Bleacher Creatures Debate the Red River Rivalry: Who's Got Issues?

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

In our second installment of "Bleacher Creatures Debate", Jett and I discuss which squad has the more significant problems heading in to this weekend's match up.

Jett:

Arguing who has the most issues is a moot point. OU definitely has more question marks going into the game.

But Texas has their fare share as well. One is, for some reason, their offensive line seems to have taken a step backwards despite returning all five starters from last year.

While the Texas line did have a few minor problems last year, they seem to have gotten worse, not better. Poor defenses have been able to pressure McCoy and make him uncomfortable, leading to a lackluster season by Colt McCoy thus far.

Colt McCoy's play is also an issue. While his numbers are respectable, there is a huge drop off in efficiency this year. He is averaging over an interception per game, so chances are he gives one up to the Sooners.

McCoy has been unable to stretch the field with his arm and he has not looked anywhere near as good as he did early in the season last year.

He has had to rely on the short pass and the speed of Jordan Shipley and the size of Dan Buckner. OU's defense has proven over the past two years that it devours one-dimensional offenses. Teams that can run and pass are quite a different story, but a one-trick pony offense is not going to beat the Sooners.

Which leads me to my last point. While the Sooners have more issues, The Longhorns have the biggest issue by far, the inability to run the ball despite not playing one defense that is worth a damn.

If you look back at the the past 10 years, the team that gets the most rushing yards wins the Red River Rivalry with the Exception of 2006 where both team finished with 124, I believe.

If Texas has had trouble running on Wyoming and Colorado, their line has almost no chance of enforcing its will against the Sooners' front seven.

OU still has one of the best defensive lines in the nation and three good run-stopping linebackers. Texas has poor line play and at the very best will have its two best running backs less than 100 percent, if at all..

Of course, Texas does have a chance to move the ball if they use the same formula as last year.

The Longhorns could not run the ball in the first half, then killed OU over the middle with Shipley in the third quarter, which opened up the run game in the fourth, allowing Texas to run all over the Sooners late and put the game away.

This year, though, using the short pass to get the run game going is a must instead of an added benefit.

Nothing the Texas offensive line has done should give you any inkling that they will be able to push back a good defensive front because they have not been able to push around some bad ones.

Yes, the Sooners have the most question marks, but Texas has the biggest one by far.

Dino:

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