One of the biggest games on the Week 7 college football slate is one of the best rivalries in the sport. On Saturday afternoon, Oklahoma and Texas will take the field at an evenly-split Cotton Bowl for the Red River Rivalry, one of the best traditions in sports.
The two teams have very different vibes around them coming into this game. Texas is coming off of its second loss of the season on Saturday against Florida in an ugly performance on both sides of the ball, especially on the line of scrimmage. Now, it likely needs to run the table to have a chance at getting into the College Football Playoff.
On the other side, Oklahoma is still undefeated and ranked No. 6 in the AP poll at 5-0. The Sooners are coming off of a dominant 44-0 win over Kent State on Saturday, but they are currently dealing with an injury to star quarterback John Mateer.
Mateer had hand surgery for an injury he suffered in Oklahoma's 24-17 win over Auburn on Sept. 20. He has only missed one game so far and is pushing to play on Saturday despite being less than three weeks removed from the procedure. Oklahoma listed the Heisman Trophy candidate as questionable for the Red River Rivalry on Saturday, via George Stoia III of On3 Sports.
If Mateer is unable to go, it will be dual-threat Michael Hawkins Jr. to start his second consecutive game for the Sooners. Oklahoma has a lot of confidence in Hawkins, who got some experience as a starter last season after replacing Jackson Arnold. Hawkins made his first start of the year against Kent State and completed 14-of-24 passes for 162 yards and three touchdowns while adding 33 yards and a score on the ground.
Still, it's nearly impossible to replicate the level of playmaking and improvisation that Mateer brings to the table. Against a Texas defense that will undoubtedly make it very tough on Oklahoma, that ability to make plays out of structure could be the difference between winning and losing.
On the other side, this will be the latest text for Arch Manning and a struggling Texas offense against an Oklahoma front that has terrorized everyone on its schedule so far this season. If Hawkins gets the start and Mateer sits out, Brent Venables and company will lean heavily on their defense to carry them for another week.
