Joel Klatt names SEC powerhouse that must win in Week 7

With playoff hopes fading, Joel Klatt warns Texas must beat Oklahoma in Week 7 to survive.

Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt believes this week's Red River Rivalry game against the Oklahoma Sooners is a must-win for the Texas Longhorns. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The stakes could not be higher for the Texas Longhorns heading into their Week 7 showdown with the Oklahoma Sooners. On Wednesday’s episode of The Joel Klatt Show, the Fox Sports analyst called the matchup a “must-win” for Texas as the program looks to rebound from a pair of damaging losses to Ohio State and Florida.

Klatt said the Longhorns’ playoff hopes hang in the balance entering Saturday’s Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl. “From a Texas perspective, this one’s obvious,” Klatt said. “This one is a must-win for them in Red River from preseason No. 1. If they lose this game, they’ll be out of the playoff picture. I don’t think they have enough left on their schedule to get themselves obviously back to Atlanta or even back in the mix because as we know, folks, 9-3 is likely not going to cut it.”

Texas enters the matchup 3-2 overall and 1-1 in conference play after falling 29-21 to Florida. Oklahoma, meanwhile, sits undefeated at 5-0 and ranked No. 6 in the country.

Texas Faces Playoff Elimination Scenario in Red River Rivalry

Klatt said Texas “is already on the bubble,” emphasizing that consecutive losses have put the Longhorns “behind the eight ball.” He cited poor offensive line play and inconsistent quarterback execution in the loss to the Gators, saying, “The quarterback played bad. Everybody played bad for Texas.”

The game’s intrigue is heightened by uncertainty surrounding Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer, who is pushing to return just 17 days after surgery on a broken bone in his right hand. “Oklahoma is the team that is the undefeated top 10, top five team with maybe their quarterback coming back,” Klatt said. “Are you hearing this? The Chipotle rumor could be true. John Mateer pushing to get back on the field. I can’t wait to see how that all plays out.”

Oklahoma football quarterback John Mateer (10) is reportedly trying to play in the Sooners' Week 7 Red River Rivalry game against the Texas Longhorns. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The "Chipotle rumor" in question is that Mateer was allegedly seen at the restaurant and asked by a worker if he would play against Texas and the signal-caller confirmed he would play. There's no confirmation that this really happened and may have just been an internet rumor run amok.

Klatt added that a win over Oklahoma would “set up the whole back half of the season for each of these teams in an obvious way,” suggesting the result could determine the SEC pecking order as the second half of the season begins.

Steve Sarkisian Prepares for Oklahoma’s Defense

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian echoed Klatt’s sense of urgency earlier this week. “The goal is to get 1-0 this week,” Sarkisian said. “You know, we got to get back to 1-1 in conference play, and it happens to be a heck of a challenge.”

Sarkisian said the Longhorns are preparing for both Mateer and backup Michael Hawkins Jr. after Hawkins led Oklahoma to a 44-0 victory over Kent State last weekend. Sarkisian kept the focus internal: "The goal is to get 1-0 this week, you know, we got to get back to 1-1 in conference play, and it happens to be a heck of a challenge."

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian must avoid another loss in this weekend's Red River Rivalry game against the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

While Texas boasts a top-five scoring defense, its offense ranks outside the top 50 in yards per game. Klatt believes that imbalance, coupled with mounting pressure, makes this matchup season-defining. “They have to win Oklahoma,” he said. “They can make a huge statement with this win even though Texas is struggling.”

The Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma kicks off Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.