ATHENS — The Texas-Oklahoma football “Red River Rivalry” has arrived in the SEC just in time this week.
Traditional rivalries in the league where is “Just Means More” seem to have less appeal this season, with one or both lacking.
The fact the Longhorns are ranked No. 1 makes this year’s neutral site game at the Cotton Bowl, at 3:30 p.m. on ABC, that much more important.
But with both teams ranked and Texas 5-0 and the No. 18 Sooners 4-1, there are potential College Football Playoff implications.
Further, there’s a revenge factor at work, as Oklahoma scored a 34-30 upset last year over a No. 4-ranked Longhorns team last season.
The teams are different, with former Sooners QB Dillon Gabriel transferred to Oregon, and Texas skill players Jonathan Brooks (tailback), Jordan Whittington (receiver), Xavier Worthy (receiver) and A.D. Mitchell (receiver) off to the NFL.
But the game still holds great appeal, overshadowing the matchup in Knoxville between former SEC kingpins Tennessee and Florida, the one-sided Georgia-Florida Cocktail Party in Jacksonville and the Alabama-Auburn Iron Bowl.
The so-called “Magnolia Bowl,” between No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 13 LSU, holds appeal with the Rebels and Tigers fighting to remain SEC championship contenders.
Two colorful coaches, Rebels’ leader Lane Kiffin and Brian Kelly, add to the appeal of a game being played under the lights at Tiger Stadium at 7:30 p.m.
But it will be Texas and Oklahoma on the center stage, the SEC’s newest, and perhaps most potent, rivalry of this season.
So, can Coach Brent Venables’ rugged Oklahoma defense disrupt an “All Gas, No Brakes” Longhorns’ offense that will see Quinn Ewers under center for the first time since leaving the Sept. 14 game with UTSA with an oblique injury?
The college football world will be looking on.
SEC football games, TV channels, times and picks
South Carolina (3-2, 1-2) at No. 7 Alabama (4-1, 1-1) (-22), noon, ABC
The Crimson Tide looks to get right after being embarrassed after losing at Vanderbilt, the school Nick Saban charged up by saying has the only home field in the SEC where it’s not hard to play. The Gamecocks will be the victim of Alabama fury.
The pick: Alabama 41, South Carolina 17
No. 21 Missouri (4-1, 1-1) (-28) at UMass, noon, ESPN2
The Tigers have something to prove after getting hammered 41-10 at Texas A&M and losing their Top 10 rank. Missouri is traveling a long way to show the “Show-Me” State School is still a contender.
The pick: Missouri 41, UMass 10
No. 1 Texas (5-0, 1-0) (-14) at No. 18 Oklahoma (4-1, 1-1), 3:30 p.m., ABC
The Longhorns could be in for a shaky start until Ewers settles in, but the revenge factor is real, occurring 13 times since 2020.
The Sooners’ depleted offense — and lack of firepower —will be too much for Venables’ coaching to overcome.
The pick: Texas 30, Oklahoma 13
Mississippi State (1-4, 0-2) at No. 5 Georgia (4-1, 2-1) (-34), 4:15 p.m., SEC Network
The Maroon Bulldogs are coming off a bye week, and doing so with confidence, having given No. 1-ranked Texas all it wanted for three quarters in its last outing.
The Longhorns won, 35-13, but it was only a 14-6 lead until the final play of the third quarter.
Coach Kirby Smart is trying to get his crowd worked up, the better to rattle State’s freshman QB.
The pick: Georgia 38, Mississippi State 10
Florida (3-2, 1-1) at No. 8 Tennessee (4-1, 1-1) (-17), 7 p.m., ESPN
Gators coach Billy Napier has shown well in this rivalry, winning last season in Gainesville, 29-16, and giving the Vols all they wanted in the teams’ most recent meeting in Knoxville before falling 38-33.
Tennessee will be eager to atone for last week’s loss at Arkansas, and Neyland Stadium will be checkered out and rocking.
The pick: Tennessee 37, Florida 24
No. 9 Ole Miss (5-1, 1-1) (-3) at No. 13 LSU (4-1, 1-0), 7:30 p.m., ABC
The Rebels found their stride at South Carolina last Saturday after a shocking home loss to Kentucky.
LSU, however, has not lost to Ole Miss in Baton Rouge since 2008 — Kiffin’s final year coaching the Oakland Raiders.
The pick: Ole Miss 37, LSU 34
Vanderbilt (3-2, 1-1) at Kentucky (3-2, 1-2) (-10), 7:45 p.m., SEC Network
Suddenly, the Commodores are a commodity, and the Wildcats more than a curiosity.
Can Vanderbilt handle success, or will Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff maintain SEC order by holding serve with a home win?
The pick: Kentucky 23, Vanderbilt 20
Idle: Arkansas, Auburn, Texas A&M
Last week: 4-2 straight-up, 4-2 vs. spread
Season record: 44-15 straight-up, 31-28 vs. spread
