NCAA Football Week 7: Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners

The 103rd Red River Shootout has national title hopes on the line with No. 1 and No. 5 fighting it out for more than pride

Longhorns vs. Oklahoma History:

The Red River Rivalry has always been the hottest ticket in Texas. Taking place at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas, the matching of the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns is not only a game of great schools but also the showdown between the football states of Texas and Oklahoma. The Red River Rivalry tickets carry years worth of bragging rights for the winning state and keep tongues wagging and smack flying from Austin to Tulsa and every mile in-between.

Historically, the Texas Longhorns have an edge in the Red River Rivalry with 57 wins to the 40 wins by the Oklahoma Sooners. In the 20th century, the Oklahoma Sooners have won six of the last eight Red River Rivalries. When both teams are ranked in the Top 5 of college football, the Oklahoma Sooners have a 6-3 record over the Texas Longhorns in the Red River Rivalry. Fans with UT v. Oklahoma tickets saw the Oklahoma Sooners win the 2007 Red River Rivalry.

Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Overview:

The Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners have quickly climbed the ranks of NCAA football with a series of dominating victories over impressive opponents. Two Heisman Trophy hopeful QBs lead the great college teams. UT Longhorns tickets feature Colt McCoy, the leader of the impressive Texas Longhorns offense. Oklahoma Sooners tickets showcase Sam Bradford as the centerpiece of the Oklahoma Sooners’ No. 4 ranked offense. The Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners have great pass rushers to counter the passing attack in Brian Orakpo and Auston English respectively.

Texas Longhorns Offense:

With 16 touchdowns to only three interceptions, QB Colt McCoy is on his way to a Heisman Trophy, and a win in the Red River Rivalry could easily land him the coveted award. Colt McCoy also leads the Texas Longhorns in rushing and holds the All-Time passing record at the University of Texas. Texas Longhorns tickets feature wideouts Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley, who are the favorite targets of Colt McCoy, but RB Chris Ogbonnaya has also come on as a great target out of the backfield. The Texas Longhorns offensive line is a huge unit and is led by G Cedric Dockery and T Adam Ulatoski.

Texas Longhorns Defense:

To counter the explosive attack of the Oklahoma Sooners, the pass rush will have to be exceptional. DE Brian Orakpo is possibly the best player on the entire Texas Longhorns roster and is one of the top pass rushers that the NCAA and fans with Texas Longhorns tickets have ever seen. DT Roy Miller is a three-time letterman and his presence in the lineup forces teams to double him on every play. Texas Longhorns tickets feature a Texas Longhorns defense built around speed, with LBs like Roddrick Muckelroy covering sideline to sideline. The Texas Longhorns secondary is young, but senior CB Ryan Palmer brings a great deal of experience.

Oklahoma Sooners Offense:

Oklahoma Sooners QB Sam Bradford is not a scrambling threat like Colt McCoy but has an unheard-of 205 passer rating, making him the most efficient QB in college football. Much of Sam Bradford’s success comes from his No. 1 target in WR Juaquin Iglesias and senior WR Manuel Johnson. RBs Demarco Murray and Chris Brown have combined for almost 800 yards rushing and have 11 combined rushing touchdowns. The Oklahoma Sooners offensive line is made up of five seniors, and the experience keeps Sam Bradford cool and protected.

Oklahoma Sooners Defense:

Defensive end Auston English has the potential to be the best Oklahoma Sooners defensive playmaker since Roy Williams. The Oklahoma Sooners have built their 4-3 defense around Auston English and his ability to get to the passer. The front seven of the Oklahoma Sooners is a young unit but has quickly become expert at shutting down the pass thanks to breathtaking speed in the linebacking corps led by converted safety Keenan Clayton. A pair of great senior safeties in Nic Harris and Lendy Holmes plays the backcourt of the Oklahoma Sooners secondary and flies to the ball.

Texas Longhorns Keys to Victory:

The Texas Longhorns have not gotten much production from their running game, but they have been able to win thanks to Colt McCoy alone. To protect Colt McCoy from Auston English and the rest of the speedy Oklahoma Sooners defenders, the Texas Longhorns must run the football. The pressure will also be on Colt McCoy to make plays with his legs. The speed of the Oklahoma Sooners defense can be capitalized on with misdirection plays and quarterback scrambles on broken plays. WR Quan Cosby must use his deep speed to open up the middle of the field for Colt McCoy.

Brian Orakpo will have to have the best game of his career to stop Sam Bradford. A consistent pass rush off the end by Brian Orakpo will help reel in the Oklahoma Sooners offense. DT Brian Miller has come on as a great pass-rushing interior lineman, but he will have to play the run first. If the Texas Longhorns can stop the two-headed running monster of Demarco Murray and Chris Brown, then the pressure can be put on Sam Bradford who is a sitting duck in the pocket. The Texas Longhorns secondary needs to be physical with Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson to redirect their routes and throw off the timing.

Oklahoma Sooners Keys to Victory:

The Texas Longhorns defense loves to force turnovers and use their speed to hunt down players. The Oklahoma Sooners will look to counter this by pounding the football down their throat with the tandem of Chris Down and Demarco Murray. The senior offensive line of the Oklahoma Sooners must also try to wear down Brian Orakpo and Brian Miller. If Sam Bradford can be given time to study the field, then he should be able to surgically dissect the Texas Longhorns young secondary with Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson.

The Oklahoma Sooners defense will be out to stop the run. The running backs of the Texas Longhorns have not showed up lately, but Colt McCoy is a running threat. The Oklahoma Sooners SLB Keenan Clayton is an ideal player to spy on Colt McCoy thanks to his former position as a defensive back. Auston English also needs to have a big day rushing the passer but must also focus on containing the QB as well as getting penetration on the pass rush. The Oklahoma Sooners should look to collapse the pocket on Colt McCoy and make it hard for him to escape.

UT Longhorns vs. OU Sooners Outlook

The Red River Rivalry gains a new page in its history and carries the biggest expectations in its 100-plus year history. The BCS Championship and Big 12 Title hopes of the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns depend on the Red River Rivalry. The Heisman Trophy for Sam Bradford or Colt McCoy also hangs in the balance as two of the best teams in all of college football go at it. The Red River Rivalry will set the pace for the remainder of the college football season and also controls how the Big 12 pans out.

As their No. 1 ranking indicates, the Oklahoma Sooners will have the advantage on paper. The Texas Longhorns running game is weak and that makes them one dimensional. The Oklahoma Sooners have one of the best pass defenses in the NCAA and Auston English on the line presses this advantage. But the Texas Longhorns do have Colt McCoy and his playmaking ability is enough to carry the Burnt Orange by himself at times. The odds are against him but Colt McCoy wouldn’t be the first Texas Longhorns quarterback to upset a No. 1 ranked team with his play alone.