Texas walks into the 122nd Red River Rivalry with the kind of target that changes everything.
For the first time since 1987, one team in this matchup is No. 1 and the other is unranked. Back then, Oklahoma was the top team and beat Texas 44-9.
This time, the Longhorns are the ones sitting at the top, and the setup gives them all the burden that comes with being favored in a game like this. Oklahoma, meanwhile, gets the freedom that comes with having nothing to lose and plenty to prove.
That dynamic is not lost on Steve Sarkisian.
“I can promise you, nobody’s overlooking anybody in this game,” head coach Steve Sarkisian said. “The guys that have been part of this game know what it’s about. We were in the same situation a year ago.”
Texas understands the danger because it lived a version of it last season. Now the Longhorns are the undefeated team trying to keep rolling, while Oklahoma arrives desperate to flip its season. That kind of pressure hits both sidelines differently, but it hits both just the same.
Sarkisian has been clear about the one thing he wants his team to control: the emotional swing of the day.
The pageantry is part of what makes this rivalry so famous. The crowd noise, the tunnel, the split colors, the whole scene.
But once the ball is kicked, emotion can become a liability fast. Penalties, mistakes and rushed decisions tend to show up when a team loses its footing, and Sarkisian pointed to Tennessee as the kind of reminder teams carry into a game like this.
“We talk about playing with emotion, not (being) emotional,” Sarkisian said. “This game can get emotional at times, and so how do we harness that? How do we stay enamored with us?”
That same message has been carried inside the locker room, where Texas is trying to keep the focus tight from warmups through the final whistle.
“I think the message has been to focus on ourselves,” fifth-year defensive tackle Hero Kanu said. “Don’t worry about them.
Focus on themselves. … (Even) after warmups, focus on the game.
We’re not worried about them when we run into the tunnel. Let’s go focus on our own thing.
Let’s make sure we finish it right.”
Red River always seems to produce a little bit of chaos - the trick plays, the strange turnovers, the late surges that turn the Cotton Bowl into a madhouse. Still, the backbone of the game usually comes back to the basics: run the ball, protect the ball, avoid third-and-long and get pressure on the quarterback.
Texas also has history hanging in front of it. The Longhorns can win three straight against Oklahoma for the first time since 1999. Oklahoma, on the other hand, is trying to land the kind of upset that would reshape its season.
If Texas wants to leave with the golden hat, it has to do the hardest thing in this rivalry: shut out the noise and handle the weight that comes with being No. 1.
In Other News...
Texas Gets A Rivalry Boost From A Familiar Face Returning
Hollywood Smothers has already become a useful part of Texas run game after arriving from Oklahoma by way of North Carolina State, and his presence has been felt in 2026 even with the Longhorns still sorting out their backfield. He missed a recent game because of a lower leg injury, but the timing of his return could hardly be better for a Texas team heading into one of the most charged dates on the schedule.
Smothers is healthy again and expected to be available for the Red River Rivalry against the Sooners, the program he once called home. For Texas, that adds both depth and a little extra bite to a matchup that rarely needs any help getting there. [Read more 🡒]
Red River Just Got More Personal For Texas In A New Way
The buildup to the Red River Rivalry already has plenty of familiar edge, but Texas is also dealing with a newer kind of familiarity on the other sideline. Parker Livingstone, a junior wide receiver, transferred from Texas to Oklahoma after the 2025 season, adding another layer to a matchup that always seems to find a way to feel personal. Steve Sarkisian has acknowledged the reality of letting Livingstone and other players move on, and now the Longhorns have to sort through those departures as part of the backdrop to one of the sports most emotional weekends.
Livingstone has not been as productive at Oklahoma so far this season, but his presence still gives Texas another reason to pay attention to who is lining up across from it. Arch Manning noted the personal dynamics that can come with former teammates facing each other, which only underscores how much this game can stretch beyond the scoreboard. For Texas, the rivalry now carries a little extra locker-room history, and the Longhorns will see exactly how that plays once the teams take the field. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Could Get A Huge Red River Boost At Perfect Time
A bye week can be a handy reset in October, and Texas may be getting the timing just right with the Red River showdown looming. The Longhorns are heading into the Oklahoma game with several key pieces trending back toward full health, including senior running back Hollywood Smothers and sophomore tight end Nick Townsend, while junior defensive back Xaiver Filsaime is in line to make his season debut.
For a rivalry game that often comes down to depth as much as star power, that kind of reinforcements matters. Texas is still navigating the usual injury uncertainty this time of year, with several players from both sides listed as questionable or unavailable, but the Longhorns at least appear to be moving in the right direction at the perfect moment. [Read more 🡒]