Texas vs Oklahoma Today: Red River Rivalry 2025 Kicks Off at the Cotton Bowl with Playoff-Sized Stakes

The Red River Rivalry returns to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas today, delivering a heavyweight SEC clash between No. 6 Oklahoma and a Texas team desperate to steady its season. With a near pick’em line and two star quarterbacks—Oklahoma’s John Mateer cleared to play and Texas’ Arch Manning making his rivalry debut—the 121st meeting arrives with all the volatility and theater that make this game a national event.

Texas vs. OU Game Time, TV, and Setting

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025

• Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. CT (3:30 p.m. ET)

• Stadium: Cotton Bowl, Dallas

• TV: ABC

Beyond the pageantry—split stadium, State Fair backdrop, and deafening crowd—the timing matters. The mid-afternoon window historically favors fast starters; explosive first quarters often tilt this rivalry before halftime.

Arch Manning’s Moment Meets an Oklahoma Defense Built to Disrupt

This is Manning’s first Red River start, and Texas needs him steady more than spectacular. The Longhorns have been uneven in 2025: flashes of a top-10 offense intertwined with drive-killing turnovers and stalled red-zone trips. Manning’s arm talent is unquestioned, but his best attribute today could be discretion—taking quick wins against pressure, leveraging tight ends on option routes, and using his legs to convert third-and-manageable.

Oklahoma arrives ranked sixth with the SEC’s most balanced profile among contenders: stingy in explosive plays allowed and opportunistic on third down. The Sooners don’t need to blitz to hurry throws; they win with a disciplined front and force quarterbacks into late decisions. If Texas’ tackles struggle in space, Manning’s internal clock becomes the game’s metronome.

John Mateer’s Return Shifts the Chessboard

Cleared from a recent thumb injury, Mateer restores Oklahoma’s full offensive playbook. His dual-threat ability stretches contain rules and punishes soft edges; designed keepers and zone reads can neutralize Texas’ pass rush by forcing horizontal pursuit. The flip side: ball security. If the thumb limits velocity on outbreaking routes, expect the Sooners to lean on quick RPOs, motion, and layered crossers that protect timing and minimize risk.

Where the Game Tilts: Five Inflection Points

1. Early explosives: The team that hits a shot play in the first 20 snaps often dictates tempo in this rivalry.

2. Third-and-medium (4–6 yards): Texas thrives when it stays ahead of the chains; OU’s zone pressures are lethal if it’s third-and-7+.

3. Red-zone finish: Field goals won’t hold against Mateer-led drives; Texas needs 4-for-5 or better on touchdowns inside the 20.

4. Hidden yards on specials: Short fields have swung recent Red River editions. Watch punt coverage lanes and return decisions against a swirling Cotton Bowl wind.

5. QB run game: Designed keepers for both quarterbacks are the cleanest antidote to disruptive fronts.

Matchup Micro: Position Group Edges

• Quarterback: Slight edge to Oklahoma with Mateer’s health restoring designed-run stressors.

• Skill talent: Even. Texas’ perimeter size vs. OU’s speed creates a true clash of styles.

• Offensive line: Texas if it stays on schedule; penalties flip this to OU fast.

• Defensive front: Oklahoma on consistency; Texas has the higher single-snap ceiling.

• Secondary: Oklahoma, thanks to cohesion and leverage discipline.

Prediction: Red River, Razor-Thin

Expect a game of mini-runs, decided by two or three high-leverage plays in the fourth quarter. Texas must win situational football—especially red-zone calls and third-down design—to offset Oklahoma’s defensive consistency. With Mateer available and OU’s defense more trustworthy snap-to-snap, the Sooners carry the narrower margin for error.

Projected score: Oklahoma 24, Texas 21.
A late Texas drive stalls in the fringe red zone, while the Sooners’ balance and field position edge prove just enough in another instant-classic at the Cotton Bowl.