TicketCity’s weekly ranking of the 10 hottest games in college football is designed to identify the match-ups with the strongest ticket demand on a weekly basis. This week Texas vs. Oklahoma ranks #1 on our list. Contributor Jeff K. gives the run-down on who will win this stage-setting match-up.
Will Stoops lead his team to another blowout in the Red River Rivalry?
Why Oklahoma will win the biggest game of week one:
The Sooners come into this year’s Red River Rivalry feeling good about themselves. QB Blake Bell has settled in as the starter. He has six touchdown passes and no interceptions this season. No doubt he has to be excited about facing Texas after running for four touchdowns in last year’s game. Oklahoma has averaged 54 points in the last two Red River Rivalry games. The key to an Oklahoma win will be to assert themselves on the ground. Oklahoma is averaging 246 yards rushing, and will face a Texas defense prone to giving up huge chunks of yardage. The Longhorns defense has been gashed by BYU, Ole Miss and Iowa State. The Sooners will want to get the “Belldozer” rolling early to steal the momentum.
Why I could be wrong:
Texas’ Coach Mack Brown is in the hot seat. He may very well be coaching his last Red River Rivalry game. Lately his teams have not been competitive in this series. Most expect this game to be over by halftime.
But it’s a game like this that can sneak up and bite the Sooners. This Longhorn roster is loaded with talent. Texas has the horses to compete with Oklahoma. It all starts with the run game. Jonathan Gray, Malcolm Brown and Joe Bergeron will need to move the sticks. The offensive line needs to dominate the line of scrimmage and Major Applewhite needs to get creative with Daje Johnson to take advantage of his skill set. Texas will need to control the clock to keep its beleaguered defense off the field.
Why you don’t want to miss this one:
It’s Oklahoma and Texas. Red and burnt orange-clad fans will patrol the State Fairgrounds under the watchful eye of Big Tex. Bragging rights for another year are at stake. Which the Texas team will show up? Can Case McCoy break the Sooner stranglehold? Will Oklahoma look past a struggling Texas team? Anything goes in a rivalry game, and TicketCity can help you be part of this year’s contest.
Jeff Kubiszyn is a long-time college football fan and joins TicketCity this season to highlight the biggest game of the week. He is by no means a college football expert, except at the dinner table.
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