Campus Clash
(22) Texas Longhorns at Oklahoma Sooners
Texas: When I was on the radio last week, I talked about focus. They had another rivalry game against the TCU Horned Frogs. Before the in-state showdown, I stated that they must remain focused on what’s in front of them. This is a thing teams tend to do and that’s overlooking the opponent in front of them because they have a bigger opponent on the schedule the following week. Win or lose, the schedules never change. They struggled significantly on the defensive side of the ball in their loss to TCU. They allowed 33 points and gave up 457 yards of total offense. Sam Ehlinger did his usual, but it wasn’t enough. I also saw the Longhorns mishandle opportunities in front of them all game long. It’s a new week along with it being rivalry week at that.
Oklahoma: The loss to the Kansas State Wildcats was bad because they were up by 21 points. When you have a lead that big, you closeout, no excuses. They are what I call a “one-half football team”. What I mean is they’ll look strong in one half then give up the next. What’s keeping the Oklahoma Sooners from being a title contender is that defense. It’s one thing when you score 35 to 40 points a game, but to give up that same amount you score offensively is atrocious. They have good defensive players, but the coaching isn’t working. Here I was thinking Alex Grinch was turning things around. I didn’t see them losing in Ames to Iowa State on Saturday night. However, when you play sloppy football, you won’t win games. They got complacent and it hurt. To bounce back, it’s red river time.
Texas X-Factor: Joseph Ossai– The facts about pass rushers are this: They don’t have to always sack the quarterback, they can apply pressure and make their presence known. Joseph does the little things that you don’t see on the stat sheet.
Oklahoma X-Factor: Seth McGowan: The Texas Longhorns struggle to stop the run. Early on, they’ve given up 128 yards per game. This is where the Sooners need to take advantage and throw the Texas defense off their feet. Run the ball. Seth reminds me a little of James Conner.
Final Analysis: If you like high-scoring games, this is for you. I’m excited because this will be the first time I get to see Spencer Rattler play for the Sooners. I’ve seen the highlight tapes and was impressed. Now, it’s time for game action. The Sooners’ defensive line must attack the Texas offensive line and keep Ehlinger in the pocket. For Texas, scoring is key. Don’t shoot yourselves in the foot like you did last week. Playing in this conference, you must score.
Prediction: Oklahoma 55 Texas 49
