FOX College Football Lead Analyst Joel Klatt Previews Red River Showdown Saturday on FOX

NEW YORK – FOX College Football lead game analyst Joel Klatt appeared on FS1 daily studio shows on Wednesday to preview the Red River Showdown between No. 19 Texas and No. 7 Oklahoma on FOX. Saturday’s coverage begins at 10:00 AM ET on FS1 and continues at 11:00 AM ET on FS1 and the FOX broadcast network with a special edition of FOX COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREGAME live from the State Fair of Texas. Host Rob Stone is joined by analysts Matt Leinart, Robert Smith and Dave Wannstedt along with special guests Bob Stoops, Vince Young, Toby Keith, Jim Ross, Roger Clemens and DeMarco Murray. Once the game kicks off at 12:00 PM ET, Klatt calls the action alongside play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson and reporter Jenny Taft.

Highlights of Klatt’s appearances are below:

On FIRST THINGS FIRST, Klatt discusses what makes the Red River Showdown so special:

“It’s one of only maybe three games in the country where it stays at a fever pitch the entire time. You’ve got 50-50 as far as the crowd goes – you’ve got the OU side, you’ve got the Texas side … But what’s so unique about it is that it never lets up. We get so used to an ebb and flow of a football game based on home and road emotion, and this one, it’s just high octaves the entire time.

“At the fair, it’s an amazing setting, and these two teams – trust me when I tell you this – there is no love lost between these players, because a lot of them grew up playing against each other. Oklahoma dips into Texas as much as any program in the country. They grew up playing against each other; they know each other; it’s close; it’s tight; there’s a lot of vitriol; and then you get 100,000 people in the middle of the State Fair – it doesn’t get any more unique than that. It’s one of the most special settings in all of college football.”

Klatt tells Cris Carter, Nick Wright and Jenna Wolfe that Texas is playing well defensively, and Tom Herman has the Longhorns where they need to be:

“Texas is playing as good as anybody right now defensively … Ever since that second quarter of USC, this Texas defense has been fast, they’ve been physical, and they’ve got a young safety that’s as good as any in the country – Caden Sterns is a true freshman, three interceptions so far this season. They’re going to have to play great in the pass defense, and he’s one of the big keys.

“Even if they were to lose [against Oklahoma], as long as they play well, I think people are feeling really good about what Tom Herman is doing and the culture that he’s fostering at Texas right now.”

 On SKIP & SHANNON: UNDISPUTED, Klatt says Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray needs a “Heisman moment” to overtake Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, and needs to have one this weekend vs. Texas:

“This is his moment. If Kyler is going to overtake Tua, I think he’s got to do it this weekend. He’s got to play great on this stage … This is a Heisman type of game for Kyler.

“This is the biggest Red River game since maybe Bradford-McCoy in ’08.”

On THE HERD WITH COLIN COWHERD, Klatt says that Murray is a unique dual-threat quarterback:

“Kyler’s the most unique quarterback I’ve evaluated in a long time. He is elite as a runner. Normally when you have elite runners at quarterback, they’re not great throwers of the football. He’s a great thrower of the football. The combination is as good as I’ve seen maybe ever.”

Klatt tells Cowherd that he thinks Oklahoma will have problems with the Texas defense:

“Guess which defensive coordinator is like kryptonite to Lincoln Riley? Todd Orlando at Texas. When he was at Houston, what did Todd Orlando do? Beat Oklahoma. Last year, only defensive coordinator to hold Oklahoma under 30 points … This game is likely going to be lower scoring than you think and tighter than you think.”