Way-Too-Early Staff Predictions: Texas vs. Oklahoma

The Texas Longhorns will face the Oklahoma Sooners of their renewal of the Pink River Rivalry Sport on the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on Oct. 8.

By this level, the Longhorns can have accomplished their non-conference slate, which features a Week 2 matchup with Alabama, together with their Massive 12 openers in opposition to Texas Tech and West Virginia.

The Longhorns and Sooners meet each season in a rivalry that dates again greater than 100 years. Dallas has lengthy been the situation for the competition, a superb midway level between Austin, Texas, the house of the Longhorns, and Norman, Oklahoma.

Oklahoma is coming off an 11-2 season and a 7-2 Massive 12 slate. However, the Sooners did not make the Massive 12 Championship Sport for the primary because it was reinstated, and the offseason featured an enormous teaching transition. Lincoln Riley left the Sooners to take over at USC, and the Sooners employed Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables to take over. Venables was a former defensive coordinator at OU underneath Bob Stoops, who was the interim head coach for the Sooners’ Alamo Bowl win over Oregon.

Texas is coming off a 5-7 season wherein it did not make a bowl sport in coach Steve Sarkisian’s first season. He returns Heisman hopeful Bijan Robinson at operating again and the Longhorns are staging a quarterback competitors between Hudson Card and Quinn Ewers, the latter of which transferred in from Ohio State.

Listed below are our way-too-early predictions for the sport.

Make sure you keep on with LonghornsCountry.com as we preview each side of the matchup with the Sooners all through the week

Matt Galatzan – Managing Editor and Writer

The Pink River Rivalry might be one of many extra intriguing matchups in Week 6 throughout the nation. Each Steve Sarkisian and Brent Venables might be in search of their first wins Within the collection. Each can have a brand new beginning quarterback, and each can have a a lot different-looking roster than a season in the past.

I feel the Longhorns will bear in mind what occurred final 12 months after blowing their 28-7 lead, and I feel they’ll have discovered their lesson from it. In the long run, Sark will get his first signature win because the Horns’ head coach, and Texas takes a giant leap within the Massive 12 title race.

Rating: Texas 41, Oklahoma, 37

Cole Thompson – Reporter/Columnist

This appears like considerably of a brand new rivalry. Steve Sarkisian is getting into his second season whereas Brent Venables takes the helm simply earlier than the sooners depart for the SEC. Ought to that issue into the choice?

One factor that may profit Oklahoma is the reconnection of offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby and UCF quarterback Dillion Gabriel. As for Texas, Sark ought to have his reply on the offensive line by Week 6. Sark additionally has a 12 months underneath his belt on the helm of this rivalry. It pays dividends.

Rating: Texas 30, Oklahoma 27

Timm Hamm – Workers Author

The Longhorns are 0-4 in opposition to the Sooners within the final 4 video games, and Oklahoma is 16-7 in opposition to Texas since 2000. That mentioned, the Longhorns won’t repeat the embarrassment of final season’s Pink River Rivalry and will make the most of the teaching turnover in Norman. 

Rating: Texas 37, Oklahoma 21

Zach Dimmitt – Workers Author

The Longhorns have had some heartbreakers within the Pink River Showdown the previous few years. However 2022 is likely to be the right time to catch OU slipping because the Sooners enter the primary 12 months underneath Brent Venables.

It may be tough to foretell rivalry matchups, however I feel it’s Texas’ flip to take one within the collection in a sport that Steve Sarkisian must win subsequent season.

Rating: Texas 45, Oklahoma 38

Michael Gresser – Workers Author

For the primary time in a very long time, the Longhorns will maintain the offensive edge within the Pink River Showdown. A wave of outgoing transfers has depleted the Sooner roster heading into 2022. Steve Sarkisian can have a possibility to make the most of the Sooners in his second season as head coach.

This sport will come all the way down to the ultimate drive, because it all the time does. It is going to be one other high-scoring on the spot traditional that sees the Longhorns come out on prime.

Rating: Texas 46, Oklahoma 43 

Connor Zimmerlee – Workers Author

Ah, sure. We have lastly made it to the Pink River Rivalry. With a stadium completely cut up down the center between two of probably the most hated rivals, what’s there to not love?

Final season’s rendition ought to have been Steve Sarkisian’s marquee win in his first 12 months at Texas. Nevertheless, the Longhorns would brutally choke a 38-20 halftime lead and fall to Oklahoma, 55-48. This season although, I count on the Longhorns to come back out and end the job. It will not be a blowout win, however this sport serves as a possible Heisman second for a number of Longhorns, en path to a much-needed Pink River win.

Rating: Texas 42 Oklahoma 38

Adam Glick – Workers Author

Each Pink River Rivalry sport is destined to excite. I see this sport being no totally different. Each groups are experiencing unprecedented turnover inside every program. I like this sport to be a battle within the trenches. I see Bijan taking a giant position with over 200 yards on the bottom. This sport can have many twists in the long run nevertheless I see the Longhorns popping out on prime.

Rating: Texas 31, Oklahoma 28

Matthew Postins – Workers Author

You wish to present that ‘Texas is again?’ Show it. And that is the sport wherein to do it.

The issue is, I’m undecided Texas is able to win THIS sport but. Each applications will seemingly have new quarterbacks. However OU’s Dillon Gabriel was a extremely productive starter at UCF and he’s working with the identical offensive coordinator in Jeff Lebby. Plus, Texas all the time appears to discover a solution to lose this sport whenever you suppose they’re going to win it.

Rating: Oklahoma 36, Texas 31

You could find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard

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