Upset Looming? Staff Predictions For The Red River Showdown

The Longhorns Country staff gives their predictions for the Red River Showdown against rival Oklahoma.

It was said that the reason Tom Herman was fired was that he couldn't win the big game. Can Steve Sarkisian buck that trend?

In four years with Texas, Herman won once against rival Oklahoma in the Red River Showdown. That came in 2018 with a kick from Cameron Dicker in the closing seconds to give the Horns a 45-42 win. 

Since then, the Sooners have won three straight, including a Big 12 title in a rematch later that year. Now, Spencer Rattler looks to go for a clean sweep during his time as the starting Sooners quarterback. 

On Monday, Longhorns Country gave you a look at Oklahoma as a whole. On Tuesday, you met the offense, and the next day, you met the defensive stars.

Now it's time for the Longhorns Country staff to make their staff game predictions for when Texas returns to the Cotton Bowl against OU

Make sure to stick with LonghornsCountry.com through our season preview series, where we will analyze every opponent on the Longhorns schedule in 2021.

Matt Galatzan - Managing Editor/Publisher 

Before the season began, the Oklahoma Sooners were thought to be a national championship contender. And while they are still undefeated, they look extremely vulnerable and are playing with an immense amount of pressure.

Texas on the other hand, is playing with everything to gain and nothing to lose at the Cotton Bowl on Saturday. 

Can Sark's offensive line hold up against a talented OU defensive front? Can Bijan Robinson carry the Horns on his back once again? Is Casey Thompson ready for this stage?

All of those are questions that will need to be answered. And if the answer is yes to any or all of them, Texas has a chance to pull off a big upset here. I think they do just that.

Texas 41, Oklahoma 37

Cole Thompson- Columnist/Editor

This game will come down to quarterback play. It's Casey Thompson vs. Spencer Rattler and whichever player excels will help their team win. Running back Bijan Robinson will be going up against the No. 7 run defense in the country. On the other hand, neither Eric Gray or Kennedy Brooks have had big games on the ground.

Thompson is the hot hand after going 3-0 in the Longhorns last three games. Rattler was the most talked-about player in the country during the offseason. Both teams are run-heavy in play designs, meaning the quarterbacks just have to be efficient enough to get by.

Both quarterbacks are playing well, but who plays better. Rattler is hot, but Thompson has more to prove. That means something in games like this.

Texas 28, Oklahoma 24 

Matthew Postins - Staff Writer

When I picked this game in the summer, I felt like it was going to be OU walking away. Well, here's how things have changed. OU isn't itself and Texas is on a three-game winning streak, fueled by a quarterback change and the Heisman-worthy running of Bijan Robinson. Still, this game has its way of defying the hotter team. Right now, I think Texas, even with the loss, is the slightly hotter team. But something tells me OU is going to find a way to win this. This may be the game where Spencer Rattler finally looks like the Rattler we saw at the end of last season. 

Oklahoma 34, Texas 27 (OT). Yes, I'm calling OT. 

Tomer Barazani - Staff Writer

The individual matchups in this game favor Oklahoma (mainly the offensive line). Casey Thompson will have consistent pressure from the Sooners defensive line. When Casey does have time, he will need to connect on deep plays which has yet to happen this season. Bijan will have to run for 150+ yards if Texas is going to win. 

It Will be a close game, but ultimately I see the Sooners pulling away late.

Oklahoma 33, Texas 30

Zach Dimmitt - Staff Writer

If history has told us anything, it’s that this matchup can be a thriller regardless of how each team has played up to this point in the season.

That being said, the Longhorns have (mostly) looked the part the past three games. Spencer Rattler and the Sooners haven’t lived up to their offensive expectations, which could mean trouble if want to keep up with a Bijan Robinson-led running attack that has been clicking as of late.

It’s a close one, but why not Texas?

Texas 37, Oklahoma 35 

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