Red River Rivalry shaping up to be a classic

Driving the news: The Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners enter the game in Dallas with each team boasting a 5-0 record for just the third time, according to ESPN.

• The last time was in 2008.

Why it matters: This is the final time the rivalry will take place under the banner of the Big 12. Next season both schools are moving to the SEC, where they'll face stiffer competition.

• With the Longhorns coming into the game at No. 3 in the AP Top 25 and the Sooners ranked No. 12, the matchup is easily the highest-profile college football pairing this week, drawing ESPN's "College GameDay."

The big picture: With Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian in his third year at the helm, the Longhorns look as good as they have in more than a decade. The team has two big wins against ranked opponents — Alabama and Kansas — and quarterback Quinn Ewers is an early Heisman candidate.

The other side: Oklahoma is coming off a dominant win over Iowa State, and the Sooners have scored 50 or more points in three of their five games this year. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who missed last year's Red River Rivalry game with an injury, has even better stats than Ewers this season.

Flashback: Last year, Texas beat Oklahoma 49-0 in a historic blowout.

• Yes, but: In 2021, the Longhorns took a 28-7 lead in the first quarter but ultimately lost 55-48.

By the numbers: These two teams have played 118 times.

• Texas leads the series all-time, 63-50-5.
• OU is 16-8 since 2000.
• This is the 43rd time both teams will enter the game ranked, per the AP.

What they're saying: "It's why we're in college football, right? To be a part of games like this," Sarkisian told reporters this week.

The bottom line: Las Vegas oddsmakers have Texas as the favorite, but with these two teams there are no safe bets.

What's next: The winner has a clearer path to the Big 12 championship and a spot in the college playoffs.