Red River Rivalry EARTHQUAKE?

Could this game be a repeat of 2018?

This may be the best matchup in all of college football, certainly this weekend. Texas is favored to win, yet Oklahoma has not allowed a rushing touchdown this season and both teams have scored 11 rushing touchdowns.

Oklahoma’s quarterback Dillon Gabriel (118-157) has a slight edge over Texas’ Quinn Ewers (97-114) in pass efficiency. Gabriel has thrown 15 touchdowns to Ewers 10 and they are ranked #6 and #22 respectively.

Gabriel has hit more deep balls, though has thrown two interceptions to Ewers’ single one against Kansas, almost not worth mentioning, but with Jahdae Barron and Jerrin Thompson, we might see a few interceptions.

By way of comparison, the #1 quarterback after five games is Caleb Williams of USC who is 105-141 with 21 touchdown passes and one interception.

So will the defenses be the key? Certainly a big factor. Texas’ defense has not allowed any RedZone rushing touchdowns and allowed just one passing touchdown from the RedZone. The rest were field goals.

Oklahoma allowed three passing and three field goals from the RedZone.

Looking at this game and how it has played out over the years, we went back to 2000. Oklahoma is up 15-8. Since 2014, with the exception of last year’s 49-0 blowout, every game has been decided by 8-points or less.

Date	TEX	OK	Over/Under
10/8/2022	49	0	49
10/9/2021	48	55	-7
10/10/2020	45	53	-8
10/12/2019	27	34	-7
10/6/2018	48	45	3
10/14/2017	24	29	-5
10/8/2016	40	45	-5
10/10/2015	24	17	7
10/11/2014	26	31	-5

This made us wonder. Could this game, like in 2018, be decided by the field goal kicker? Everyone remembers freshman Cameron Dicker’s famous winning field goal and hearing announcer Gus Johnson yell, “EARTERQUAKE!”

Today it is Bert Auburn for Texas.

Interesting, Auburn has missed five field goals this season while attempting 14. Four of those were from longer-than-normal ranges.

Against Rice, Auburn attempted one from 56-yards and missed. At Alabama, a 42-yard field goal attempt did not make it through. Away at Baylor, a short 26-yard attempt did not make the uprights.

In the last game against Kansas at DKR, twice Auburn missed from 50 and 47-yards early in the game on the second and third drives.

It would not be a surprise if Sarkisian and staff gave Auburn those long field goals to help him prepare, (work out any kinks) in the event they needed him for Saturday’s game and/or the Big 12 Championship and even better, the BSC Championship games.

Auburn’s longer field goal this season was 49-yards against Rice. In 2022 his longest was against Alabama at DKR where he landed a 49-yard field goal. Knowing the importance of three extra points, was it by design that Texas ha Auburn attempting the long kicks so he would/could be prepared in case his leg was needed to win the game.

As close as the Red River Rivalry has been over the years, we may be looking at another EARTHQUAKE scenario in Dallas, Texas.

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