Longhorns Face Biggest Test vs.Oklahoma in Red River Rivalry

Texas will have a chance to proven its championship worth against Oklahoma in the annual Cotton Bowl.

Kelvin Banks might not have a future as a campaign manager for a political race after he hangs up the cleats following his NFL career as a left tackle.  

The No. 3 Texas Longhorns remain among college football's unbeatens following a 40-14 win over No. 24 Kansas. When the Associated Press releases its rankings Sunday afternoon, Texas will probably retain its bronze status. 

There's an argument the Longhorns should be ranked higher. Auburn nearly bested top-ranked Georgia at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday if not for an ol'reliable Brock Bowers touchdown in the closing minutes. Michigan remains undefeated, but where's the spark? Where's the offensive dominance fans led by "Jim Harbaugh Jr." JJ McCarthy? 

"That's not up to us," Banks said of Texas' status in the AP Poll. "I feel like we haven't accomplished anything yet." 

So maybe Texas still needs to be tested. A 10-point win over Alabama looks better on the resume with each Crimson Tide victory. And despite wins over Baylor and the Jayhawks, their futures remain a mystery. 

Banks knows the Longhorns could be better. So does the locker room. But not having accomplished anything is a stretch. 

Texas is 5-0 for the first time since 2009. Quinn Ewers is pushing his name into the Heisman conversation and the defense hasn't allowed more than 24 points. 

If Banks wants the Longhorns to "prove" their worth, they'll have the chance Saturday in Dallas at the historic Cotton Bowl against No. 14 Oklahoma. The Sooners have rebooted after a woeful 6-7 season under Brent Venables in Year 1. 

Get your popcorn ready, Texas fans. It's the end of the Red River Showdown era in the Big 12, and perhaps the beginning of dominance for the Longhorns in the Southeastern Conference. 

“Championship teams get better during the season, and I think that’s something we’ve been able to do the last five weeks," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. 

What can Texas be? A force in its final year in the Big 12 or more? A College Football Playoff contender? A national one? 

A champion? 

The Longhorns looked sluggish in the first half with a handful of mental mistakes and still put up 661 total yards. Ewers was responsible for nearly half the production with 325 passing yards and three scores. Jonathon Brooks took basically the rest of the stats with 218 yards on the ground and 12 points. 

Texas woke up and chose violence in the second half. It probably came after a not-suitable-for-television pep talk from Sarkisian, but whatever works, right? 

A lackluster start and over halfway to 1K? What can the Longhorns be when everything clicks? Better yet, what's the version of this team at 75 percent from kickoff? 

Oklahoma (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) handled business in its look-ahead game against Iowa State. Dillion Gabriel continues to be consistent through the air. The defense constantly corrals opposing quarterbacks into making mistakes. 

Texas Longhorns running back Jonathon Brooks (No. 24) breaks a tackle against Kansas Jayhawks defensive back Kenny Logan Jr. (No. 1).  / © Sara Diggins, Austin American-Statesman

Texas didn't get a chance to play Jayhawk phenom Jalon Daniels, and while Jason Bean tried to make things interesting, he's no dual-threat wonder like No. 6. He's not a clone of Gabriel, either, and the Kansas' offense differs from what works in Norman. 

And maybe that won't matter next Saturday morning, especially if the defense comes alive from the jump inside the Cotton Bowl. They've yet to miss a beat against Bean, Sawyer Robertson, and the trio of passers who fell victim in September. 

Still, Texas could have used a test before facing the Sooners. It better study throughout the week before taking center stage in a winner-take-all bout for first place in the conference. 

“We can get better every week,” Texas nickel back Jahdae Barron said. “We’re not rushing anything.”

Banks says the Longhorns haven't proven anything. Oklahoma has proven it's not going away like Lincoln Riley in its new home next July. And a win for the Longhorns might prove more than their status as the top team in the Lone Star State. 

But it also could prove that Texas' quest to Houston is stuck in neutral rather than full throttle.