Oklahoma Doesn't Care That Texas Is No. 1 and That's What Makes Saturday Dangerous

The Sooners enter Red River unranked and at 2-2, but that makes Saturday's rivalry matchup no less dangerous for the top-ranked Longhorns.

Sep 26, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Texas coach Steve Sarkisian sings The Eyes of Texas with his team after a college football game between Tennessee and Texas at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Sept. 26, 2026. | Brianna Paciorka-USA TODAY Network | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Texas spent its bye week exactly where it started it: atop the AP Top 25. The Longhorns remained No. 1 for a fourth consecutive week, receiving 61 of 70 first-place votes heading into Saturday's Red River Rivalry.

Oklahoma, meanwhile, enters the Cotton Bowl with a much different profile. The Sooners are 2-2 and unranked after losses to Michigan and Georgia, with their two wins coming against UTEP and New Mexico.

That disparity in records and rankings is exactly what makes this game so dangerous for Texas. The Longhorns have everything to protect. Oklahoma has a chance to change the entire direction of its season with one afternoon.

Oklahoma Has Nothing to Lose Against the No. 1 Longhorns

Oklahoma running back Tory Blaylock rushes the ball against Texas. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Red River rivalry does not care about rankings, records or what happened the previous Saturday.

Texas knows that better than anyone.

The Longhorns have won the last two meetings, beating Oklahoma 34-3 in 2024 and 23-6 in 2025. Texas is now trying to win three straight against the Sooners for the first time since the 1997-99 stretch.

This year's Oklahoma team arrives in Dallas with plenty of motivation. The Sooners opened the season by shutting out UTEP, but lost to Michigan and then suffered a 41-13 defeat at Georgia. Oklahoma did beat New Mexico 14-6, but the Sooners have struggled to generate consistent offense throughout the season.

That does not mean Texas can expect another comfortable afternoon.

Oklahoma's defense has been the strength of the team, and the Sooners have allowed only one opponent, Georgia, to surpass 300 total yards this season. That creates a particularly interesting matchup against a Texas offense that has struggled to consistently produce explosive plays since the season opener.

Oklahoma has also held opponents to just 13.8 points per game through four contests, giving the Sooners a defense capable of keeping the game within striking distance if Texas' offense can't find some momentum.

For the Longhorns, the pressure is obvious. Texas is 4-0, ranked No. 1 and still chasing a perfect season. Oklahoma can turn all of that into a footnote with one upset at the Cotton Bowl.

Texas has already survived a close road game at Tennessee and spent the bye week watching the rest of the SEC shake up around it. Now comes the rivalry that has a history of ignoring expectations.

The Sooners do not need to prove they belong in the playoff conversation this weekend. They only need to beat Texas.

That is what makes Saturday dangerous.

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