Score predictions for No. 3 Texas vs. No. 12 Oklahoma
One of the top rivalries in all of college football takes place this weekend.
No. 3 Texas faces off against No. 12 Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl on Saturday. Regardless of the outcome of this game, it’s a solid bet to assume the two teams will meet again for the conference championship game in December.
The Longhorns enter the Red River matchup with two top-25 wins under their belt and have defeated every opponent by double digits. The Sooners haven’t had to face much competition yet, but look much improved from last season.
In heated rivalries like this, rankings and records can be thrown out the window. Anything can happen. Here’s a look at score predictions ahead of Saturday’s kickoff.
247Sports' Chris Hummer and Brad Crawford
Chris Hummer: Other than last year’s 49-0 Texas blowout victory, the last eight regular season games in this series have been decided by eight points or less. This is a game that often erases talent advantages and throws the records out the window. But … I really do like Texas in this game. Oklahoma is much better than it was a year ago. Having Dillon Gabriel healthy will help a ton. But I think Texas has the edge in a couple of key spots – both lines of scrimmage and playmakers – which give me pause when it comes to picking the upset. Give me the Longhorns by seven State Fair corndogs. Texas 34, Oklahoma 27.
Brad Crawford: This line has steadily risen since opening at five points in favor of the Longhorns and might be more than a touchdown at kickoff. If that happens, take a closer look at the Sooners, who have covered in every game thus far. Texas is my No. 1 team and I’ll remind everyone again, I had the Longhorns in the playoff in August. They’ve certainly looked the part, but did receive a pre-game gift last week when Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels was a late scratch. Oklahoma will score this time around, but not enough to win. Texas 38, Oklahoma 27.
College Football News
Prediction: Oklahoma 30, Texas 27
Oklahoma is No. 1 in the nation at being sick of hearing about how awesome Texas is. Again, though, Texas earned it. You beat Bama like that, you deserve to become everyone’s darling. Texas will strike quickly. The first few drives will be masterfully drawn up, social media will crown the Longhorns No. 1 after the first quarter, and then the Oklahoma defense will settle in. The Sooners won’t do much on the ground. They’ll try, and they’ll look to establish something throughout the first half helped by one big dash, but it’ll be Gabriel who’ll take over with a slew of midrange completions that keep the chains moving. And then, as often happens in the Red River Rivalry, the momentum will shift. The Sooner defense will start getting to Quinn Ewers, two takeaways will prove pivotal, and the side that got whacked 49-0 last year will get its revenge in yet another thriller in one of the best atmospheres in sports. – Pete Fiutak
Inside Texas
Eric Nahlin: Texas 41, Oklahoma 20
Justin Wells: Texas 38, Oklahoma 28
Ian Boyd: Texas 38, Oklahoma 13
Joe Cook: Texas 45, Oklahoma 27
Gerry Hamilton: Texas 33, Oklahoma 24
Bobby Burton: Texas 30, Oklahoma 24
Paul Wadlington: Texas 33, Oklahoma 17
Heartland College Sports
Prediction: Oklahoma 31, Texas 27
When looking at this game on paper, it is shaping up as an instant classic. The Sooners and Longhorns have both looked extremely impressive coming into this game and look to be evenly matched, which was not the case last season. Both teams have been demoralizing defensively, explosive offensively, and are living up to the hype as the Big 12’s best football programs. We haven’t seen a Red River Rivalry of this magnitude in over a decade, and it feels like this is going to be one of those games that folks in Burnt Orange and Crimson & Cream are going to remember for a long, long time.
With that being said, this is truly a game where you throw out the records, stats, and history, because when these two teams match up, anything can happen. In the last few years, we’ve seen this game go to 4OT, a 28-7 lead erased, and a 49-0 beatdown when the line was only 7.5 points. This season, I’m going with the unexpected once again. Oklahoma comes into this game ranked No. 12 in the country despite the analytics suggesting that they might be one of the top teams in the country. OU has played like it has a chip on its shoulder this season, and it has something to prove after being embarrassed in 2022.
Give me Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners to prevail in this one on the back of a spectacular performance from the much-improved OU defense.
Athlon Sports
Prediction: Texas 28, Oklahoma 26
Longhorns Wire
Joey Hickey: Texas 37, Oklahoma 30
Tyler Oglesby: Texas 40, Oklahoma 21
Cami Griffin: Texas 31, Oklahoma 24
