The Red River Rivalry arrives with the betting line already telling a familiar story: Texas is expected to handle Oklahoma, and handle it comfortably.
The Longhorns are the No. 1 team in the country, while the Sooners are dealing with a battered roster that has only gotten thinner heading into kickoff. That combination has kept the spread in Texas’s favor all week, and even the total has been bouncing around as the market sorts out what kind of game this turns into. But the margin has stayed fixed in one place - at least a touchdown for Texas.
The latest availability report only strengthens that case. Oklahoma is still waiting on defensive back Eli Bowen, who is listed as questionable, and the Sooners are missing a long list of players around him.
Jack Van Dorselaer is probable, while Eddy Pierre-Louis is doubtful. Taylor Heim, Trell Harris, Xavier Robinson, Trynae Washington, Jacobe Johnson, Michael Fasusi, and Fred Hinton are all out.
That matters because Oklahoma’s issues aren’t confined to one spot. The Sooners are short in the secondary and short up front, where an already shaky offensive line has struggled to keep quarterback John Mateer clean. If Bowen can’t go, the margin for error gets even smaller.
Texas has its own injury report, but it looks far cleaner. Justus Terry is questionable, while Kaliq Lockett, Jordan Coleman, and Zion Williams are out. The more encouraging news for the Longhorns is that running back Hollywood Smothers and tight end Nick Townsend were removed from the availability report a day before kickoff, giving Texas even more offensive depth.
That’s the backdrop for a matchup that should tilt heavily toward the Longhorns if they play to form. Texas quarterback Arch Manning has the kind of weapons that can punish a depleted defense, with Cam Coleman, Ryan Wingo, and Emmett Mosley V ready to stress Oklahoma on the outside. And if Texas’s offensive line holds up, Manning stays composed, and the defense keeps doing what it has done week after week, the Longhorns have every chance to put this one away in convincing fashion.
In Other News...
Texas Suddenly Faces An Arch Manning Question Fans Never Expected
The loss to Oklahoma only sharpened the conversation around Texas quarterback room, where Arch Manning remains the starter and Steve Sarkisian is not expected to turn elsewhere unless he has no choice. Behind Manning, the Longhorns are thinner than fans might have assumed, with redshirt freshman KJ Lacey Jr. bringing limited college experience and the next layer of options looking more about projection than certainty.
Dia Bell is a highly rated recruit who has yet to appear in a college game, while MJ Morris offers the kind of experience Texas would want in a pinch, but his rsum comes with uneven results. For a program still trying to steady itself after a setback, the real issue is not just whether Manning can rebound, but how comfortable the staff would be if it had to lean on a backup at all. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Just Lost A Recruiting Battle Fans Thought Was Won
Texas got a jolt in the 2027 cycle when five-star wide receiver Easton Royal changed course and moved his commitment from Austin to Florida. Royal is the nations top-ranked receiver prospect, so any shift involving him carries real weight, and this one immediately altered the conversation around both programs. For Texas, it is the latest reminder that even when a recruiting win seems secure, nothing is final until the paperwork is signed.
Royal confirmed his decision publicly as he joined Jon Sumralls class, giving Florida a major boost in the process. He is expected to end his recruitment and cancel visits to other schools after the switch, which makes the move even more significant for the Gators and more frustrating for Texas, which had been counting on holding onto one of the cycles premier talents. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Faces A Bigger Test Than Florida After Red River Heartbreak
Texas is trying to put the Red River heartbreak behind it after a 27-24 loss to Oklahoma, a game that came with multiple chances to swing the outcome and slipped away anyway. Now the Longhorns return home to face Florida, with a chance to answer the disappointment quickly and keep their season from being defined by one missed opportunity.
Florida arrives with mixed results under new coach Jon Sumrall, and recent losses have put a spotlight on a running game that has struggled to find traction. That creates an intriguing contrast for Texas, which has been strong against the run this season, but the bigger question may be how well the Longhorns can steady themselves emotionally before another high-profile SEC test. [Read more 🡒]