There are reasons to believe that Oklahoma football can snap back and pose a legitimate threat versus No. 1 Texas on Saturday afternoon. Brent Venables' defense is still dangerous, and believe it or not, quarterbacks Arch Manning and John Mateer are posting surprisingly similar numbers. Rivalry games can also be a great equalizer and produce stunning results. So, can the Sooners actually escape Austin with a massive W?

The answer is a resounding no as far as ESPN's College GameDay is concerned.

Super Bowl 31 MVP and 1991 Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard, all-time great college football coach Nick Saban, prominent media personality and former All-Pro punter Pat McAfee, Carolina Panthers quarterback and 2021 Heisman winner Bryce Young and longtime color analyst Kirk Herbstreit all picked Texas to beat Oklahoma, via Inside Texas' Tyler Horka.

The whole @CollegeGameDay crew is picking Texas to beat Oklahoma. pic.twitter.com/vGo70CgakO

— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) October 10, 2026

This Red River showdown has the makings of a low-scoring , hard-hitting affair, but even so, it is hard to go against the Longhorns on their own field. Colin Simmons leads a suffocating defense that should take the pressure off Manning. The Sooners must protect Mateer, otherwise the offensive woes will continue. Oklahoma's season is already in dire straits, and a third loss would effectively crush its College Football Playoff hopes.

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But an upset win in a hostile environment could imbue Norman with new enthusiasm. If nothing else, head coach Brent Venables would earn back some of the trust he squandered early in the campaign.

However, Texas has proven that it can prevail even when it is operating well below its best. This undefeated squad is still striving for its top form, and that could spell awful news for the Sooners.

The Longhorns take the field as clear favorites, and they intend to validate that status inside Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET.