Week 7 of the college football season will feature the first SEC Red River Rivalry showdown between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners. This historic rivalry, often referred to as the Red River Shootout, is a highly anticipated annual event in college football.

The undefeated Texas Longhorns, riding high on recent victories, are expected to be well-rested after a bye week and could see quarterback Quinn Ewers back. He has been recovering from an oblique injury he sustained on September 14th against UTSA. As Ewers’ backup, Arch Manning has kept the Longhorns’ win streak alive and led Texas to impressive victories over UL Monroe and Mississippi State. Head coach Steve Sarkisian has not said who will start against the Sooners at the Cotton Bowl.

The Oklahoma Sooners, buoyed by a remarkable 27-21 road victory against Auburn, are coming off a bye week. The team is getting ready to face the formidable Longhorns with freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr., who earned the starting position after replacing Jackson Arnold, who struggled in every game he started for Oklahoma this year.

Here are the latest predictions and odds for the first SEC Red River Rivalry.

More: College football bowl projections get overhaul after upsetting Week 6 reshapes CFP bracket

College football 2024: Texas vs. Oklahoma predictions

ESPN: Texas has a 85% chance to win

According to ESPN’s Matchup Predictor, the Texas Longhorns have a 85% chance to beat the Oklahoma Sooners in Week 7.

Sports Illustrated: Oklahoma Sooners

James Park writes: “When taking the point spread and total into consideration, it’s implied that Texas will defeat Oklahoma by a projected score of 33 to 19.OU’s offense is in tatters amid some big injuries and poor output, but its defense has the muscle to contain the Longhorns’ skill threats enough to keep this one close.”

College Football Network: Texas 27, Oklahoma 17

Will Helms writes: “The Sooners will do everything they can to make this game ugly. They’ll slow the tempo, lean on the run (both from the running backs and new starting quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr., who has the mobility to cause issues), and try to create turnovers. Then again, this game tends to lean into unpredictability. Factoring that in, I think Texas wins, but it won’t be pretty, and it won’t cover. Take the under and lean Oklahoma against the spread in yet another weird installment of the Red River Showdown.”

College football 2024: Texas vs. Oklahoma odds, lines:

The Texas Longhorns are favorites to defeat the Oklahoma Sooners, according to the BetMGM college football odds.

Odds as of Tuesday afternoon.

• Spread: Texas (-14.5)
• Moneylines: Texas (-700)
• Over/under: 49.5

Looking to wager? Check out the top college football betting apps in 2024, offering the top NCAA football betting promos and bonuses in 2024.

How to watch Texas vs. Oklahoma:

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 12
• Where: Cotton Bowl (Dallas, Texas)
• Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
• TV: ABC
• Stream: Fubo (free trial) | Sling TV | ESPN+

Stream select college football games with a Fubo subscription (free trial)

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The Federal Communications Commission has received thousands of complaints from angry Texans over an early morning notification to their cellphones about the shooting of a police chief last week.

The Blue Alert rattled devices just before 5 a.m. on Oct. 4 in an effort to find and arrest Seth Altman, 33, who is the subject of a manhunt over the shooting of Memphis Police Chief Rex Plant in the Texas Panhandle. 

The FCC said it has received 4,500 complaints about the safety alert.

It was not clear how the agency would address the grievances. 

The FCC told Fox News Digital it doesn’t send the notifications, noting that its primary role is to adopt technical and operational rules for the communications providers that deliver alerts to the public.

Plant and another officer were serving an arrest warrant on Altman at his home on Thursday night for a suspected burglary, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) said.

Altman opened fire and struck Plant before running away, authorities said. 

The police chief was flown to a hospital in Lubbock where he remains in stable condition. 

Altman has been added to Texas’ Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list and is wanted for attempted capital murder of a peace officer, DPS said.

Gov. Greg Abbott issued a $10,000 reward for information leading to his capture.

Sheridan Nolen, the DPS press secretary, told Fox News Digital that Blue Alerts are meant to warn the public of possible danger.

“They are designed to speed up the apprehension of violent criminals who kill or seriously wound law enforcement officers by generating tips and leads for the investigating agencies, and therefore giving those agencies the best opportunity to apprehend a dangerous criminal,” Nolen said. 

On Monday, Crime Stoppers of Wichita/Sedgwick County in Kansas said Altman may be in its area.

“Seth may be in the Wichita Metro Area,” Crime Stoppers said in a Facebook post, noting that he stands about 6 feet, 2 inches tall, weighs around 220 pounds and wears glasses.

The Blue Law program was signed into Texas law in 2008. 

Criteria for sending the alert includes when a law enforcement officer is killed or seriously hurt, when a suspect poses a serious risk or threat to the public, and when there is a detailed description of the offender’s vehicle, vehicle tag or partial tag that must be available for broadcast to the public.

The investigating law enforcement agency must also recommend it, according to the DPS website.