Georgia predicted it would beat Texas first, not Oklahoma Football

There are still nine days until the Red River Showdown, but excitement is beginning to grow between fans of the storied rivalry.

Each team has a bye week to prepare for their showdown in the Cotton Bowl. OU-Texas will open the second half of the season, two months that should be full of the drama and excitement that college football has to offer.

No one on either side will look beyond OU-Texas. But on the other hand, big games are looming. The Sooners host a better-than-expected South Carolina team, and the Longhorns host the Georgia Bulldogs. As much as we've talked about Oklahoma's challenging schedule, the SEC schedulers didn't do Texas any favors by giving them the Bulldogs right after the Red River showdown.

In a story predicting when every undefeated team will suffer its first loss, USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerburg believes it will be the Bulldogs, not the Sooners, who hand the Longhorns their first loss of the season.

Given the Sooners' offensive situation, expect the Longhorns to sail past No. 17 Oklahoma on Oct. 12. Having Georgia at home definitely helps, but the Bulldogs enter October highly motivated to overcome last Saturday's setback at Alabama and finish the regular season with just one loss. – Myerburg, USA TODAY Sports

It's no surprise that many of the national analysts will be backing the Longhorns when they make their Red River Rivalry predictions next week. The Longhorns are No. 1 in the USA LBM Coaches Poll and the No. 2 team in the AP Top 25. Texas was considered the better team entering the season, and there wasn't much reason to change that opinion .

The Horns are coming off a big win on the road against Michigan and have taken care of business despite the absence of Quinn Ewers the last two weeks.

On paper, the Longhorns are viewed as the more talented team. But that's why we play the games. Oklahoma's defense and an improving offense will give the Sooners a chance to pull off an upset for the second straight year.

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