Ranking OU's opponents in 2025: Texas
Editor’s note: This is a series previewing each of the Sooners’ opponents in 2025. OUInsider will rank all 12 opponents by their significance, difficulty and entertainment value on a 1-10 scale, publishing each installment based on which team is next in the rankings. This installment focuses on Texas, the team ranked second in this series.
Oklahoma and Texas is the marque game for both teams every season. Throw out the current records for both teams. Throw out the history. The star quality of the players is irrelevant. When both teams step on the field at the Cotton Bowl, it becomes a must-win game.
But the stakes are enormously high for the Sooners this season, and this year’s trip to Dallas feels like when it all comes together.
For one, the Longhorns have had the upper hand the last three years. The Sooners snagged a win in 2023 behind Dillon Gabriel’s late-game heroics, but the other two contests were embarrassments. The Sooners were outscored 73-3 across those two games, including last season’s 34-3 loss. It’s a big departure from how the series has gone this century, with the Sooners winning 17 of the 26 games since 2000.
Two, the Longhorns have simply had more program momentum. They’ve made the College Football Playoff the last two seasons, and made it to the semifinals in 2024.
Both programs have seen significant roster changes during the offseason, and both enter with some question marks. But simply put, the Sooners face a ton of pressure to win this one in October.
Here’s an overview of what the Sooners can expect from the Longhorns:
GAME INFO
When: Oct. 11, 2:30 p.m.
Where: Cotton Bowl Stadium, Dallas, Texas
TV: ABC/ESPN+
OUINSIDER METRICS
Difficulty: 10/10
Significance: 10/10
Entertainment Value: 10/10
Total Score: 30/30
TEXAS OVERVIEW
2024 BASIC STATS
Record: 13-3 (7-1 SEC)
Scoring offense: 33 points per game (29th nationally)
Scoring defense: 15.3 points per game (3rd nationally)
Total offense: 437.5 yards per game (21st nationally)
Total defense: 283.4 yards per game (3rd nationally)
KEY DEPARTURES
QB Quinn Ewers (3,472 yards, 31 TD, 12 INT, 65.8% completion)
RB Tre Wisner (226 carries, 1,064 rushing yards, 5 TD, 44 receptions, 311 yards)
RB Jayden Blue (134 carries, 730 yards, 8 TD, 42 receptions, 368 yards, 6 TD)
TE Gunnar Helm (60 receptions, 786 yards, 7 TD)
WR Matthew Golden (58 receptions, 987 yards, 3 TD)
DB Andrew Mukuba (69 tackles, 4 TFL, 5 INT)
KEY RETURNERS
QB Arch Manning (1,047 total yards, 13 total TD, 2 INT)
WR DeAndre Moore Jr. (39 receptions, 456 yards, 7 TD)
LB Anthony Hill Jr. (113 tackles, 17 TFL, 8 sacks, 1 INT, 4 forced fumbles)
DB Michael Taaffe (78 tackles, 6 TFL, 2 INT)
DL Colin Simmons (48 tackles, 14 TFL, 9 sacks)
KEY ADDITIONS
DL Travis Shaw (North Carolina)
DL Hero Kanu (Ohio State)
STORYLINES
1. It’s the Arch Manning show
Ironically, the two quarterbacks atop the national radar heading into 2025 might be John Mateer and Manning.
Manning — a former five-star quarterback — saw some playing time last season when Quinn Ewers was injured. But Ewers is gone, and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has had all offseason to retool the offense around Manning.
It’ll be interesting to watch what Manning and Sarkisian come up with. The Longhorns won games with Ewers, but their offense wasn’t elite last season. Manning likely gives the Longhorns a higher ceiling with his running ability, but the Longhorns also lost several key skill players. They return 29% of their offensive production from a year ago, per ESPN, which ranks 126th nationally.
But if Manning reaches his ceiling, the Longhorns’ offense can be better than it was last season. It could also mean an early departure to the NFL. There is a lot of pressure on Manning to be elite this season.
2. Will the Longhorns remain elite defensively?
Texas returned to the CFP last season, and the biggest reason was the defense. The Longhorns were third in both scoring and total defense. They were top 13 in both passing and rushing defense.
They return 61% of their defensive production, which ranks 44th nationally. That includes arguably their two best players last season (Hill Jr., Simmons). They also added 2025’s No. 1 overall recruiting class, which includes four defensive players who were five-star recruits.
The ingredients are there for Texas to remain a top SEC defense. The Longhorns really can’t afford any slippage there. The good news is that their conference schedule, like last season, is incredibly favorable. The slate includes Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Kentucky and Arkansas. The bad news? Their season opener is at Ohio State, a huge early test for both Manning and the defense.
ANALYSIS
Last season was rough for the Sooners. But the low point came at the Cotton Bowl, and the season never really recovered from there.
There isn’t just pressure on the Sooners to bounce back from last season. There isn’t just pressure to win a lot. There’s pressure to win this specific game. It comes in Week 6, and it’ll likely serve as the inflection point for the season.
The Longhorns will likely be very good again in 2025, but there’s no reason the Sooners can’t be competitive. They’ve retooled their entire roster, specifically the offense, and Brent Venables has the defensive pieces at his disposal to create issues for Manning.
The Sooners can win, and that should be the mindset. But at the very least, they have to be competitive. There’s a lot of things the Sooners can’t let happen this season, and another blowout loss to Texas is at the top of the list.
OUINSIDER SCHEDULE SERIES
12. Kent State
11. Illinois State
10. Temple
9. Missouri
8. Ole Miss
6. Tennessee
5. LSU
4. Auburn
3. Alabama
2. Texas
1. ??
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