The No. 1 Texas Longhorns take their unbeaten record into the Red River Rivalry on Saturday, Oct. 10, facing an Oklahoma Sooners team trying to shake off back-to-back blowout losses. Texas is 4-0 and Oklahoma is 2-2 heading into the 122nd meeting between the two programs, a series that carries extra weight given Texas’ perch atop the rankings and Oklahoma’s recent offensive line issues. Both teams enter off a bye week, giving each side extra time to prepare for a rivalry that dates back more than a century.
This is the 94th edition of the game played at the Cotton Bowl, and it comes with Oklahoma still searching for answers on offense under coordinator changes and injury strain up front. Texas, meanwhile, is trying to build on a comeback win over then-No. 1 Ohio State and a road win at Tennessee that kept its playoff hopes alive.
Texas Vs Oklahoma Game Information
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas
- TV: ABC
- Series: 122nd Red River Rivalry meeting, 94th at the Cotton Bowl
By The Numbers
- Points per game: Texas 33.3, Oklahoma 22.0
- Total yards per game: Texas 378.5, Oklahoma 321.3
- Passing yards per game: Texas 231.3, Oklahoma 222.3
- Rushing yards per game: Texas 147.3, Oklahoma 99.0
- Third-down conversion rate: Texas 50.00%, Oklahoma 33.96%
- Turnover margin: Texas plus-1, Oklahoma minus-3
- Sacks allowed: Texas 10, Oklahoma 9
- Sacks recorded: Texas 15, Oklahoma 13
Oklahoma’s offense has been held out of the end zone on the ground for most of the season, with only two rushing touchdowns through four games, according to On3. The Sooners have also turned the ball over 10 times this season, a figure On3 reports ranks among the four worst marks in the FBS.
Texas Longhorns Outlook
Texas carries a 4-0 record and the No. 1 ranking into Dallas, built on a 50% third-down conversion rate and a plus-1 turnover margin that reflect a team controlling the ball and protecting it. The Longhorns are averaging 33.3 points and 378.5 total yards per game, numbers boosted by a fourth-quarter comeback against then-No. 1 Ohio State that On3 described as a three-touchdown outburst.
Quarterback Arch Manning has completed 73 of 115 passes for 862 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions. Running back Hollywood Smothers has carried 41 times for 198 yards and two scores, while receiver Ryan Wingo leads the team with 19 catches for 239 yards and two touchdowns. Despite the gaudy win total, Texas ranks 87th nationally in total offense, according to On3, a sign the Longhorns have leaned on situational football and defense as much as explosive plays.
Oklahoma Sooners Outlook
Oklahoma enters at 2-2 and 1-2 in its last three games, having lost 17-10 to Michigan and 41-13 to Georgia sandwiched around a 14-6 win over New Mexico. Quarterback John Mateer has thrown for 883 yards and eight touchdowns against four interceptions, completing 66.1% of his passes per On3’s figures. Running back Lloyd Avant has 42 carries for 164 yards, with Jonathan Hatton Jr. adding 14 attempts, but the Sooners’ per-game rushing average sits at just 99.0 yards.
Receiver Isaiah Sategna III has 20 catches for 267 yards and two touchdowns, and tight end Rocky Beers has added 18 receptions for 255 yards and two scores. Oklahoma ranks 120th nationally in total offense and 109th in third-down conversions, going 2-for-14 on third down in the loss to Georgia, according to On3.
The offensive line is banged up entering the rivalry game. Left tackle Michael Fasusi is doubtful with a shoulder injury after starting the season opener against UTEP but missing the last three games, according to USA Today. Starting left guard Eddy Pierre-Louis is listed as questionable, while backup tight end Trynae Washington and backup lineman Fred Hinton are both doubtful. USA Today noted Washington has been used in short-yardage formations as a fullback, a wrinkle Oklahoma could lose against a Texas defense that already has 15 sacks this season.
Key Matchup
Oklahoma’s patchwork offensive line against a Texas defense that has produced 15 sacks and 26 tackles for loss through four games stands as the game’s central question. With Fasusi doubtful and Pierre-Louis questionable, Oklahoma could be down two starters up front, according to USA Today, putting more pressure on Mateer to get the ball out quickly against a Texas front that has not allowed a rushing touchdown advantage in its favor this season. Oklahoma’s offense has not scored a touchdown against Texas since 2023, according to USA Today, and the Sooners are 1-3 against the Longhorns under head coach Brent Venables. Texas’ plus-1 turnover margin compared to Oklahoma’s minus-3 suggests the Longhorns are better equipped to capitalize if the line issues lead to pressure, sacks or hurried throws from Mateer.
Players To Watch
Arch Manning, QB, Texas
Manning has thrown for 862 yards and seven touchdowns against three interceptions through four games. His performance in the fourth-quarter comeback against Ohio State showed he can turn a close game around late, a trait Texas may need again if Oklahoma’s defense, which On3 describes as top-five, keeps the score tight.
John Mateer, QB, Oklahoma
Mateer has put up 883 yards and eight touchdowns but also four interceptions, and he will be operating behind a line missing at least one and possibly two starters. How he handles pressure without his top tackle will shape whether Oklahoma can move the ball against a Texas defense that has already recorded 15 sacks this season.
Ryan Wingo, WR, Texas
Wingo leads Texas with 19 receptions for 239 yards and two touchdowns. His ability to win on the outside gives Manning a reliable target if Oklahoma’s defense forces the Longhorns into more passing situations than their run-heavy average suggests.
What To Watch
Texas arrives unbeaten and ranked No. 1, and a win would keep the Longhorns on track in the playoff conversation while extending their dominance in a rivalry where Oklahoma has not scored an offensive touchdown against them since 2023. For Oklahoma, the game is a chance to right a season that has included losses to Michigan and Georgia by a combined margin of 41 points. The Sooners’ offensive line situation, with multiple starters doubtful or questionable, will be worth tracking through pregame warmups and official inactives.
The game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC at the Cotton Bowl, with both programs looking to carry momentum into the second half of the season.
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