Arch Manning vs. John Mateer: Inside The Red River Rivalry QB Battle

There’s nothing like a college football rivalry game.

Legacies are made, bragging rights are claimed and memories are created.

The experience for all involved is unique, and it’s one of the reasons college football is the greatest sport on the planet.

This week’s Red River Rivalry is no different.

No.

1 Texas will take on an Oklahoma team still searching for answers on offense, setting the stage for a fascinating quarterback matchup.

On one side is Texas QB Arch Manning, an early-season Heisman contender, carrying the weight of the Manning name and leading the No.

1-ranked team in the nation.

On the other side is John Mateer, a signal-caller trying to find his footing and help get Oklahoma’s season back on track.

But here’s the interesting part: Take a closer look at the numbers between Manning and Mateer, and maybe they aren’t so far apart? I'm going to dive into this matchup between quarterbacks and explain what Oklahoma can do to get Mateer back on track, as well as how Manning can better utilize a red zone cheat code he has on his side.

Manning is the field general leading an undefeated Texas team, and whether you believe quarterback wins should count as a "stat" or not, an unbeaten record tends to give a QB the benefit of the doubt.

But here’s where the comparison gets interesting: Mateer has statistically played better in Oklahoma’s biggest games at Michigan and Georgia than Manning has in Texas’ marquee matchups against Ohio State and Tennessee this season.

That doesn’t tell the whole story, though.

Manning’s numbers have been hurt by some costly drops from his receivers.