OUInsider Roundtable: Which position groups need to perform against Texas?

It's OU-Texas week.

The No. 12-ranked Sooners (5-0) head to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas to face the No. 3-ranked Longhorns (5-0). Despite both teams being undefeated, the Longhorns are nearly a touchdown betting favorite over the Sooners.

Regardless, the Longhorns present a different type of challenge than the Sooners have seen so far. With kickoff (11 a.m. Saturday, ABC) just a few days away, the OUInsider staff discusses which position groups will be important to watch on both sides of the ball and why the Sooners can leave with a win:

Jesse Crittenden: First off, the defense we saw in the second half aligns with all of the season-long trends we’ve seen from the Sooners. Their rushing defense is significantly improved — only 29 rushing yards for Iowa State in the second half, 82 total yards — and the secondary is more fundamentally sound compared to a year ago. Those are things OU fans can feel good about.

But the main takeaway is that the Sooners’ defense can handle adversity. That first half simply didn’t look good. The Cyclones didn’t just rip off two big touchdown plays. They were consistently getting chunk plays on the ground (7.6 yards per carry in the first half). But the Sooners eventually settled in, made adjustments and completely stifled the Cyclones. Yes, the Sooners will see better offenses the rest of the way. But last year’s Sooners would’ve continued spiraling. The fact that they did the opposite last weekend is a positive sign.

Bryan Clinton: We now know they can take a hit, make adjustments, and get back to dominating their opponent. We saw the Sooners' secondary make a couple of simple but costly mistakes, allowing Iowa State to put 14 easy points on the board. Additionally, we saw Iowa State get the running game going early and rip off a couple of big runs. However, OU tightened things up pretty quickly thereafter, and after scoring 20 points in the first 21 minutes of the game, OU shut out Iowa State for the final 39 minutes of the game and held them to 82 total yards in the second half. Despite some early adversity, Oklahoma showed that it was able to stop the bleeding with in-game adjustments, which is something that's been missing for quite some time in Norman.

Jesse: Danny Stutsman. The junior linebacker has been incredible this season, leading the big 12 in tackles (49) and ranking second in tackles for loss (9). He has been everything this OU defense has needed and more. But for the Sooners to win, they need Stutsman to be dominant. They’ll need him to be everywhere. They’ll need him to make plays in the running game against a Texas team that averages over 191 rushing yards per game. But most importantly, they’ll need him to put pressure on Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers.

If Stutsman is the best defensive player on the field, the Sooners can absolutely win on Saturday.

Bryan: The offensive line must play well for Oklahoma to take down Texas. The argument could be made that the Longhorns' defensive line is the strength of their team, and Oklahoma's offensive line has struggled to run the football. It will be important that they have success on the ground, but more importantly, they need to be able to keep Dillon Gabriel's uniform clean. The Sooners' best shot at winning this game will be Gabriel carrying them there with a big performance through the air. For that to happen, OU's offensive line has to be great in pass protection, but it's also got to be able to keep the Texas defense honest by creating some space in the running game.

Jesse: Their wide receivers. The duo of Xavier Worthy (26 catches, 345 yards, 3 TDs) and Adonai Mitchell (22 catches, 321 yards, 4 TDs) is going to put pressure on the Sooners’ secondary. Mitchell, listed at 6-foot-4, could particularly be a matchup problem. If Ewers has time to throw, the Sooners are going to be in trouble. So it’s going to be crucial for the Sooners’ front seven to generate backfield pressure. But either way, guys like Gentry Williams, Woodi Washington, Billy Bowman, Peyton Bowen and Key Lawrence are going to have to win some one-on-one battles downfield, and they can’t afford to have any breakdowns like they did in the first half against Iowa State.

Bryan: Their defensive line. What we've seen from UT's front seven this season is nothing short of impressive. Against Alabama, Texas recorded five sacks and nine tackles for loss, thoroughly dominating the Tide at the point of attack. Now, I believe that Oklahoma's offensive line is in a much better spot right now than what Alabama's was back in Week 2, but this is still a very stiff test for Bill Bedenbaugh's guys. T'Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy are two of the most physically imposing defensive linemen that Oklahoma will see all season, plus Barryn Sorrell is capable of being a game-wrecker as well. This group will push Oklahoma further than they've been all season, and it will be important that the Sooners stay technically sound and use tempo to their advantage.

Jesse: It’s hard to say which team has a clear advantage. The Sooners’ defensive line and pass rush should cause problems for Texas’ offensive line, which has given up five sacks in the last two games. The Sooners’ offensive line should be able to hold up well enough to give Gabriel some time in the pocket. The biggest question for me is, can the Sooners’ offensive line have success in the running game? The Texas defensive line is good, limiting opponents to under 95 rushing yards per game. Linebacker Jaylen Ford is likely going to be the biggest challenge the Sooners face all season.

If the offensive line can create holes in the running game, the Sooners should be able to move the ball. If they can’t, that puts all the pressure on Gabriel to make big plays.

Bryan: When Oklahoma is on offense, I'd say the Longhorns have a slight advantage at the line of scrimmage. Their defensive line is going to make it difficult to establish a consistent run game, and that can gum up the Oklahoma offense quickly. However, when Oklahoma is passing the ball, the Sooners' pass protection makes this a close argument. Texas doesn't seem to have a clear No. 1 edge rusher right now, so OU's offensive line should hold up well in that regard.

When Texas is on offense, I'm going to give the edge to the Sooners. Kansas' defensive line had success against the Longhorns last week, recording three sacks and 14 QB hurries despite the loss. Eventually, their lack of depth allowed Texas to lean on them a bit and pull away, but Oklahoma's defensive line is deep, experienced, and underrated. If Texas' O-line is coming into this game thinking they're going to push the Sooners around like they did last season, they'll be extremely disappointed with what they'll find on Saturday.

Jesse: If the Sooners win, it’s because two things happened. First, Gabriel continued his stellar play through the first five weeks, didn’t turn the ball over and made timely throws that kept the chains moving and helped the offense establish its preferred tempo. Second, the Sooners got consistent pressure on Ewers and forced him into several bad throws and likely a couple of turnovers. The Sooners have 10 interceptions this season. They’ll need to continue that trend on Saturday.

If the Sooners lose, it’s because the Sooners’ offense got disrupted. The running game never got going and it forced Gabriel to carry the offense. With the OU offense one-dimensional, the Longhorns’ front seven was able to sell out to stop the pass. The Longhorns’ secondary, which only allows 196 passing yards per game, took advantage and didn’t allow Gabriel and the OU receivers to find a rhythm. Conversely, the Sooners’ defense couldn’t consistently pressure Ewers and he found Worthy and Mitchell for chunk plays down the field, which also set the Texas running game up for success.

Bryan: If Oklahoma wins on Saturday, it will be because the Sooners' passing game was prolific. Texas hasn't faced an offense that even comes close to what OU will bring to the Cotton Bowl, and with emerging playmakers scattered across the receiving corps, the Sooners should be able to score points. If this game somehow turns into a shootout, you've got to like Oklahoma's chances with Gabriel vs. Ewers in a pass-first game. I believe Oklahoma is better equipped to defend Ewers than most realize, and that could play a big factor if this becomes a first-to-40-type game.

Now, if the Sooners lose on Saturday, it will be because they weren't able to make improvements in the areas where there are some concerns. The running game has been an issue and if Texas stonewalls them there, it'll be hard for OU to stay balanced on offense. On the other side of the ball, it will be because the "isolated incidents" (i.e. Iowa State's touchdowns, Cincinnati TE wheel, Tulsa's TD drives) that we've seen happen with the pass defense suddenly become glaring problems against better athletes.