OU-Texas: Best Rivalry Right Now In College Football
by dishingoutdimes on Apr 29, 2009 8:25 PM CDT
in Football
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This is the latest edition of the spring football preview editions, but this one will be the first in a series of special interest stories.
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Ask a Sooner fan which team they hate the most, and more likely than not the answer will be, "Texas". The opposite answer would be true for most Longhorn fans. The hate in this rivalry has been brewing since 1900, but of course history and hate do not alone make the Red River Rivalry the best rivalry in college football right now.
How about the significance?
Since 1945, yes 1945, one or both of the teams has been ranked in the top 25 coming into 60 of the 65 games. Five of the last nine years, either Oklahoma or Texas has competed in the BCS National Championship Game, with Oklahoma winning the title in 2000 and Texas winning in 2005.
The fact of the matter is, Oklahoma and Texas both consistently compete at an elite level in college football, and begin every season with aspirations at a national title. Often, the result of this singular game at the historic Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas crushes one team's dreams, while propelling another to greatness. The game almost always has an impact on the college football rankings.
OU coaches and OU players alike are judged by their ability to beat Texas. It is the one game that everyone marks on their calendar years in advance. It's always the biggest regular season game of the year for each team, and it nearly always has national implications. For this one week, the nation's eye is on Dallas.
No other rivalries can boast that kind of national significance, at least in the past decade, or so, on the national scale. Prior to the 2000s, this may have been different, but it is hard to argue that any other rivalry game has had more significance lately. Notre Dame has slumped making the ND-USC game less impactful. Michigan has also slumped, and Jim Tressel has owned the Wolverines, diminishing the significance of that game recently. Auburn and Alabama can not seem to both get to the top of the rankings at the same time. Florida has been superb recently, but Georgia has seemed to be mired in the middle of the top 25 for awhile. And let's face it, Army and Navy have a ways to go before they would even be considered for a BCS game.
So far, in the 2000s, more has been on the line in the Red River Rivalry, on average, than in any other rivalry game. Follow the link to read the rest...
Previous Spring Preview Issues
Part Six: Breaking Down The Schedule
Part Five: Spring Game Wrapup & Standouts
Part Four: The Defensive Back Seven
Part Three: The Trenches (Offensive and Defensive Lines)
Part Two: Offensive Skill Position Players
Part One: Who Is and Isn't Back, Exciting New Players
The Atmosphere
"OU-Texas Weekend" begins as early as Thursday, and carries over on Friday when Texas fans drive north on I-35 into Dallas, and Sooner fans drive south on I-35 to Dallas as well. The schools have unofficial "holidays" on the prior Friday, although everyone knows that it's merely because nobody would show up to class that day. People will put flags on their car windows, paint up their cars, and honk their horns at other fans all through the drive to Dallas. 'Horns fans will be giving each other (and Sooner fans for that matter) their "horns up" gesture (barf). Sooner fans, meanwhile, will likely make some sort of Sooner gesture, or simply throw their horns down. There simply is nothing quite like trash talking complete strangers through car windows, while hurtling at 75 miles per hour towards the Cotton Bowl.
Everywhere you look, it seems that everything is adorned in either crimson or burnt orange (barf again) between Austin and Norman with the orangier shades further south, but a good mix around the Dallas area. Local businesses will put up messages of support for a team, or welcome to any and all fans.
Then comes the "West End" on Friday Night. Thousands of Sooner and 'Horn fans converge on Dallas area establishments, but particularly on the "West End" of Dallas. The West End is just a historic district full of restaurants, clubs, bars, lodging and other attractions. Select streets are blocked off and it becomes a giant party - a giant hate-filled party. The best way to describe it is "roving bands of Sooner and 'Horn fans taunting each other". This is where everyone gets fired up for the game, which of course, they already are but this gets everyone really fired up. Yes, there are occasionally arrests when people get too out of hand, but most people are there to insult and jeer at the other fan base. I personally, have never seen people yell so much at other people, but it's all in good fun.
That's the thing - while both fan bases hate the other team, both fan bases are also very aware that the other team is historically quite successful. Therefore, there is a healthy measure of respect (but we still think we're better than the Longhorns).
The next day, people fight their hangovers or lack of sleep by heading over to the Texas State Fair, which surrounds the Cotton Bowl. The Texas State Fair offers plenty of attractions and food, all of it seemingly fried, and offers a great setting for the pre and post game environment. The bands march through the fairgrounds to get to the game and fans cheer as the team busses arrive. But the real show comes when the fans filter into the Cotton Bowl.
Texas fans on the left, OU fans on the right. Source: markljackson.net
The Game
Oklahoma and Texas fans are divided at the 50 yard line. One half of the stadium wears crimson, the other looks ugly (sorry, an old joke). Both of the bands play prior to the game, doing their typical pre-game show. OU fans scream "Boomer Sooner" back and forth, and Texas fans scream "Texas Fight", to which the Sooner fans attempt to drown out the "Fight" with "Sucks". The two fan bases exchange cheers and chants back and forth all game long. Both schools hope to be hearing their fight song being played more.
The game itself is always intense and physical. Neither school wants to lose the game. It is usually filled with big and memorable plays, some that will be forever etched in the memory of many college football fans. One such play was documented in our video series.
And the contest is usually pretty even and entertaining. Over the series, the average score is 16 to 16.
And the players that compete in the Red River Rivalry are second to none. Of course everyone knows about Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy. How about Adrian Peterson, Quentin Griffin, Mark Clayton, Keith Jackson, Billy Sims, Jason White, Tom Brahaney, Bill Krisher, Roy Williams, Lee Roy Selmon, Teddy Lehman, Brian Bosworth, and Joe Washington for OU? And how about Ricky Williams, Earl Campbell, Vince Young, Bryant Westbrook, and many others for Texas?
Not to mention, the likes of Bob Stoops, Barry Switzer, Mack Brown and Darrell Royal prowling the sidelines.
In Summary
The Red River Rivalry game has everything that a good rivalry game should have: over 100 years of history, historically close and entertaining matchups, talented players, great coaches, national implications, huge and active fan bases, respectful hate, and tradition.
There are many more facets of the rivalry which will go undiscussed here (since I don't have the time), such as recruiting, but suffice it to say that the Red River Rivalry is a big deal.
But is it the best rivalry in college football right now? I'll leave that up to you. Feel free to debate it in the comments section!
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I don't disagree per se...
I am a huge Michigan fan. My family has OU ties but nothing compares to the sheer hatred the UM-O$U. Yes, this past year Michigan was awful but a year before that the game was for the Rose Bowl and before that the NC game. The Red River Rivalry is the best rivalry in college football… but right now as you said, not all time.
I agree with the whole first part of it, and I agree, the rivalry’s significance diminished somewhat. However, Tressel has dominated (he’s won but most have been very close) in the sense that John Cooper was dominated (2-10-1, Michigan fans were cheering him at his last game at the Big House).
As for the atmosphere I can not ascertain to whether the Red River Rivalry is as intense as The Game, as I have never been to an OU-UT game. But the UM-O$U game is hard to explain, I can’t really. It is the most intense atmosphere I have ever seen, and opposing fans are everything but actually tortured, and if they lose it’s worse. Both teams know that the other is extremely successful but they have no respect for the other team. Frankly, game day there is better than anywhere in the country but as I have not had the pleasure to go to a Red River Rivalry game I don’t know for sure.
As for the game itself, I’ll contest your players with Desmond Howard, Charles Woodson, Tom Harmon, Jim Harbaugh, Tim Biakabutuka, Bennie Oosterbaan (later coached the Wolverines), Bump Elliot (ditto), Ron Kramer, Bob Chappuis, Steve Hutchinson, and for O$U Eddie George, Beanie Wells, Troy Smith, Archie Griffin, Art Schlicter ($$$), Maurice Clarrett ($$$), Hopalong Cassady, and many others. I’ll contest coaches with BO and WOODY! as well as Yost, Crisler, and… Sweatervest…. The games that were played, wow, where can I even start? The Snow Bowl played in -10 degree snowstorms (9-3 U of M), 1969 where Michigan won 24-12 after losing by 36 against the “best college football team ever”, The Ten Year War after that (overall Bo beat Woody 5-4-1), and 2006 where #1 O$U beat #2 UM 42-39 the day after Bo died. On a final note the Big Ten Championship has been affected by The Game 47 times, 24 of them for the conference championship.
The Red River Rivalry game has everything that a good rivalry game should have: over 100 years of history, historically close and entertaining matchups, talented players, great coaches, national implications, huge and active fan bases, respectful hate, and tradition. The same is said for UM-O$U (eh, maybe not so respectful).
There are many more facets of the rivalry which will go undiscussed here (since I don’t have the time), such as recruiting, but suffice it to say that the Red River Rivalry is a big deal. Ditto.
Go Blue and Boomer Sooner, NC for OU hopefully and hopefully a January bowl game for UM and beating O$U would be phenomenal. We’ll be back, maybe this year.
by the_white_tiger on Apr 30, 2009 9:47 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I can live with that
Arguably OSU-Michigan has been more consistently a better rivalry. I just don’t buy that it’s the best one right now. I wish I could go to all of these rivalry games (OSU-Mich, Ga-Fla, Aub-Ala, Army-Navy, etc) and experience them for myself.
The thing is, I’m not sure many people outside of OU fans or Texas fans are really aware of how intense the Red River Rivalry actually is.
And like I said, there’s probably some sort of regional bias involved. I’m sure more people in the Great Lakes would consider OSU-Mich a better rivalry than OU-Texas.
Thanks for the thoughts though! Excellent post!
Crimson and Cream Machine
Baseball season = Go Brew Crew!
by dishingoutdimes on Apr 30, 2009 11:41 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah
OU-UT is the biggest rivalry as defined by the excellence of the two teams in recent years. However, UM-O$U can pretty much be defined as one of the more hostile rivalries in college football. Respect was cited above and O$U’s respect for UM can be defined by their musical genius with their band "The Bastard Sons of Woody (formerly The Dead Schembechlers) and their band sponsored song “We Don’t Give a Damn for the Whole State of Michigan.”
I think the same can be said for any rivalry pertaining to regional bias, you probably can’t experience it without being there. And I would enjoy going to games like ’Bama-Auburn, Army-Navy (kinda), U$C-UCLA, OU-UT, Florida-UGA etc. also.
I think the recruiting is underrated in a lot of these rivalries also, UT-OU go for prospects in Texas, and UM-O$U go for ’em in Ohio and the D.
by the_white_tiger on Apr 30, 2009 1:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
No one has ever lost their testicles
in the UM/OSU rivalry to my knowledge. +1 to us :-p
Boomer Sooner!
Come check out FanIQ for your one stop spot for all sports
by Jubanator14 on Apr 30, 2009 2:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
The reason that OU-texas is the best rivalry
is not because it has a great history or great players, or great moments, or great importance on a national stage….In fact most great rivalries have all that.
It’s because it’s played on a neutral field about 1/2 way between both campus’s home fields. AND the stadium is split 50/50..right down the 50. This is what makes the game and the atmosphere so great and separates this game/rivalry from all the rest. There is always half the stands yelling at any point, and usually the entire stadium…for different reasons. That can’t be said about the Iron Bowl (which is 1st an in state rivalry, unlike OU/texas) or Ohio St. and Michigan. Only a few other rivalry games can boast this and most notably UGA vs. Florida in Jacksonville, and any game called a “cocktail party” simply does not match up to the hate OU and texas have for each other.
by Redhawk on Apr 30, 2009 1:10 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
One could contest that...
on a neutral field there is no home field advantage, no road upsets followed by raucous partying at their place, and way, way, way less student involvement. I’m sure that neutral site games are great, but so is having your worst enemy in a hostile (or at UM docile, stupid alumni who only say “down in front”) environment. imagine if OU played UT at home, it would be epic. Now put that into two of the best venues in college football #1 1nd #4 largest, full of drunken, screaming fanatics who payed an arm and a leg for this. Home and home games make the rivalry intense, possibly more intense. And nothing save for our friends in the Mid East compare to UM-O$U hate. However I could be mistaken. I could be.
And for the testicles… I almost died laughing about that. +10 for that.
by the_white_tiger on Apr 30, 2009 7:28 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Exactly my thoughts
I graduated from Texas last December, and by God, if you havent been to the State Fair during that Saturday (or downtown the night before), then you dont know a damn thing about how heated this rivalry is.
The Mich-OSU rivalry is a good one, but those two recently over hyped schools dont have the nuts at all to play at a neutral site… we’ve been doing it for over 60 years now! I laugh when people tell me other rivalries are better.
Here is to another great game this year! Best of luck Sooners!
Hook em Horns!
by greenspointexas on May 1, 2009 5:54 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Don't have the nuts to play at a neutral site?
Are you kidding? I would LOVE to see OU play at Texas or vice versa, and I could easily say that they don’t have the nuts to go on the road in a rivalry game. That is ridiculous, there is no reason to say that playing at a neutral site is harder than playing on the road. Texas and Oklahoma have never played in a hostile stadium like that (yes Texas beat O$U in Columbus and I’m eternally grateful, but that was not a UM-O$U game), and I’m sure they could handle it, but playing at the ’Shoe and The Big House makes this rivalry great (but the new Cotton Bowl will be great also).
FWIW, Auburn and Alabama played in Birmingham at the Iron Bowl for their rivalry until they changed it to a home-and-home to get a better game going…
Yes the Texas State Fair is a great battleground for the game at least for the fans, and so is Ann Arbor, Columbus, Detroit, Cincinatti, Cleveland, and Toledo.
I doubt you really comprehend the hatred here, O$U fans berate Michigan even during the offseason, message boards going strong on anti-Michigan fervor in the spring. If you wear an Ohio State hat in Detroit you get booed everywhere. Michigan cars with any indication that they’re from Michigan get key-scratched “Go Bucks” all over the state. I could go on and on and on about why neutral site games aren’t as good as home-and-home but I don’t have to. Countless books and documentaries along with all the polls saying that UM-O$U is second only to Red Sox-Yankees, maybe better,
by the_white_tiger on May 1, 2009 9:18 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
The home and home argument makes no sense
here why: Both OU and Texas play big games on the Road all the time. big freakin whoop…every school does. And every other year..you get a home field advantage….whee. ..home and away…pfft…seriously? that’s the claim to greatness…same as all the other conference games?
ONLY OU and Texas plays on a neutral field, split 50/50…every single year. Only home field advantage is who gets to wear the dark jersey. The atmosphere is like no other game I’ve ever been too. And I’ve been to my share of OU/Nebraska games when it was just the big 8, and that game always meant conference champs and usually a shot at a National Championship. I assume that’s what any other big rivalry game is like…and it’s no where CLOSE to OU/texass. Sorry
Go down to Commerce street and get hit with the fire hoses at midnight (I don’t think they even still do this), or go to Dallas County Jail and buy tickets on Saturday morning…and tell me it’s a just like any other.
by Redhawk on May 1, 2009 9:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Big games on the road?
Like Texas Tech, A&M, Okie State, Nebraska, Mizzou, and Kansas? Umm… No. Highly ranked teams on the road, yes. Teams that want a shot at the target on OU’s back, yes. Teams that have >100,000 fans there, no. Teams with a history as rich as the ones at Ohio State and Michigan, other than Nebraska (but that game has diminished somewhat, if they don’t play every year…) no. Having home-and-home isn’t why the rivalry is great, see my post above.
I could list all the same things as you did, but whatever, what’s the point? The only thing we can do now is agree tro disagree. There is no way that I’ll dissuade you or vice versa.
Go Blue, Boomer Sooner.
by the_white_tiger on May 1, 2009 11:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah
I don’t think the hate in the OU-Texas rivalry is really known all that well nationally. Or what goes on in the lead up to the game.
I’m betting it’ll be even more heated on the West End this year.
Also, add me to the list of people who loves the fact it’s at a neutral site with the stadium split 50-50. It adds such a great atmosphere to the stadium. It’s always loud. One side or the other is always yelling.
Crimson and Cream Machine
Baseball season = Go Brew Crew!
by dishingoutdimes on May 1, 2009 3:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I thought last year was intense
I dont think anything will compare to this year. The teams are going to be ranked between #1-#3. The great game last year, plus the BCS drama that unfolded will prove the 2009 RRS will be the best one yet. Here’s to a great game, best of luck Sooners, but you stand no chance… Hook em!
Get off your knees Greg, you're blowin' the game.
by kriess on May 2, 2009 5:10 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
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