No. 1 Longhorns Benefit From Bye Week Rest Before Red River Rivalry

The Texas Longhorns remain atop the Associated Press Top 25 after its off weekend. Up next is a matchup with the Oklahoma Sooners in the Cotton Bowl, nestled comfortably in the midst of the corny dogs and funnel cakes perfuming the State Fair of Texas grounds in Dallas.

Coming out of the bye, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian is hoping his "banged-up" team is rested ahead of emotional rivalry game.

"Naturally, any time you come out of a bye week, if we do it right, we should be healthier than we were going into the bye week, and so I’ll leave that at that," Sarkisian said in media availability on Monday. "We’ll see what it looks like Wednesday night. But I’ll start with that -I think we’re healthier than we were this time a week ago."

Much of the conversation on the injury report is about Longhorns running back Hollywood Smothers, who despite going through warmups and being designated as "probable" for Texas' road game at Tennessee, did not play last time out.

Sarkisian said Smothers would've only been "an emergency for us. He was obviously not 100 percent."

Smothers has 198 yards and two touchdowns rushing this season to go with 54 yards on seven receptions, one of which was a touchdown.

READ MORE: Injuries Could Shape Matchup with Sooners

One of the most storied rivalries in the sport, Saturday afternoon's meeting will be Texas and Oklahoma's 122nd installment of the Red River Rivalry.

"Pretty amazing when you think of it in that light," Sarkisian said. "I mean it, [I'm] humbled to be part of this game. It's an honor. It's the best environment, in my opinion, in college football. I've been part of a lot of great games and a lot of great rivalries, and this one is as special as they come."

Texas has won the last two meetings with ease, having not given up a touchdown since the 2023 game. Last season, it was a 23-6 win for the Longhorns after a 34-3 win in 2024. That streak continues in three of the last four games, all Texas wins, including the Horns' 49-0 blowout in 2022.

Sarkisian knows, however, that history has very little impact on what happens between the lines when the crimson meets the burnt orange.

"This always a unique game because you can take records, stats, and all those things and throw them out the window," Sarkisian said. "You gotta play the game."

READ MORE: Texas Gets Red River Rivalry Chance to Expose Oklahoma's Flaws

For Texas quarterback Arch Manning, his second matchup against OU as the full-time starter comes with unique circumstances. Instead of throwing to Parker Livingstone, he'll be watching his former roommate from the sideline.

"It’s going to be different," Manning said about Livingston, who transferred to Oklahoma this offseason.

"Obviously, being roommates and best friends, now he’s at a different school, but I’m not going to think anything of it. We’re going to try to go beat OU and win the game, and then I’ll say what’s up to him after. ... Maybe."

The remarks take on a slightly more respectful tone than those of Livingstone from earlier this spring, showing that competitiveness trumps all when these programs face off.

"When I was at Texas, I wanted to go and beat the crap outta OU," Livingstone said. "Now that I’m at OU, I want to go there and beat the crap outta Texas."