OU-Texas 2007 - This will be the first time in 3 tries that these teams will be as evenly matched as they can be. When Texas won 2 years ago, they had the best QB in college footabll in Vince Young. The Oklahoma Sooners had a freshman by the name of Rhett Bomar. Last year, the Sooners started a WR at quarterback, but still led at half time against a better team. This year, the Longhorn defensive secondary is suspect and the offensive line has some questions, but Texas still has a great player at QB to lean on, along with a theoretically stingy run defense. Oklahoma will enter the game with another first year player at QB, but looks solid in the offensive line, running game, wide receivers and secondary. On paper, Oklahoma looks like the better team....

Texas Longhorns. A key injury to their defensive line and to their QB last year is what began the 2 consecutive loses for the longhorns and a parade of laughter north of the border. Texas barely lost a game to the always dangerous KState Wildcats, and followed it up with another loss at home to the hated Texas A&M Aggies, a new friend of the Oklahoma Sooners. A healthy team last year might have had the Longhorns playing for another national title. Fortunately for Longhorns fans, they have the same opportunity this year. Oklahoma will be the toughest team on their schedule, though the rivalry games are always interesting. Texas Tech may be able to put up half a hundred on the Longhorns if they don't fix their secondary issues. If the running game can't carry part of the load, Colt McCoy may go from media darling to whipping boy.  Expect teams to stunt their way into the backfield early and often to try to knock the 20lb heavier, but still baby soft, McCoy out of the game. On defense, the best thing they'll do all year is stop the run. Between Okam and the always angry Lokey, Texas will be tough against the run. They are however, as last year shows, one injury away from a 2-3 loss season as they aren't very deep. If they can avoid injuries and marijuanna, they should have a good year given their schedule.

Oklahoma Sooners -  The most impressive thing about OU this year is the size of the left side of the offensive line. A juco transfer by the name of Loadholt, stands 6'8" and weighs over 300lbs. OU has a solid line overall. They're going to use it to try to push Texas around too. Expect the Sooners to run early and often in the first half. This is designed to wear out the defensive line during the second half. If OU can keep its turnovers in-check, I'm having a hard time figuring out why Texas will stay with Oklahoma at all. OU has too much skill all around this time. The freshman QB turned in a record tying performance in his first game, so he certainly has skill. Talented receivers, running backs and the O line make the Sooners the favorite this year in every game they are going to play. Texas will be no exception. Bob Stoops will continue to have the QB throw short and let the receivers make plays with their legs. We've already seen the running backs line up as receivers. This brings back memories of Bob the gambler and the "Ninja" formation from Stoops early days. It appears as though OU is primed for a run at a National Championship again, but that's only if they take care of Texas.

The result for The Red River Rivalry may be familiar to OU fans and torture for Longhorns everywhere. OU has more talent at the receivers, RB and Offensive line not to win. The only question is by how much. 

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Red River Match Up
written by Karen Shobert, October 03, 2007

The key to the Sooners picking off the Longhorns will be the offensive play calling. Bob Stoops must reprise his role as "The Gambler" and kick Kevin Wilson to the side. The days of AD are over, spice it up! With a talent rich offense, he can't come up with nothing better then the dreaded....hand off..hand off..pass. Sooners have played that now for 2 years, come on. When OU faces an opponent, defenses study over and over again, our offense. There is no need for this type of play. Last week, was a debacle offensively. Mismangement of time outs, horrible ball control...bottom line..out coached. OU has a QB, has 3 that are all better then Bomar and Thompson. There is no need to play the AD route, none. Receivers like All American Malcom Kelly, never saw the ball once and I can't see where the coverage on him was so thick, not to pass to him. If the opponenets defense is doubling on him, they are leaving another weapon exposed. Wilson's offense, too vanilla. This is OK Football, not high school. Legends are made in Norman. Defensively, the key for OU is pounding McCoy. Rattle his cage early, and that can be done very effectively by OU, and you've got it. The D obviously has more strength then first realized. To all those who blamed the line last week for the loss, think again. Poor defense was on the field 18:30 in the 2nd 1/2, over a periods worth of play. 2 INT for 14 points, DJ Wolfe glad to see he woke up. The offense failed OU w/CO, not the defense. Wilson is not nor will he ever be a Leach or Mangione but heck, we all thought he was better then Long. I'd take Long back now over Wilson.