One of college football's most storied rivalries is set to ignite once again at the Cotton Bowl this weekend, as No. 6 Oklahoma (5-0) and Texas (3-2) renew hostilities in what's always one of the sport's most heated spectacles.
The Sooners enter the clash unbeaten through five games, fresh off a predictable thrashing of Kent State that kept their perfect record intact. The big question hanging over Norman, though, is the status of star quarterback John Mateer, who exited last week's contest with a hand injury. His availability could very well shape the tone of Saturday's showdown, as Oklahoma’s offense simply hums differently with him at the controls.
For Texas, the narrative is far less rosy. The Longhorns stumbled to 3–2 after a disheartening, though perhaps not entirely shocking, loss at unranked Florida, a defeat that booted them from the AP Top 25 and reignited skepticism around this team’s direction. Much of the scrutiny has fallen on young quarterback Arch Manning, whose highly touted five-star pedigree has yet to translate into consistent on-field production. His flashes of brilliance have been overshadowed by inconsistency, and Texas fans are beginning to wonder when — or if — the light will truly come on.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch the Oklahoma vs Texas NCAAF game, plus plenty more.
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Oklahoma vs Texas: Date and kick-off time
The Sooners will take on the Longhorns in a highly anticipated NCAAF game on Saturday, October 11, 2025, at 3:30 pm ET or 12:30 pm PT at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas.
| Date | Saturday, October 11, 2025 |
| Kick-off Time | 3:30 pm ET or 12:30 pm PT |
| Venue | Cotton Bowl |
| Location | Dallas, Texas |
How to watch Oklahoma vs Texas on TV & stream live online
- TV channel: ABC
- Streaming service: Fubo
Streaming the game with a VPN
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Oklahoma vs Texas news & key players
Oklahoma Sooners team news
Oklahoma's quarterback situation has taken center stage ahead of their clash with Texas, with John Mateer listed as questionable as he continues to recover from hand surgery. That means sophomore Michael Hawkins Jr. could get another look under center after lighting up Kent State with four touchdowns in a 44-0 romp. But let’s not forget when he saw the field last season, his play was far less convincing.
Under offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, the Sooners’ attack has been more surgical than explosive, efficient, disciplined, and hard to rattle. Oklahoma ranks 23rd in SP+ and sits inside the top 30 nationally in both success rate (48.6%) and first-down conversions (75.5%). Their short passing game has been a real weapon, humming at a 50.3% success rate through the air (22nd in the country) and averaging 7.4 yards per dropback. Perhaps most impressive, only 2.1% of those plays have come under pressure, a testament to both their protection and Arbuckle’s clean, rhythmic play design.
But it's on defense where Oklahoma has truly separated itself from the pack. The Sooners are arguably the best unit in the nation right now. They rank No. 1 in both dropback and rushing defensive success rate, No. 2 in defensive EPA margin, and lead all of college football with 10 tackles for loss per game. Fourteen different defenders have already logged multiple tackles for loss, a staggering stat that shows just how deep and disruptive this front is. Against a Texas offensive line that’s looked more like a revolving door than a wall, Oklahoma's defense could have a field day.
And leading that charge is Taylor Wein, the Sooners' relentless edge rusher who’s been wreaking havoc all season. In just five games, Wein has piled up 12 total tackles, 5.5 for loss, and 3.5 sacks—an absurd 91.7% of those stops coming against the run. He’s the kind of player that keeps quarterbacks up at night.
Texas Longhorns team news
As for Texas, the Arch Manning experiment has been anything but smooth sailing. The highly-touted sophomore has flashed moments of brilliance but remains wildly inconsistent, completing just 56% of his passes for 7.3 yards per attempt with three touchdowns and three picks against Power Five competition. The Longhorns’ offense has been a shadow of what fans expected, struggling to find rhythm even against soft early opponents.
They rank in the bottom half of the SEC in both total and scoring offense, and their ground game has been practically non-existent, just 11 rushing yards from running backs in that humbling loss to Florida. Against Ohio State, Texas didn’t put points on the board until the fourth quarter, and they managed just seven in the first 40 minutes versus the Gators.
If there's a saving grace for the Longhorns, it's their defense—a bruising, elite unit that’s kept them afloat. Ranked fourth nationally in SP+, Texas gives up only 4.34 yards per play (5th), a minuscule 0.92 points per drive (5th), and has been nearly impenetrable against the run, ranking 5th in yards per carry allowed (3.3) and 4th in yards after contact (1.71). Their front seven plays with real bite, boasting a 21.7% stuff rate that’s good for 10th in the nation.
And right in the middle of it all is Liona Lefau, the heartbeat of that defense. The sophomore linebacker has been flying around the field, leading Texas with 23 tackles—13 of them solo—and an 85.2% tackle success rate that screams consistency. If the Longhorns are going to slow down Oklahoma’s methodical attack, Lefau and that front line will have to set the tone early and often.