Getty Jalen Hurts of the Oklahoma Sooners
The storied Cotton Bowl will be the place to be on this College Football Saturday, as we will all be witness to one of the greatest rivalries in the sport’s history, the Red River Showdown.
Since 1945 either Oklahoma, Texas, or both, have come into the contest ranked within the top-25 in the nation. That sentiment stays in tack this time around as the sixth-ranked Sooners prepare to duke it out with the 11th ranked Longhorns.
When and Where: Oklahoma vs. Texas
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- Location: Cotton Bowl (Dallas, TX)
- Date: 10/12/19
- Time: 12:00 pm EST
- Coverage: FOX
Follow the Heavy on Betting for all the latest betting news, odds, and picks
Matchup Preview
Oklahoma Outlook
Jalen Hurts’ claim to fame at Alabama revolved around his skillset as a runner. Yet it’s what he’s done through the air since arriving in Norman that has taken the nation by storm. The former Crimson Tide quarterback, and likely current Heisman favorite, ranks fifth in the country with 355+ passing yards per game.
While their offense has arguably the best unit in football, their defense isn’t far behind. Since Week 1, the Sooner’s defense has surrendered an average of just 16 points per game.
Oklahoma has very few weaknesses littered throughout their roster. They are extremely efficient on both sides of the ball. They’ve turned the football over just four times this season, eighth fewest in all of CFB this season.
OU’s most glaring flaw is on odd one, but one that could have drastic effects on the game. The Sooners average an absurd 91+ penalty yards per game. That ranks as the third-highest total in the FBS.
Texas Outlook
While Hurts has garnered most of the attention from the quarterback position out of the Big 12 this season, Sam Ehlinger has quietly dominated. In fact, Ehlinger has thrown the same number of interceptions as Hurts this season, a meager two, while outpacing him in passing touchdowns by three (17 TDs to 14 TDs).
While Ehlinger has wowed in his Junior season for the ‘Horns, Texas’ defense has done their best to steal the spotlight from him, for all the wrong reasons. The Texas defense has allowed 35.3 points per game in three of the past four contests. That includes 45 points surrendered to the LSU Tigers just a few weeks back.
Despite their defensive woes, UT has more than a fighter’s chance vs. the Sooners on Saturday. Texas head man Tom Herman has an above .500 record as over his career as a head coach when facing off against ranked teams. Last season Texas was an impressive 5-2 against ranked opponents.
Betting Odds & Trends
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- Oklahoma(-10.5) vs. Texas
- Over/Under: 75.5
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*All odds are courtesy of OddsShark
Oklahoma Trends
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- 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games.
- 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 games vs. teams above .500.
- Total has gone OVER in 13 of their last 20 games.
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Texas Trends
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- 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games.
- 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games played at a neutral site.
- Total has gone OVER in 4 of their last 6 games.
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Head to Head
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- Oklahoma is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
- Underdog is 6-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
- Oklahoma is 1-6 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
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Pick: Take Oklahoma to Cover (-10.5)
Oklahoma has very few weaknesses littered throughout their roster. They are extremely efficient on both sides of the ball. They’ve turned the ball over just four times all season, the eighth fewest total in the country.
We touched on OU’s prowess in the passing game previously. The Sooner’s top-five ranked pass offense should dominate a Texas defensive unit that is fifth-to-last in the nation in passing yards allowed per game (325). To make matters worse, Texas will be down defensive backs Caden Sterns, Jalen Green, and Josh Thompson. Texas has too many issues on the backend to contain the OU offense enough for Ehlinger and company to keep pace.
Oklahoma is 9-0 SU in their last nine matchups vs. fellow Big 12 opponents. They will make that 10 for 10 on Saturday afternoon, while also covering the spread.
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