Texas Longhorns vs Oklahoma Sooners Preview via HookEm Report | Horns Illustrated
By Brad Kellner – Columnist - Hook ‘em Report
It’s that time of year again. Texas Longhorns. Oklahoma Sooners. Burnt Orange and White. Crimson and Cream. Bevo. The Sooner Schooner. Texas Fight. Boomer Sooner. Tens of thousands of fans will pile into the Cotton Bowl on Saturday for the 109th rendition of the Red River Showdown in Big 12 play.
The Longhorns leads the all-time series over Oklahoma 60-43-5. Since 2000, however, OU has taken nine of 14 from the Longhorns. Despite being a heavy underdog going into last year’s game, the Horns ended a 3-game losing streak against OU by taking down the 12th-ranked Sooners 36-20.
In last year’s game, the Texas defense came up big and kept the Sooners high-powered offense in check. The Horns held OU to 263 yards of total offense and forced two crucial turnovers. The Longhorns put up two non-offensive touchdowns in the game, as well. Despite being a 14-point underdog last season, the Longhorns dominated the game from start to finish. Texas led 23-10 at halftime, and at one point led its hated rivals by as many as 23 en route to a 16-point victory.
This year’s matchup with Charlie Strong as coach, at least on paper, looks very similar to 2013. The Oklahoma Sooners come into the game as a 14.5-point favorite to take down the Longhorns. OU, who was ranked 12th going into last season’s matchup, currently sits at No. 11 in the AP Top 25. The Longhorns on the other hand, had another disappointing non-conference season in 2014. For the second straight year, Texas enters the early-October matchup with multiple losses. The Horns sit at 2-3 on the season and may have even more question marks than last year’s team.
For the first time since 2007, both schools head into the Red River Rivalry coming off of a loss. Oklahoma is looking to bounce back from a 37-33 road loss at No. 25 TCU while Texas is hoping to get back in the win column after falling 28-7 to No. 7 Baylor at home. The Sooners sit at 4-1 (1-1) on the young season, and OU still has high hopes to make the College Football Playoff in 2014. Texas, on the other hand, sits at 2-3 (1-1) while expectations have fluttered for this season. While the Sooners hope to make the playoffs in 2014, Texas may just be fighting to make a bowl game.
Here’s how the two teams matchup in 2014:
Oklahoma Rush Offense vs. Texas Rush Defense:
Click here to read the rest of the article from our friends at HookEm Report
