Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley, right, talks with quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against TCU in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017. Oklahoma won 38-20. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

When first-year Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley leads his Sooners, currently No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings, into Memorial Stadium Saturday to face faltering Kansas, he will do his best to overlook the fact that his younger brother, Garrett, will be part of the opposition.

The two siblings from Muleshoe, Texas, went through the same ordeal a year ago, when Garrett worked as an offensive analyst for KU and Lincoln was the Sooners’ offensive coordinator. Their relationship moves into a larger spotlight this week, though, now that Lincoln has replaced Bob Stoops as OU’s head coach and Garrett received an offseason promotion to quarterbacks coach on David Beaty’s staff.

“I almost try to put it out of my mind a little bit,” Lincoln said at his press conference in Norman, Okla., earlier this week. “I want them to win every single game besides this one, of course, and root for them a lot. … I’d certainly rather not if I had the choice. I’d certainly rather not go against him, but that’s part of it.”

Both Lincoln and Garrett, like their father and grandfather before them, played quarterback at Muleshoe High. Each Riley brother, separated by six years in age, also turned his prep successes into a walk-on position at Texas Tech. Garrett eventually transferred to Stephen F. Austin. The Rileys reunited after their playing days were through by working together on the East Carolina staff before Lincoln moved on to join Oklahoma in January of 2015. About a year later, Beaty hired Garrett on Lincoln’s recommendation.

New Kansas quarterbacks coach Garrett Riley gives some direction to quarterback Tyriek Starks during practice on Thursday, April 6, 2017.

“He gave me about ten other names when I was looking for a specific guy,” Beaty recalled of his conversations with Lincoln close to two years back. “And finally, at the very end I said, ‘Look, is there anybody else, anybody else that is close to what you do?’ He’s like, ‘Well, there is this one guy. He’s like, well, it’s my brother.’ You know, he’s such a humble guy. He’s so reluctant, he didn’t want to seem like he was trying to help (Garrett) in any way.”

Beaty first met Lincoln when the two were assistant college football coaches recruiting the same area of Dallas for different programs.

“The more I got to talk to (Garrett),” Beaty said, “it was almost like I was talking to Lincoln. His brother’s going to be a fine, fine football coach. He’ll be just like his brother in terms of that. It will be fun to watch those guys.”

As a guest on Beaty’s weekly radio show, Hawk Talk, Garrett described what characteristics he shares with his brother, who has OU 9-1 overall and 6-1 in the Big 12 headed into Saturday’s game (2:30 p.m., ESPN).

“We are very similar — I hate to say it,” Garrett joked. “He’s probably a little bit better golfer than I am. I’m probably a little bit better football player than he was.”

The younger brother shared he and Lincoln don’t get to stay in touch too often during the season, except maybe to talk for two minutes and check in on their respective nuclear families.

“I’m sure we’ll do a handshake and talk for a couple seconds,” Garrett predicted of meeting up on the field prior to kickoff this weekend. “One day a year we don’t cheer for one another.”

With Lincoln leading one of the country’s powerhouse college football programs and Garrett working at perpetually rebuilding KU, the Sooners’ head coach was asked if it is difficult seeing the Jayhawks (1-9, 0-7) get knocked around so much.

“You go in this game long enough you’re going to have some years like that,” Lincoln replied.

As for how father Mike and mother Marilyn, handle it? Well, Lincoln said they don’t talk about KU’s struggles too often, and Garrett said the Riley parents don’t plan to attend the game in Lawrence.

“It’s kind of like the elephant in the room,” Lincoln said, adding this week is probably the toughest on their parents, because they like to see both sons succeed.

Beaty said Garrett and Lincoln look like twins. And if you believe the Kansas coach, there might be more difficult Saturdays down the line for their parents.

“They’re going to coach against each other some day across the sideline as head coaches,” Beaty predicted. “Lincoln is really, really good, and Garrett told me he taught him everything he knows. I don’t know if that’s true,” KU’s coach added, with a chuckle.

The Sooners opened the week as a 35-point favorite at KU. OU, quarterbacked by Heisman Trophy hopeful Baker Mayfield, has a 31-5 record since Riley became the team’s offensive coordinator, in 2015, the same season that Mayfield took over at QB.

OU leads the nation in yards per game (600.7) and is No. 4 in scoring, averaging 44.3 points.

Kansas, now quarterbacked by redshirt sophomore Carter Stanley, averages 355.2 yards per game on the year (105th nationally) and 20.4 points (tied for 116th).