Three Matchups Oklahoma Must Win Against Texas

The Sooners hope to stay unbeaten and at the forefront of College Football Playoff conversations following Saturday's Red River Rivalry.

Defensive end Marvin Jones Jr. (97) celebrates with R Mason Thomas (32) in Oklahoma's win over Auburn. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Oklahoma got some fantastic news on Thursday night. 

Quarterback John Mateer was upgraded from “questionable” to “probable” on the Sooners’ second SEC Availability Report of the week, moving OU one step closer to having its offensive talisman in Saturday’s Red River Rivalry. 

With the biggest question entering the matchup between the No. 6-ranked Sooners (5-0, 1-0 SEC) and the Texas Longhorns (3-2, 0-1) looking answered, here are three matchups OU must win to reclaim the Golden Hat and reach the halfway point of the 2025 regular season unblemished. 

OTs Michael Fasusi and Derek Simmons vs. Edge Collin Simmons

Oklahoma offensive tackle Michael Fasusi made his first career start against Michigan. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Bill Bedenbaugh’s OU offensive line has had a perplexing start to the year. 

Its two best performances in pass protection have come against the two toughest defensive tests the Sooners have faced so far. 

True freshman offensive tackle Michael Fasusi was a big part of the success against Michigan, and Western Carolina transfer Derek Simmons was a positive through the first four weeks. 

The entire unit had a few hiccups in last week’s 44-0 win over Kent State. Those mental mistakes need to have gotten fixed throughout practice this week or second-year star Colin Simmons will get to know Mateer intimately.

The Texas edge rusher totaled nine sacks, 14 tackles for loss and 48 total tackles a year ago. He totaled five tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss last year against the Sooners.

So far in 2025, Simmons has posted 10 tackles, including 2.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks. 

Protecting the quarterback was going to be a key for the Sooners, whether Mateer or Michael Hawkins Jr. got the football, but Mateer’s ability to extend plays and move the chains in the Cotton Bowl will be severely limited if Simmons wins constantly off the edge. 

RBs Jovantae Barnes and Tory Blaylock vs. LB Anthony Hill Jr. 

Oklahoma running back Jovantae Barnes | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Like Simmons, Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. is a talented, instinctual pass rusher. 

“Great athletes. Big. Physical,” OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said of Hill and Simmons on Tuesday. “They do a great job in their scheme understanding where they need to be, being really sound. … They fly around. They’re really good players.”

Hill has yet to record a sack this year, but he’s fresh off a 14-tackle performance against Florida. 

The Sooners were susceptible to six-man pressures against Kent State, an issue Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwitatkowski will undoubtedly probe with Hill. 

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Read More Oklahoma vs. Texas

• Rushing Yards Will Come at a Premium When Oklahoma Battles Texas
• Oklahoma LB Kobie McKinzie Wary of Texas Threat Despite Early Offensive Struggles
• The Sooners’ Texas Game Plan: Don’t Let ‘Oklahoma Beat Oklahoma’

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Enter Jovanatae Barnes. 

The veteran running back may not be OU’s most dynamic runner, but he’s a reliable piece of Oklahoma’s protection plan. 

He’s assignment sound and physical in pass protection, two qualities running backs coach DeMarco Murray loves, and Barnes can play a key role in cleaning up the picture for Mateer when the Longhorns get aggressive to try and track down the OU quarterback.

True freshman Tory Blaylock will also have his battles against the Texas pass rush, and he'll have to stand his ground in his first trip to the Cotton Bowl.

DE R Mason Thomas vs. The Texas Tackles

Oklahoma defensive end R Mason Thomas sacks Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold for a safety. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Texas offensive line issues are well-documented. 

The Longhorns will have trouble containing Jayden Jackson, Damonic Williams, Gracen Halton and David Stone up the middle. 

R Mason Thomas is only going to compound those issues. 

“The Closer” is reading from his 2024 script. After a few close calls early in the season, Thomas showed he can take games over late first against Tulane and then against Auburn.

It took him until Week 4 to get his first sack in 2024, but he doomed the Tigers again with a game-sealing sack of Jackson Arnold. 

Steve Sarkisian loves to let Arch Manning push the ball downfield, but there isn’t a protection plan available that can keep Manning upright long enough to test Oklahoma deep if the Sooners are feasting up the middle and Thomas is winning on the edge. 

A big day for Thomas is bad news for any quarterback, but it would mean sure disaster for the Texas offense if Thomas has his way in the Cotton Bowl.