Paul Finebaum did what Paul Finebaum does best on SEC Nation this week: he leaned into the moment, won over the room, and then swung hard the other way.
With the show in Norman ahead of the Red River Rivalry, the panel broke down the 2026 meeting between Oklahoma and Texas. The first three picks followed the expected script and backed the Longhorns, who are favored by around a touchdown. Finebaum, though, waited until after he’d stirred up the Sooners crowd before delivering his verdict.
“I keep hearing that you have a rivalry game and anything can happen. And you Sooners know that, right?”
asked Finebaum. Having stoked the crowd, he then turned heel and disappointed them.
“But I don't think you really have to factor that in because there's one team over here going up," continued Finebaum. "There's another team going down.
And the Sooners are going down. Hook 'em, Horns!"
The pick made it a clean sweep for Texas on SEC Nation, and the result lined up with the broader pregame mood around the matchup. Oklahoma enters at 2-2 and has struggled badly on offense since opening the season with a 51-0 win over UTEP in Week 1.
Over the last three games, the Sooners have managed just 10, 14 and 13 points, with a loss to Michigan and a 41-13 defeat to Georgia in that stretch. Oklahoma also failed to reach 300 total yards in any of those three games.
Texas hasn’t exactly been a model of offensive consistency, but its defense has done enough to survive tight games against Ohio State and Tennessee, with those wins coming by a combined four points. Oklahoma’s defense is even more imposing, but the prevailing read is that a more balanced Texas team should be able to find enough offense to get the job done.
That view wasn’t limited to SEC Nation, either. College GameDay also backed Texas, giving the Longhorns an 8-0 edge between the two shows. Finebaum just made sure his pick came with a little extra bite.
In Other News...
Oklahoma Defense Suddenly Faces More Pressure Before Texas showdown
Oklahomas defense is heading into the Texas showdown with a little less certainty than it would prefer, as Eli Bowen has been listed as questionable for the matchup. Bowens status matters because the Sooners are already dealing with other absences and lingering doubts on that side of the ball, while a few players have at least moved into the probable category. It is the kind of pregame injury report that can quietly reshape a game plan before either team even takes the field.
Texas has its own availability questions, with a few players listed out or probable, but the Longhorns do have tight end Nick Townsend available to play. For Oklahoma, the bigger concern is how much margin for error remains if Bowen cannot go, especially in a game where every depth-chart adjustment gets magnified. The Sooners still have time to sort through it, but the pressure on that defense only feels heavier with kickoff getting closer. [Read more 🡒]
Sooners Defense Has Oklahoma Fans Believing In Red River Upset Chance
The Red River Rivalry is once again shaping up as one of the biggest draws on the schedule, and this time the conversation has started with Oklahomas defense. ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit pointed to Texas as the favorite, but he also singled out the Sooners ability to get off the field on third down, a strength that has helped keep them in games even when the offense has had trouble finding a rhythm.
Herbstreit also noted the uneven offensive play on both sides of the matchup, including Arch Mannings underwhelming production for Texas and Oklahomas own struggles moving the ball. Even so, his read was that this one should be tight before the Longhorns eventually find a way through, which is hardly the kind of verdict that settles anything for Sooners fans hoping their defense can turn the rivalry into a real upset chance. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Is Building A Familiar Portal Formula Oklahoma Fans Know Well
UCLAs roster makeover under Bob Chesney has started to look a lot like the kind of quick-fix blueprint college football fans in Oklahoma have seen work elsewhere. The discussion around Chesney naturally circles back to Curt Cignetti, whose career path and program-building success set a familiar template: identify the right transfers, keep the most important pieces in place and raise the floor fast. For UCLA, that means a team shaped heavily by portal additions and by the presence of former James Madison players who already know how Chesney wants things done.
The biggest reason the Bruins draw attention is the way theyve held onto key names while still layering in new talent. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava and running back Wayne Knight remain central to the discussion, and their retention gives the roster a different feel than a typical stop-and-start rebuild. For Oklahoma fans, the broader lesson is easy to spot: this is not just about adding bodies, but about building a program identity quickly enough to matter before the season slips away. [Read more 🡒]