2021 Red River Shootout Preview

The Cotton Bowl is a special place for one of the best rivalries in all of college football.
Photo Courtesy: Bryan Kemp

By DaVince “Dino” Wright

Game Info
#6 Oklahoma Sooners vs #21 Texas Longhorns
Saturday – October 9 – 11:00 a.m.
TV: ABC 
Cotton Bowl – Dallas, TX

Records Before the Game
#6 Oklahoma Sooners (5-0, 2-0)
#21 Texas Longhorns (4-1, 2-0)

Texas-OU weekend in Dallas has been a staple for the State Fair of Texas for 121 years. The first game was in 1900 with the Longhorns beating the Sooners 28-2. The last meeting the Sooners beat Texas in 2020 in a 4 overtime thriller 53-45. This game has Big 12 title implications as well as impact on the national title race. The trophy is the Golden Hat. Texas leads the series 62-49-5. The largest victory is 65-13 back in 2003 by OU. Longest winning streak is held by the Longhorns, but the current win streak is held by OU with three in a row. Let’s take a look at this years Red River Rivalry.

Recruiting is key
The Oklahoma Sooners are littered with Texas talent. Picture this, you’re a kid that plays high school football in Texas. It’s your senior year and the kid that you’ve been playing with signs with OU instead of Texas. That’s what this game is. Familiar faces at war!

#6 Oklahoma Sooners
OU is lead by sophomore Spencer Rattler who was mentioned in early Heisman talks. He has 1260 passing yards on 160 attempts. He has also thrown four interceptions and was booed at home against West Virginia recently. The OU offense is averaging 38 points per game while the defense is giving up 19 on that side of the ball. The Sooner offense is averaging 433 yards per game this year. The defense will be key for the Sooners during this game. Texas offense is scoring 43 points per contest. Look for the Sooners to come out running the ball in this one.

#21 Texas Longhorns
Texas running back Bijan Robinson will be the key for victory. He needs at least 15 carries this weekend. He’s only a sophomore but runs like a seasoned vet behind that big Texas line. He has 7 touchdowns on 105 carries with a rushing average of 6.2 a carry. Look for quarterback Casey Thompson to carry the ball as well. The key for Texas is getting the ball in the middle of the field to their tight ends in crucial situations. Moving the chains will be key for the Longhorns this week.

Prediction
ESPN has the Sooners with 56.3% chance of winning in Dallas this weekend. The over/under is 63.5 so take the over in this one. I’m taking Texas by 6 this weekend. Trust me I see something you don’t. Place your bets with your play money and you will thank me later!

Final Score
Longhorns – 40
Sooners – 34