Oklahoma Sooners (3-2 SU, 1-3 ATS) vs. Texas Longhorns (5-0 SU, 1-4 ATS), 12:00 p.m. EST, Saturday, October 17, 2009, Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Tex. TV: ABC
by Ryno of Predictem.com
Point Spread: Oklahoma +3/Texas -3
Over/Under: N/A
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The game of the season in the Big 12 will take place early Saturday at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, as Sam Bradford and the Oklahoma Sooners face Colt McCoy and the undefeated Texas Longhorns.
Bradford, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, injured his shoulder in Oklahoma's 14-13 loss to BYU in the first game of the season. He missed the next three games as Landry Jones filled in at quarterback, but Bradford returned on Saturday to get a 33-7 win over Baylor.
Against Baylor, Bradford was 27-for-49 passing for 389 yards and a touchdown. Sooners running back Demarco Murray ran for 107 yards, while Chris Brown ran for 70 yards and two touchdowns. Oklahoma outgained Baylor in total yards of offense, 586-268.
Murray has 406 rushing yards and three touchdowns this season, and Brown has 338 yards and three touchdowns.
Bradford's main targets are Ryan Broyles and Brandon Caleb. Broyles has 23 receptions for 346 yards and seven touchdowns. Caleb has 21 catches for 340 yards and two touchdowns, including seven receptions for 139 yards against Baylor.
With Bradford out, the Sooners haven't yet beaten a quality opponent. After the loss to BYU, the Sooners won 64-0 over Idaho State and 45-0 over Tulsa. Then, they lost 21-20 at Miami.
It's safe to assume that this game will be all about the quarterbacks and the passing game. Texas has the best rush defense in the country, while Oklahoma ranks third. The Longhorns are giving up just 48.2 rushing yards per game and a 1.7 yards-per-carry average, and the Sooners are allowing 53.6 yards per game and a 1.8 average.
Texas comes into this game with a 5-0 record, including a 34-24 win over Texas Tech and a 38-14 win on Saturday over Colorado. Against Colorado, Texas was trailing 14-3 but came back with 35 unanswered points to get the win. The Longhorns' schedule has been fairly weak thus far, but after Oklahoma they will play on the road against Missouri and then Oklahoma State, so this begins a crucial stretch for the Longhorns in their quest for a national championship.
Texas is led by McCoy, the star quarterback for the Longhorns who is one of the preseason favorites for the Heisman this year. But McCoy hasn't been overly impressive, as he has thrown six interceptions in five games. He has 1,410 yards, a 73.4 completion percentage, and 10 touchdowns. His top target is Jordan Shipley, who has 47 receptions for 258 yards and two touchdowns. He is currently tied for second in the country in receptions.
This game is clearly the battle of Bradford and McCoy. This is the last time the two of them will face each other before moving on to the NFL. Bradford came back against Baylor to prepare himself for this game. With the Sooners out of the national championship hunt, this is their game of the season. The Longhorns need to win this game to stay undefeated and among the top three for the national title game. Both defenses will come to play and both quarterbacks will try to take over the game.
Last season, Texas won this game 45-35 when the Sooners were ranked No. 1. Bradford threw for 387 yards and five touchdowns, but it wasn't enough to win the game. The Longhorns intercepted him twice, and McCoy threw for 277 yards and a touchdown. Bradford outdid McCoy, but it came down to defense and running. The Longhorns won the turnover battle and they outran Oklahoma, 163-43.
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Both teams have struggled this season against the spread with just one ATS win each. The total has gone under in six of Texas's last eight games. This isn't a true road game for the Sooners, as the game is at the Cotton Bowl, but Oklahoma is 6-1 ATS and SU in their last seven games away from home. Five of Oklahoma's last six games away from home have gone over.
Ryno's Pick: Texas spoiled Oklahoma's undefeated season last year by defeating the Sooners. They will be looking for revenge in this game. The Sooners are two points away from being undefeated right now, as they lost one-point games to both BYU and Miami. If they had won those games, they would be No. 1 or No. 2 in the country right now and the favorites in this game. Instead, Texas is undefeated and the favorite. Bradford looked good in his return against Baylor. McCoy, on the other hand, has thrown six interceptions already. With Bradford on the field, Oklahoma is probably the better team here, and the Sooners are getting points. Take Oklahoma +3.
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