Finally, the Longhorns seem to actually be prepared for the return of star running back Hollywood Smothers in the lineup, and he might be joined by yet another offensive powerhouse as Texas takes on the Oklahoma Sooners in the Red River Rivalry.
Smothers suffered an in-practice lower-leg injury in Week 4 and missed the entirety of the Horns' win over Tennessee. However, in this week's first SEC-mandated availability report, Smothers was nowhere to be found, hinting at his return to Texas's rotation in the backfield.
Similarly, tight end Nick Townsend was listed as "probable" after missing the last three games, suffering an injury ahead of Texas's comeback win against Ohio State.
In other words, quarterback Arch Manning will be with nearly all of his weapons as he tries to cement himself as one of Texas's undefeated leaders in the Red River Rivalry.
While offensive lineman Jordan Coleman was listed as "out" and both wideout Kaliq Lockett and defensive lineman Justus Terry were listed as "doubtful," the injury report was an incredible omen that the Horns had a real opportunity to dominate their rivals.
Oklahoma's availability report gives Horns even more room for dominance
Meanwhile, the Sooners' availability report was scattered with injuries across the board, including the continued absence of offensive tackle Michael Fasusi.
You may wonder why Fasusi's availability is so critical for OU. Well, that's because he would most likely be Oklahoma's go-to guy to try to slow down Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons, who just earned a program-high 5.5 sacks against the Tennessee Volunteers.
Fasusi was joined by two other Sooners in the "doubtful" category: tight end Trynae Washington and fellow offensive lineman Fred Hinton.
Making OU's roster look even worse for wear, linebacker Taylor Heim, wide receiver Trell Harris, running back Xavier Robinson, and defensive back Jacobe Johnson were all listed as "out." Additionally, five Oklahoma players fell under "questionable," including yet another OL, Eddy Pierre-Louis.
So, as Oklahoma works to try to protect quarterback John Mateer, who has been disastrous under pressure this season, the Sooners will be without three players in the offensive line rotation.
The only "bad" news for Texas from the initial availability report was the fact that Sooners linebacker Owen Heinecke was labeled "probable," adding to the pressure of a stout Oklahoma defense.
So, while it looks like Texas will only be without three players on Saturday, barring anything horrendous happening the rest of the week, it looks like OU could be without a dozen members of its roster.
Already, the No. 1 Texas Longhorns were projected to blow past the unranked Oklahoma Sooners, and the first availability report of the week only cemented that fact.
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