Nick Saban says Oklahoma’s recent scoring output gives them a path to complicating Texas in Dallas

Nick Saban does not buy the premise that Oklahoma is as far off as its results might suggest. In comments relayed by Yahoo Sports ahead of the matchup with Texas in Dallas, the Alabama head coach argued the Sooners are not “as bad as you think,” pointing to their ability to score as the clearest evidence that they can stay in a game of this magnitude.

The Oklahoma offense, according to the report, has produced 37 points across its last three games. That output, while not a flood, is enough for Saban to frame Oklahoma as a team that can still generate meaningful possessions and points, even during a stretch that can otherwise be described as uneven.

Texas enters the rivalry as the nation’s No. 1 team, and the setting matters. A game in Dallas against the top-ranked Longhorns is not just another opponent, it is a stage where execution and early rhythm tend to define the tone. Saban’s broader point was that Oklahoma does not need to be at its best to create stress for Texas, as long as it can move the ball and finish enough drives to keep the scoreboard from running away.

Saban’s wording, as characterized in the report, was pointed toward Oklahoma’s current form. He acknowledged that the Sooners have been struggling, but he emphasized there is enough firepower for them to compete. In a rivalry context, that distinction is important. Texas may be favored and positioned as the standard-bearer nationally, but a capable offense can flip the game from a control matchup into one where momentum swings faster than a single unit can correct.

What makes Saban’s take noteworthy is that it is not predicated on one big sample or on a single highlight. The cited baseline is recent scoring across multiple games, which suggests Oklahoma’s playmakers are still getting touches and still turning drives into points at a workable rate. The question that remains is whether that scoring is stable enough to withstand Texas’s defensive adjustments over the full duration of the rivalry contest.

For Oklahoma, the practical takeaway from Saban’s assessment is that the path to staying competitive does not have to start with perfection. If the Sooners can protect the ball, convert key third downs, and turn red-zone opportunities into points, their offense can keep the game within reach even if other aspects of the team are not performing at their peak. The same logic, inverted, applies to Texas: if the Longhorns do not take early offensive or defensive control, the Sooners have a route to making Dallas uncomfortable.

For readers watching this matchup, the next indicators will be simple but telling: how consistently Oklahoma’s offense scores when possessions are limited, whether it can sustain drives against Texas’s pressure, and how Texas responds when the game gets tight. If Oklahoma’s 37-point recent scoring trend reflects more than flashes, it could turn this rivalry into something more than a one-sided test of superiority. If not, Saban’s argument will fade quickly into the usual background noise that surrounds rankings and preseason expectations.