Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners Way-Too-Early Preview

The Longhorns and Sooners meet for the 121st time on the gridiron.
Texas Longhorns wide receiver Ryan Wingo (5) leaps past Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. (2) and linebacker Danny Stutsman (28) during the Red River Rivalry college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Texas Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. Texas one 34-3.
Texas Longhorns wide receiver Ryan Wingo (5) leaps past Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. (2) and linebacker Danny Stutsman (28) during the Red River Rivalry college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Texas Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. Texas one 34-3. | Bryan Terry / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For the sixth game on the Texas Longhorns' 2025 schedule, they head to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX for one of the most anticipated games that every Texas fan circles on their calendar.

The Red River Rivalry game against the Oklahoma Sooners.

And to just call this a rivalry doesn't even begin to describe it.

Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners, the 2025 edition of the Red River Rivalry

The Longhorns gear up for their biggest out-of-state rival as they prepare to take on the Sooners for the 121st time on a football field, with Texas leading the all-time series comfortably with a 64-51-5 record, and are the reigning owners of the Golden Hat Trophy after dismantling a struggling Oklahoma team last year 34-3, while Texas was ranked as the AP No. 1 during the game.

While the Burnt Orange thrived in their first SEC season, their friends up from Norman did not fare nearly as well, finishing the 2024 season with a 6-7 record, which included a 2-6 record against SEC opponents and culminated in a 21-20 loss to the Navy Midshipmen in the Armed Forces Bowl after a last-second two-point conversion try from the Sooners was denied from the Midshipmen.

Oklahoma will be led by its fourth-year head coach, Brent Venables, and junior quarterback John Mateer is expected to assume control of the offense after former quarterback Jackson Arnold entered the transfer portal and ended up with the Auburn Tigers, with Mateer himself transferring in from Washington State after a breakout year in 2024.

As for the Longhorns, they will be coming into this game not only likely undefeated at this point in the 2025 season, but also as the likely favorite to win the national championship, spelling what should be a 65th win for the Horns over their rivals on the northern side of the Red River, and second consecutive.

Since 1929, the showdown between the two teams has been annually held at the Cotton Bowl at Dallas, TX, right in the middle of the State Fair of Texas, which is also typically in production while the game is played.

In the 102 games played in Dallas, Texas has won 52 of the games, while the Sooners have won 46, and the two teams have tied four times.

2018 saw the two teams face off twice, once in the Cotton Bowl and another in the Big 12 Championship, with Texas winning the rivalry game, but Oklahoma and Heisman Trophy recipient Kyler Murray would get the last laugh in the Big 12 title game.


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Aaron Raley
AARON RALEY

Aaron Raley is a credentialed writer covering the Texas A&M Aggies for On SI, joining the team on May 27, 2024. Born and raised in Northeast Texas, Aaron earned a degree from Texas A&M University in journalism, with minors in history and sports management. Aaron’s writing abilities are driven by his love and passion for various sports, both at the collegiate and professional levels, as well as his experience in playing sports, especially baseball and football.

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