More than just bragging rights will be on the line when the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns meet in the Red River Rivalry.
The next men's basketball edition of the Red River Rivalry will be at 7 p.m. CT Saturday in Austin and televised on SEC Network. The two already met once before this season, with Texas coming out on top, 77-73 in Norman.
Despite the Longhorns winning the first meeting, OU is actually in a better position to make the NCAA Tournament heading into Round 2. Regardless, though, both teams desperately need a win to have any chance of going dancing.
OU and Texas were both part of Joe Lunardi's first four teams out in his latest ESPN Bracketology on Tuesday, with the Sooners being the first team out of the field of 68. Since, though, both teams have notched top-25 upsets this week before Saturday's meeting.
The Longhorns took down No. 25 Mississippi State 87-82 in overtime Tuesday night. OU also beat the then-No. 21 Bulldogs 93-87 just a few weeks ago.
Then, the next night on Wednesday, the Sooners got their biggest win of the season with a 96-84 upset over No. 15 Missouri at Lloyd Noble Center.
All of a sudden, although on life support, both rival teams have some life heading into March Madness.
Lunardi posted his updated tournament projections on Thursday, with OU still as his first team out and Texas right below.
— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) March 6, 2025
Jerry Palmer of CBS Sports, though, has OU as one of his last four teams in, according to his most recent projections from Thursday morning. Palmer has the Sooners playing San Diego State in a First Four matchup. The winner would get the 11 seed in the Midwest and play 6 seed Memphis in the first round.
In those same projections, Texas is way down the list of Palmer's bubble teams and not even considered one of the first four teams out. Based on Palmer's projections, the Longhorns need a lot more than another win over OU to get into the NCAA Tournament.
The Sooners are 18-12 with a 6-11 SEC record, compared to Texas' similar 17-13 record and 6-11 in conference play. OU has the slight advantage because of its hot 13-0 start, compared to the Longhorns beginning the season at 11-2 in onconference play.
OU tallied three Quadrant 1 wins during its nonconference schedule. Texas didn't have any with just one Quad 1 game, a loss to Ohio State on a neutral court. Overall, the Sooners are 5-10 in Quad 1 games while Texas is 5-9.
A victory Saturday, and the Sooners take the clear advantage over Texas with a sixth Quad 1 win and erase the Longhorns' chances of dancing without a miraculous run in the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament.