Texas @ Oklahoma preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 14, 2017 ) Oklahoma 29, Texas 24

Even though the Red River Showdown has not meant as much in terms of deciding the Big 12 champion lately as it did a few years ago, the rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma has not lacked in terms of producing thrilling games. Second-year coach Tom Herman appears to be working his magic with the 20th-ranked Longhorns this year, and they'll try to prove their resurgence is for real Saturday when they meet the fifth-ranked Sooners at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

After wallowing in mediocrity for the better part of the last decade, Texas has knocked off ranked teams in USC and TCU during a four-game winning streak on the strength of the conference's second-best scoring defense (19.8 points per game). The Longhorns are coming off a 19-14 victory at Kansas State last week despite committing 10 penalties for 104 yards - an area they'll need to clean up against the Big 12's highest-scoring offense (48.6). Oklahoma moved to 5-0 for the first time since 2013 last weekend, scoring at least 14 points in every quarter while routing Baylor 66-33. Despite the Sooners' recent run of dominance inside the conference, each of the archrivals' last four meetings has been decided by seven points or fewer.

TV: Noon ET, FOX. LINE: Oklahoma -8.

ABOUT TEXAS (4-1, 2-0 Big 12): Sophomore Sam Ehlinger established a personal best by completing 80.6 percent of his passes at Kansas State and has thrown 128 consecutive passes without an interception, good for the third-longest streak in school history. Lil'Jordan Humphrey ranks seventh in the conference in receptions (26) and receiving yards (402), while fellow junior Collin Johnson is tied for eighth and ranks 11th in those respective categories (24, 350). Senior defensive end Charles Omenihu had five tackles - three for loss and two sacks - last weekend, while receiver/defensive back D'Shawn Jamison earned Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday after becoming the first Longhorn true freshman with a punt return for a touchdown since Selvin Young in 2002.

ABOUT OKLAHOMA (5-0, 2-0): Kyler Murray sat out the opening drive against Baylor for disciplinary reasons but still managed to tie a school record by accounting for seven touchdowns while setting Big 12 marks in passing efficiency (348.0), yards per pass attempt (20.8) and yards per completion (25.4). Marquise Brown ranks first nationally with six catches of at least 40 yards and eighth in FBS in receiving yards per game (108.8), while his 22.7 yards per catch is second in the country among players averaging at least four receptions per game. Sophomore linebacker Kenneth Murray followed up his school-record 28-tackle performance against Army with 17 more last weekend and ranks third in FBS with 12.8 per game.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Texas is the only Big 12 program with a winning record against Oklahoma (61-46-5), although the Sooners have won six of the last eight meetings.

2. Through only five starts with Oklahoma, Murray has accounted for two of the six instances since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996 in which a Sooner has thrown for at least 300 yards and rushed for at least 65 in a game.

3. Saturday will mark the first time since 2012 both schools enter this game inside the top 25.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma 34, Texas 27