The rivalry between Oklahoma and Texas became even more intense when both teams joined the strong Southeastern Conference in July.
This series, which started in 1900, is now among the best in the SEC, alongside famous rivalries like Alabama vs. Georgia, the Iron Bowl between Auburn and Alabama, the Egg Bowl with Ole Miss and Mississippi State, and the Florida-Georgia games in Jacksonville, often called the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.
First, there’s the atmosphere. The Cotton Bowl in Dallas serves as a neutral site, equally distant from the campuses in Norman, Oklahoma, and Austin, Texas.
The stadium is divided, with one half in Oklahoma’s crimson and the other in Texas’s burnt orange. The game happens during the State Fair of Texas, making for a lively scene and a unique experience.
Next, there’s the history. Even though Alabama and Georgia have played many important games recently, their rivalry doesn’t compare in the long run.
Oklahoma and Texas have a total of 10 AP national titles between them—Oklahoma with seven and Texas with three. In each instance, the team that won in Dallas went on to win the national championship.
This year also has a lot at stake—Texas comes into the game ranked No. 1 for the first time since 1984, while Oklahoma, ranked No. 18, would gain a significant boost from a victory.
“How could you not get excited for this game?” said Oklahoma coach Brent Venables. “This is everything that you want to coach and play for at this level.
The pageantry, the emotion, the intensity, the opportunity, all of it. You’re going to have a center stage in college football this Saturday.”
Over the years, there have been many stars—Oklahoma has seven Heisman winners, and Texas has two, with many of them shining during the Red River Rivalry games.
Legendary Texas coach Darrell Royal played for Oklahoma. However, the Sooners have taken more than just a coach from Texas—something that Longhorn fans often mention.
Many of Oklahoma’s top players have come from Texas, including Heisman winners Billy Sims, Baker Mayfield, and Kyler Murray, along with star running backs like Adrian Peterson, Greg Pruitt, and Joe Washington.
In the late 1960s, Texas found success with a run-based wishbone offense. Oklahoma’s Barry Switzer borrowed this strategy, made some changes, and used it effectively against Texas in the 1970s, relying heavily on those running backs he recruited from Texas.
The games have often been surprising. For instance, last year, Texas was the favorite, but Oklahoma won with a touchdown pass from Dillon Gabriel to Nic Anderson with just 15 seconds left. Texas later bounced back and made it to the College Football Playoff.
One of the wildest years in the rivalry was 2018 when the teams faced each other twice. Texas won the first game of the regular season, but Oklahoma won the rematch in the Big 12 title game, helping Kyler Murray win the Heisman.
With all this in mind, here are five important games in the rivalry.
