Texas (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) vs. Oklahoma (2-2, 1-0 Big 12)
An amalgamation of red and orange will descend upon the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on Saturday for the 100th edition of the SBC Red River Rivalry between No. 2 Texas and Oklahoma. Not only are school bragging rites on the line, but these two teams will vie for the Golden Hat Trophy – whatever that is.
With last year’s score most likely still on their minds – a 12-0 shutout – Texas will surely be pulling out all the stops against a much different and weaker Sooner team than last year, so the Longhorns can finally stop being reminded about that painful memory.
Texas is hoping to avoid penalties that weakened their game against Missouri last weekend. Of course, for the Longhorns, “weakened” means that the penalties kept them from scoring 70 points, so they settled for 51 to Missouri’s 20. The Longhorns have put more than 50 points on the board during three of their four games this season.
Even with a dismal start to the season, Oklahoma is still ready to fight. Running back Adrian Peterson will likely play against Texas despite suffering an ankle injury during the Kansas State game, so the Sooners will look to him to strengthen their shaky offense. A strong Oklahoma defense was the key to a victory over Kansas State last Saturday, but it may not be enough to slow quarterback Vince Young and his cohorts. The m??lee begins at noon and will be televised on ABC.
Kansas (3-1, 0-1 Big 12) vs. Kansas State (3-1, 0-1 Big 12)
The Sunflower State Showdown kicks off at 11 a.m. Saturday, but don’t let the botanical name deceive you – there is nothing flowery about the heated rivalry between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Kansas State Wildcats. According to the Official 2005 NCAA Football Records book, this competition began in 1911 and is just a mere four games older than A&M’s rivalry with Texas.
Kansas State (3-1, 0-1 Big 12) will be fighting for more than just the Governor’s Cup; the Wildcats lost their first game in 12 meetings with the Jayhawks last year, 31-28, so they’ll also be wrestling for their pride back. Kansas (3-1, 0-1 Big 12) will be fighting for their first home win in the series since 1989.
Kansas State’s offense started strong this season but was shut down by Oklahoma last Saturday, resulting in the first loss of the season, 43-21. The Wildcats hope to capitalize on a strong pass defense against the Jayhawks’ quarterback woes. Offensive inconsistency cost the Jayhawks their first conference game of the season against No. 13 Texas Tech, 30-17. Kansas and K-State kick off at 11 a.m. on FSN.
Nebraska (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) vs. Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0 Big 12)
Another close match up will take place this weekend when No. 13 Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) travels to Lincoln, Neb. to take on the Cornhuskers. While Texas Tech fans are basking in the glory of their team’s newfound success, the Red Raiders realize that Nebraska is nothing to scoff at.
Nebraska (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) is coming off a victory in double overtime over No. 23 Iowa State, 27-20. Junior quarterback Zac Taylor passed for a career-high 431 yards, and hopes are high that he will be able to successfully thwart a strong Tech defense. The Huskers have the second strongest total offense in the Big 12 while the Raiders have the third strongest defense, so fans in Lincoln could be in for another long haul. The battle begins at 3 p.m. Saturday on TBS.