will be his 10th against the Longhorns. A Texas loss and Mack Brown will likely have coached his last game in the series.
The series between Stoops and Brown has been dominated by Oklahoma. Eight of Stoops nine wins came during a 5 game streak early in the series and the Sooners current 3 game streak. Texas has never won more than 2 in a row against a Stoops coached team. When the Sooners win it is often in dominant fashion. Five of the Sooners nine wins were blowout victories by a combined average score of 56-17. The Longhorns lone blowout in the series was a 45-12 victory in their national championship season of 2005. Overall the Sooners average victory is by a score of 40-15. The Longhorns average margin of victory in five wins is 34-20. Oklahoma owns the lone shutout, beating Texas 12-0 in 2004.
Texas (3-2) has scored an average of 32 points per game and given up 28, leaving a 4 point margin. The Sooners (5-0) have scored an average of 31 but only given up an average of 13, leaving a margin of 18.The Sooners are rushing for 246 yards per game, Texas is giving up 248. The Sooners are passing for 209 and Texas is allowing 217. On the other side of the ball Texas is rushing for 192 yards per game, the Sooners are giving up 113. The Longhorns passing game is averaging 266 yards while the Sooners are only allowing 168. Oklahoma is clearly outplaying Texas on both sides of the ball this season.
In the Longhorns three victories they beat a bad New Mexico State team and the two teams currently in the bottom three of the Big 12. The two losses came to good teams. They beat who they should and couldn't beat equal or better opponents. OU hasn't been spectacular in beating their first three opponents but a road victory against Notre Dame and a tough defensive win against TCU stand out.
Texas has talent and they can win the game. But they will have to dig deep and find the necessary level of emotion and energy to match that which OU will bring to Dallas. They have not shown either thus far this season. If the Longhorns show up flat, the Sooners will eat them alive. If they can find a mental edge, the Longhorns will have a chance. Texas must also gain an early advantage on the scoreboard. If they let the Sooners open in the manner that they did at Notre Dame it will be a quite Cotton Bowl on the Longhorn side.
Having said all that, my gut tells me that this should be a convincing Sooner victory. The Texas program is, and has been in disarray for several years. Mack Brown has been grasping at straws to try and get it turned around and it just seems to get worse. Now, longtime Athletic Director, DeLoss Dodds is leaving, and frankly, Mack is running out of friends. There is nothing in the offense or defense at Texas that scares me and the renewed fury of the OU defense should chase Case McCoy, or who ever is under center, all over the Texas backfield. Blake Bell starts his first OU-Texas game but he has not shown any fear in any of his "first" starts. The OU running game should be able to soften the Longhorn defense enough early to open up the passing lanes for Bell and his receivers. If the game goes as it should, OU should leave Dallas with a win.
I got a little cocky with my TCU pick last week and was almost embarrassed. So, I'm going to be a little more realistic. The Sooner offense should be fine tomorrow but they haven't put up points like they have in recent years. The defense is much improved but did give up 20 to Tulsa. So, here is my attempt at reality;
CMan's Pick - OU 28 Texas 17
And as a bonus this week, Buster has a pick as well. Although, he doesn't share my dose of reality. We will see who is closer tomorrow afternoon.
Busters Pick: OU 51 Texas 17
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