No. 4 Texas and No. 12 Oklahoma face off Saturday in college football’s biggest game of Week 6. It’s the first time since 2011 that both teams are undefeated going into the Red River Rivalry, with the Longhorns and Sooners both sitting at 5-0.
USA TODAY Sports will bring you the latest updates, news, highlights, analysis and more throughout the battle between these two rivals. Follow along.
Oklahoma uses big pass play to set up second score
Dillion Gabriel hit Jalil Farooq down the right side for 43 yards on a fourth and 10 from their 35-yard-line as part of the Sooners’ next scoring drive. The Sooners capped a 13-play, 78-yard drive to take the lead after Jerrin Thompson dropped a possible interception in the end zone that could have potentially ended the drive.
Zach Scmit hit a 27-yard field goal as Oklahoma took a three-point lead, 10-7, early in the second quarter. — Scooby Axson
Commish Greg Sankey in Dallas to see future SEC schools Texas, Oklahoma
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has finally made the trip for OU football and Texas’ Red River Rivalry.
Sankey is on site for one of the more memorable showdowns of recent years, with No. 4 Texas (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) and No. 12 Oklahoma (5-0, 2-0) facing off with undefeated records for the first time since 2011.
He added the atmosphere feels similar to that of SEC games he has been accustomed to since becoming the commissioner in 2015.
“I think it’s consistent with what we experience on a weekly basis (in the SEC),” Sankey said. “… The intensity, walking in hearing the fans actually being friendly toward each other but clearly rivals is something familiar. I’m really excited because there’s this almost seamless integration that’s nearly upon us with moving 14 to moving to 16 (teams).”
OU and Texas will play again next year at the Cotton Bowl, but as members of the SEC. Sankey is getting a head start on seeing the conference’s future members in 2023, while Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark will not be in attendance. — Austin Curtright, USA TODAY NETWORK
Texas blocks kick to even score against Oklahoma, 7-7
After Oklahoma went three and out after an interception, Josh Plaster’s punt from the end zone was blocked by Kitan Crawford and it was recovered by Malik Muhammad. — Scooby Axson
Texas wastes two fourth-down conversions as Quinn Ewers intercepted again
After a three-and-out, Texas used a fake punt on a 4th and 5 from its 32 as Jordan Whittington ran down the left sideline for 20 yards to get the Longhorns an extra set of downs.
Texas then went for it on a 4th and 1 at the Oklahoma 39 and completed a 25-yard pass to Gunnar Helm from Savion Red out of the Wildcat formation.
Two plays later, Ewers was picked off again as Kendal Dolby got a tip after Billy Bowman broke up a pass. — Scooby Axson
Oklahoma cashes in early on Quinn Ewers interception
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers was intercepted on the game’s second play after Gentry Williams jumped a slant route at the Texas 22.
The Sooners needed only five plays to hit pay dirt when Dillon Gabriel scrambled up the middle for a 9-yard touchdown run. — Scooby Axson
Texas vs. Oklahoma predictions
Here are the USA TODAY Sports staff picks for Longhorns vs. Sooners. And here are the the staff picks for the rest of the Top 25 matchups.
- Dan Wolken: Texas
- Paul Myerberg: Texas
- Erick Smith: Texas
- Jace Evans: Texas
- Scooby Axson: Texas
- Eddie Timanus: Texas
Here’s how writers at The Oklahoman and Austin American-Statesman are predicting the game will go.
- Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman: Texas
- Justin Martinez, The Oklahoman: Texas
- Joe Mussatto, The Oklahoman: Texas
- Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman: Texas
- Danny Davis, Austin American-Statesman: Texas
- Cedric Golden, Austin American-Statesman: Texas
- Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman: Texas
Texas vs. Oklahoma odds
The top college football betting apps favor No. 4 Texas in its Red River showdown with 12th-ranked Oklahoma. The Longhorns are 6.5-point favorites over the Sooners in the neutral-venue tilt, according to the BetMGM college football odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering college football betting promos in 2023.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers (+700) has some of the best odds to win the Heisman in 2023, but Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel could be considered a sleeper at +2000 to win the award.
Not interested in this game? Our college football betting guide can help you get started.
If you’re new to sports betting, don’t worry. We have tips for beginners on how to place bets online. And USA TODAY readers can claim exclusive promos and bonus codes with the online sportsbooks and sports betting sites. — Richard Morin
Texas-Oklahoma how to watch, live stream
ABC is airing the contest, which kicks off at noon ET, and ESPN is live streaming the matchup.
Texas alum Matthew McConaughey on College GameDay: ‘We’re on a mission’
Few celebrities are more synonymous with their alma mater than Matthew McConaughey is with Texas.
The celebrity is on hand for nearly every high-profile Longhorns game, and the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma Saturday was no exception.
McConaughey appeared on “College GameDay” to talk about Texas, harkening back to the Longhorns’ signature win over Alabama this year before talking about where the team is ultimately trying to end up. He did it with all the bobbing and weaving one would expect from a McConaughey monologue.
“Talent and belief,” McConaughey said of the Longhorns. “Focus, and intent. This team, we’ve got talent, they’ve been under [head coach Steve] Sarkisian now, this is his team. OK? It is different this year. Notice, we’ve been kind of quiet. Texas has been kind of quiet. Cause we’re focused on. We’re not taking any shots. We’re on a mission to go where we need to go. Is OU in the way? Damn right they are. Cause it’s a championship game we need to have win to get where we wanna go? You’re damn right it is. We see this as a huge game, but this is on the mission that we’re on.” — Kevin Skiver, USA TODAY NETWORK
Texas CB Ryan Watts ruled out against Oklahoma
Cornerback Ryan Watts will not play against Oklahoma, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has told the Longhorn Network.
Either Gavin Holmes or Malik Muhammad will likely start in place of Watts, a senior who has started the past two seasons for Texas since transferring from Ohio State. Watts suffered a lower-leg injury last week in the win over Kansas and was a game-time decision entering Saturday’s showdown in the Cotton Bowl, according to Sarkisian. — Thomas Jones, Austin American-Statesman
Texas-Oklahoma means deep fried goodies at every turn
DALLAS — Good morning from the Texas State Fair, which means it’s time for the Red River Rivalry. But it also means FOOD.
Unfortunately, it’s a bit early for me to completely fill my stomach. I’ve still got a game to cover, after all, and do not need to be napping before halftime. (We’ll see how things are going in the second half.) But one of the great college football experiences anywhere is roaming through the fair before kickoff when fans are still relatively sober and well behaved.
So, of course, I had to sample a couple things. First up was a standard breakfast taco because, of course, we’re in Texas. And it was a very good one with a little bit of chorizo and egg and homemade salsa with a nice kick. I then walked by a stand with some fried tamale balls and couldn’t resist a quick taste. And then for dessert I tried one of the newer items, a fried Vietnamese coffee.
I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it sounded good. I love coffee, and I love Vietnamese food, so it was a no-brainer. Though tasty, it was a bit dense for me. It was basically like a big, coffee-flavored cake pop that was deep fried, dusted with powdered sugar and drizzled with condensed milk. Not bad.
I was tempted to get the deep fried pho from the same stand which looked like it was filled with noodles and meat and seemed absolutely delicious. But for 9 a.m., it seemed like a bit much. Maybe on the way out. I was also tempted to try the deep fried pickle pizza, but my stomach can only take so much.
Now onto the game. I’m unsure whether it is going to live up to the hype, but one thing about Texas-Oklahoma is that it rarely goes the way we think it will. I picked the Longhorns and certainly think they’re going to win, but I’ve seen too many of these where the underdog plays its best game of the year to think it’s going to be easy for the Horns.
Enjoy, everyone. — Dan Wolken
Red River Rivalry: What makes it special? Texas players spill.
On Monday, Texas players were asked what makes this rivalry special. Here’s what they said.
Sophomore quarterback Quinn Ewers: “It has a deep history and it’s always back and forth and it’s one of the best rivalries in all of sports. It’s been going on for years and years and it’s been at the same place. I think it just holds so many memories for so many people. It’s always a good time, State Fair and all that good stuff.”
Senior defensive back Jahdae Barron: “I say how they split it 50/50, just split it down the middle. Then everybody’s having a fun time at the carnival and then they go out to just watch us and to watch everybody put on a show for them.”
Junior receiver Xavier Worthy: “I feel it has like a good build up and like a history behind it. … I kind of really don’t understand it still. I kind of see the history behind it. I’ve seen the old games with (Michael) Huff and all them, so l see it’s kind of like a huge rivalry.”
Read more from the Austin American-Statesman.
Texas-Oklahoma undefeated games
This will be just the 13th time in the past 50 years that this game will be a battle of unbeatens. Here are the previous 12 results:
- 2011: Oklahoma, 55-17
- 2008: Texas, 45-35
- 2004: Oklahoma, 12-0
- 2002: Oklahoma, 35-24
- 2001: Oklahoma, 14-3
- 1985: Oklahoma, 14-7
- 1984: Tied, 15-15
- 1983: Texas, 28-16
- 1979: Texas, 16-7
- 1978: Oklahoma 31-10
- 1977: Texas, 13-6
- 1975: Oklahoma, 24-17
— Danny Davis, Austin American-Statesman
Oklahoma-Texas all-time record
Texas holds a 63-50-5 lead in the all-time series with Oklahoma. The Longhorns did record that 49-point win last year, but the Sooners have earned a win in six of their last eight meetings with Texas. This will be the fifth time in the past seven games that Texas and Oklahoma have battled as ranked Red River rivals. — Danny Davis, Austin American-Statesman
Red River Rivalry 2023
This is the first time that the Longhorns and the Sooners are facing each other with undefeated records since 2011, when the Sooners grabbed a dominant 55-17 win. However, Texas was even better last year, when it shut out Oklahoma for the 11th time, 49-0, the most lopsided win of the series. Overall, the Sooners are 7-4-1 in games where the two teams entered undefeated. — Caleb Yum, Austin American-Statesman
Texas vs. Oklahoma through the years
Check out this photo gallery highlighting all the biggest moments of this rivalry, which is in its 119th year.
Oklahoma-Texas: Predictions
Time/TV: Noon ET, ABC
Why watch: The Red River showdown is arguably the biggest game on the calendar, a bitter-sweet development at Big 12 headquarters with both teams off to the SEC next year. They might also meet again in a couple of months, but that is far from a certainty at this early stage of the season. We do know that the Sooners’ defense, anchored by LB Danny Stutsman, has made significant strides from a season ago. Whether it can keep Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers and his vast array of big-play targets, led by WRs Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell, in check remains to be seen. Sooners QB Dillon Gabriel has boosted the performance on the other side of the ball as well, but DT Byron Murphy and the Texas front that shone in the signature Alabama win could make his job difficult.
Why it could disappoint: It won’t be another 49-0 drubbing like the Sooners absorbed here last year, but Oklahoma might nonetheless have trouble keeping up if the Longhorns put up some early scores. Then again, this rivalry has been known to produce unexpected results. Hopefully, it will be at its entertaining best.
ESPN College GameDay today
With Texas and Oklahoma facing off in the Red River Rivalry this weekend, it’s only fair that ESPN College GameDay makes a visit to Texas. The college program will be broadcast from the Cotton Bowl Plaza inside the State Fair of Texas grounds at 9 a.m. ET Saturday ahead of the noon matchup between No. 4 ranked Texas and No. 12 ranked Oklahoma. Texas alum and longtime Longhorns fan Matthew McConaughey is expected to make an appearance. — Caleb Yum, Austin American-Statesman
Deion Sanders, underpaid? He leads the way amid best coaching deals in college football.
Sometimes, programs in the Football Bowl Subdivision get what they pay for and then some.
Some schools are seeing huge returns on contracts handed out to some of the most successful coaches in the country. That’s especially true at two Pac-12 programs, Colorado and Washington, which have been rewarded handsomely for investments in Deion Sanders and Kalen DeBoer, respectively.
But in terms of bang for their buck, the biggest returns can be found in the Group of Five conferences. That’s where you’ll find three of the best deals in USA TODAY Sports’ list of the most underpaid coaches in college football. — Paul Myerberg
Who are college football’s most overpaid coaches? Hint: SEC leads the way.
The top programs in the Football Bowl Subdivision will shell out tens of millions of dollars for head coaches and ask for the world in return: conference championships, College Football Playoff appearances and national championships.
Very few coaches meet the standard laid out by the gargantuan deals that have become commonplace in the Power Five.
In some cases, a hefty contract signed on the back of one or two successful seasons can become the defining aspect of a coaching tenure. The best example of that might be Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher, who tops USA TODAY Sports’ list of the most overpaid coaches in college football. (Buyout figures below are listed if the coach is fired on Dec. 1.) — Paul Myerberg
Why college football is king in coaching pay, even at blue blood hoops schools
John Calipari had been the highest-paid public employee in the state of Kentucky since the day he was hired to coach the state’s flagship men’s basketball program in 2009. But this year, that’s changed. After being the state’s top earner for nearly 14 years running, Calipari recently ceded his salary crown to the Wildcats’ football coach, Mark Stoops.
Stoops, who has been at Kentucky since 2013, signed a mammoth contract extension in November that effectively gave him a 33% raise, bumping his pay up to $9 million annually. Calipari, who is the highest-paid coach in college hoops, is due to make $8.5 million this year.
“Continuity has become more and more important in today’s landscape,” Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart said in a statement announcing Stoops’ extension.
And make no mistake: That landscape has shifted. Now, even at hoops-crazed universities such as Kentucky, college football is king − at least when it comes to coaching pay.
As part of its annual analysis of college football coaches’ compensation published Tuesday, USA TODAY Sports found that the public schools in the Power Five conferences will pay their head coaches an average of $6.2 million this year − which marks a whopping 14.3% increase from 2022, among schools that were in the Power Five in both years.
It’s also nearly double the average salary ($3.35 million) that those same schools paid their head coaches in men’s basketball, the other major revenue-generating sport, in 2022-23.
Read USA TODAY Sports’ complete story here.
Steve Sarkisian salary
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is set to make $5.6 million in 2023 with a maximum bonus of $825,000. He ranks 30th on the list of highest-paid coaches, according to USA TODAY Sports’ database.
Steve Sarkisian contract
In 2021, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian signed a six-year deal with the Longhorns worth $43.5 million. That year, he earned $5.45 million before taking home $5.4 million in 2022 and $5.6 million this year.
Brent Venables salary
Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables is set to earn $7.1 million in 2023 with a maximum bonus of $985,000, according to USA TODAY Sports’ database. He ranks 17th on the list of highest-paid coaches.
Brent Venables contract
In 2021, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables signed a six-year deal with the Sooners worth $34.2 million. In 2022, his first season with the team, he earned $7 million before taking home $7.1 million for this season.
Highest-paid college football coaches
Want to know who the highest paid coaches are in college football? Check out the USA TODAY Sports database here.
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