The Oklahoma Sooners are coming off of a huge win over the Texas Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl in the Red River Rivalry. The Kentucky Wildcats are coming off a huge overtime win over LSU. Both teams are on a high but are looking to improve their records on Saturday night.

So, does the team in Kentucky that’s maybe at its best as a program get the win? Or does Oklahoma get another ranked win and get back into the College Football Playoff conversation?

Craig Smith, A to Z Tennessee: Oklahoma 20, Kentucky 17

This feels almost like the clock striking midnight for Kentucky here, as much as it does for me, who’s lived the last two weeks dangerously. Both teams are coming in off super highs from last week. Oklahoma clipped Texas 27-24 on a walk-off field goal. Kentucky walked off LSU 35-34 in overtime, their second straight walk-off overtime win, going for two and getting it on the final play.

Honestly, in a vacuum, I trust Kentucky QB Kenny Minchey more than I trust OU’s John Mateer. But Minchey is going up against a very good Oklahoma defense, while Mateer has a more navigable task when he has the ball. I still don’t see points a plenty here, but Oklahoma forces a key turnover late, and that’s enough with the home crowd in Norman to get a close and resume-boosting win at the season’s midpoint.

Ryan Roberts, A to Z Notre Dame: Kentucky 21, Oklahoma 20

This could be one of the ugliest games on the schedule, with both teams struggling to find much offensive consistency. Oklahoma will have chances to pull away, but John Mateer’s chaotic style makes it hard to trust the Sooners to put together four clean quarters. Mateer can make spectacular plays, but mistakes and questionable decisions could give Kentucky the extra possessions it needs to hang around. Don’t expect a shootout here. This game could come down to which team makes fewer costly mistakes in the fourth quarter.

I’m buying a little bit of Kentucky magic in this one. Kenny Minchey comes through with a couple of clutch plays at the biggest moments, giving the Wildcats just enough offense to pull off a road upset. Kentucky might not look dominant, and it certainly won’t be pretty, but this team finds a way to make things interesting when the game is on the line. Oklahoma has a chance to put the Wildcats away but can’t quite finish the job, opening the door for Kentucky to steal a win in a close, low-scoring battle.

Tyler Forness, A to Z Florida: Kentucky 21, Oklahoma 16

Will Stein has the Wildcats on a heater right now, and he’s doing it with the two things you want in Kentucky’s place: confidence and guts. He’s won two games this season because the Wildcats went for two at the end, and that kind of belief in your team will go a long way in establishing a foundation for your program.

Things are different for the Sooners, who are coming off of a fantastic win in Red River. Even so, John Mateer can’t do much other than throw shock, and he did that brilliantly on the final drive against Texas. I don’t think Mateer will change overnight, and the Wildcats will take advantage of him enough to win.

Rob Gregson, A to Z Alabama: Oklahoma 21, Kentucky 14

This game suddenly looks much better than it did a week ago after both Kentucky and Oklahoma pulled off massive upsets last weekend. Red River can always get wonky, but few expected OU to beat the number one team in the nation given how the offense has played.

Will Stein’s Wildcats have gone from quietly looking like a good football team to potentially being one of the conference’s better teams after just one loss to Alabama and a last-minute OT win over LSU. The truth, however, is that OU may have found something more than just some Red River magic. This will be arguably the hardest test of the year for Kenny Minchey, and the battle of the brains between Brent Venables and Will Stein will be notable, but I think Oklahoma will get the job done.

Justin Churchill, A to Z Oklahoma: Oklahoma 21, Kentucky 17

The Oklahoma Sooners are almost ready to kick off their first SEC night game (excluding CFP games) since 2024. And this one should be big, with both teams riding an insane high after huge wins. The Kentucky Wildcats will give OU’s defense fits. It will happen, and I know my score prediction probably doesn’t show that, but I have OU getting a few takeaways in this one. Kentucky is going to do a bunch of pre-snap stuff that’s going to confuse you. They are very good at that, but Brent Venables has his unit locked in right now. OU will win this game once again through the defense and special teams, with some little moments here and there from the offense.