Texas football faithful: do not fear losing a years worth of bragging rights to Oklahoma fans just yet.
Texas, who is 1-4 and took a beating by Texas Christian University last weekend losing 50-7, faces an undefeated Oklahoma team this weekend. The same Oklahoma team who beat the University of West Virginia by 20 points last weekend, with a final score 44-24. A win for Oklahoma means Texas fans surrender their bragging rights for the second year in a row.
However, an unranked Texas team facing a ranked Oklahoma team has happened seven times since 1989, and Texas holds the advantage with five wins.
The last time this scenario happened was just last year, but the Longhorns lost 31-26. However, in the 2013 season, an unranked Mack Brown Texas team beat 12th ranked Oklahoma 36-20.
“‘We sort of walked in feeling like, ‘All right, we’re gonna show up, play the game and we’re gonna have fun at the fair,’†Oklahoma center Ty Darlington told UPI.com. “We didn’t come in with the edge we needed and we got beat. We got beat physically. They really kicked us around that year.â€
Texas went into that game with a record of 3-2 and Oklahoma 5-0.
The rivalry between these two schools started in 1900 with a 28-2 Texas win in Austin. In the first 10 games played between the two schools, Texas won eight of the games and tied one.
Each school has had their run. Texas’ largest winning streak of eight games happened twice, 1940-1947 and 1958-1965. Oklahoma’s largest winning streak of six games happened once, 1952-1957.
In the last 10 years of this rivalry, the record is tied. Each school with five wins.
However, this year, the two schools’ football programs appear to be heading in two different directions – Oklahoma on an upward rise and Texas on, what fans may feel like, a never-ending downfall.
Both schools lost their bowl games last year by large deficits. Texas lost by 24 points to Arkansas in the Texas Bowl and Oklahoma by 34 points to Clemson in the Russell Athletic Bowl. The Sooners turned it around this season and started 4-0, which includes an over time win at the University of Tennessee and a conference win against the University of West Virginia. Texas, however, started worse than last year, 1-4 without a conference win. There is probably an argument that Notre Dame, California and TCU are tougher opponents than Akron and Tulsa, but nevertheless, Texas is 1-4 and facing an undefeated 10th ranked Oklahoma football team at the Cotton Bowl this weekend.
Rankings and previous years scores don’t matter when it comes to the Red River Showdown. Texas players want the Golden Hat as much as fans desire bragging rights.
“It’s a big game, we know what we’re up against, but we’re ready to get going,†Strong said at his press conference after the TCU loss. “I know we’re going to play with a lot of passion, a lot of intensity.â€
And Texas fans do not forget Texas holds the all time record between the two schools, currently 60-44-5, and the outcome of this weekend cannot take that bragging right away.
