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This is an ideal setting: Oklahoma and Texas, at the center of the Texas State Fair, early Saturday in the fall, with their passionate fans dressed in purple and d & rsquo; Bright orange, shared equally in the historic stage of Cotton Bowl.
It is good that the game has some national notoriety.
For the first time since 2012, both teams are ranked, which means the No. 19 Longhorns enter Red River Rivalry's annual game with the Sooners # 7 (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) in the Top 25 first times in six seasons.
"It's two of the most reputable programs in the history of college football and, of course, our program has not been slow in putting all its weight on it," he said. Longhorns coach Tom Herman. "But we hope to be able to progress, we should be able to make this game a big game at the national level, with a little bit of luck every year."
The way that it was before.
Both teams were ranked – often in the top 10 – in 12 out of 13 meetings before the recent drought. The only exception was 2005, when unclassified Oklahoma pounded Longhorns No. 2 45-12.
The Longhorns (4-1, 2-0), with their first run of four straight wins since 2013, now have a chance to show if they are ready to become one of 12 heavyweights again.
The Oklahoma coach, Lincoln Riley, knows that the outside perception of the game might be different because both teams are ranked, but that does not change what it is waiting for.
"The games have been great here in the last three years," said Riley, who became head coach last year after two seasons as the Sooners' offensive coordinator. "Will the game be better than the last three years?" I doubt it … It's a unique game, the game is always great, the atmosphere is always great. I'm sure it helps when both teams play well. "
In the last four years, Oklahoma has won three times, each five-point match. Texas won a seven-point victory in 2015 and the Sooners have since won 26 of 27 regular-season conference games and three consecutive Big 12 titles.
Oklahoma lost 20-0 in last year's game, but won 29 to 24 after Baker Mayfield, winner of the Heisman Trophy, sent Mark Andrews a 59-yard pass in the fourth quarter. That decisive score came just a minute after Longhorns' first-year quarterback Sam Ehlinger had an 8-yard touchdown for Texas's only lead.
CALLER SIGNAL CALLER
While Mayfield is now in the NFL, Quarterback Kyler Murray, the two-time lead of Sooners, is the Big 12's most efficient passer, scoring 71% of his passes (77 out of 109) for 1460 yards with 17 touchdowns. only two interceptions. He is also one of the top 10 runners in the league at 57 yards per game with four touchdowns.
"He can put the ball almost anywhere, it's a boss, but you have to play that kind of game," said Texas defender Charles Omenihu. "Kyler is faster than Baker … Kyler definitely, when he gets out of the pocket, you'll have to go get him, otherwise he'll be run by everyone." He's probably as fast as a receiver or a DB . "
THE EMERGENCE OF EHLINGER
Ehlinger scored for at least 200 yards and a touchdown in the first five games, becoming the fourth-quarter Texan to do so – and the first in a decade. He did not launch interception during the series of four consecutive wins.
"It looks like he's making the natural progression that one could expect from a quarterback of his talent," Riley said. "He has played in many parties and has had different experiences, it seems like he is more comfortable with the offensive, more comfortable in the scenario."
BROWN LARGE GAME
Marquise Brown, of Oklahoma, is already the national leader with six catches of at least 40 yards – which explains her five touchdowns. Brown caught 24 passes for a total of 544 yards, or 22.7 yards per shot. His 109 yards per game rank third in the Big 12 and eighth in the country. CeeDee Lamb also has five TD sockets for Sooners.
HISTORY OF THE SERIES
Texas leads the 61-46-5 series and is the only Big 12 team to have a winning record against the Sooners. … Herman will try to avoid becoming the first Longhorns coach to start at 0-2 against Oklahoma since David McWilliams in 1987-88. Riley can become Sooners' first coach to win his first two games against Texas since Barry Switzer in 1973-74 … The series began in 1900. It has been playing since 1912 in Dallas – midway between Norman, Oklahoma and Austin, Texas. – and at the state fair since 1929.
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