OTF Premium No better time than now for Texas to fix a long-running Oklahoma problem

[Jeff Howe]

To what extent Texas can pull the nose up and salvage the 2025 season, which is trending in the wrong direction after last Saturday’s 29-21 road loss to Florida, will depend on what the Longhorns do against No. 6 Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout at the Cotton Bowl on Saturday (2:30 p.m., ABC).

A win over the Sooners would position Steve Sarkisian’s squad for a strong finish to an October portion of the schedule played entirely away from Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. A loss would be the second in conference play for Texas (3-2, 0-1 SEC) and, with three opponents currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 left on the schedule other than Oklahoma (5-0, 1-0), it likely wouldn’t be the Longhorns’ last.

Amid the preseason hype that engulfed the program, along with Brent Venables coming off his second losing season among the three in which he’s led the Sooners, Sarkisian’s fifth Texas-OU game seemed like an ideal time for the Longhorns to enjoy a long-overdue run of success against Oklahoma. Sarkisian’s 2-2 record against the Sooners includes two of the most lopsided Texas wins in the history of the series (a 49-0 rout in 2022 and last season’s 34-3 romp) and dropping a pair of last-second decisions that were there for the taking.

Oklahoma’s current run of dominance over the Longhorns is one of the longest in the history of the series, with the Sooners winning 11 of the last 16, including 10 of 15 with the Golden Hat on the line. Beyond how a win over Oklahoma would boost Texas going into the second half of the regular season, changing their Red River fortunes is key to the Longhorns getting over the hump and closer to winning a national championship under Sarkisian.

Since Darrell Royal took over the program in 1957, no Texas coach has won a national championship or led the Longhorns to a championship game without simultaneously rattling off a series of wins over the Sooners.

A win on Saturday would be the program’s third over Oklahoma in four years, which would be the best stretch of success against the Sooners since Mack Brown’s teams won four of five meetings (2005-09). Brown’s run, which came on the heels of a five-game losing streak to Bob Stoops, included wins in 2005 and 2009, preceding a national championship victory over USC and a trip to the BCS title game against Alabama, respectively.

While leading Texas to undefeated regular seasons in 1977 and 1983, Fred Akers won five of his first seven head-to-head meetings against Barry Switzer’s Oklahoma program.

Royal, a Sooner standout for Bud Wilkinson, took over the Longhorns at a time when his mentor had won nine Red River Shootouts over 10 seasons (1948-57), including a victory in Royal’s Red River coaching debut. After the 1957 loss, however, Royal won 12 of the next 13 games against Oklahoma, including wins over the Sooners in each of his three national championship-winning seasons (1963, 1969 and 1970).

Given the state of where Texas is coming off the humbling loss to the Gators, and considering the decade-plus of dominance the Sooners have enjoyed against the Longhorns, there would be no better time than Saturday to take a big step toward rectifying an Oklahoma problem that’s existed for far too long.

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[alrightalrightalright]

Let’s put 2 wins together in this series for the first time since ‘08-‘09

[LonghornFan4Ever]

Don't know how they'll win this game, but just win.  Gotta start another long winning streak over OU.  This is by far the worst stretch of OU football this century.  A loss to this Texas team, with or without Mateer, could cause OU to implode as they enter the meat of their SEC schedule.  But more importantly for Texas, this game could mark the turning point in the entire season for them.  In short, this is the most important Red River game that I can remember in some time for Sark and this football program.

Edited 1 hour ago by LonghornFan4Ever

[FatherofMinky]

I have no earthly idea how in the world we are still considered the betting favorite in this game even if Michael Hawkins is starting. The Oklahoma defensive line versus our offensive line is be one of the biggest mismatches in this game in years. I sure hope Sarkisian comes to his senses and gets the ball out of Arch’s hands quickly. He is not going to have time to be waiting for these deep routes to develop. He’s going to be running for his life.

Edited 1 hour ago by FatherofMinky

[Burnt Orange Horn]

Time to go on a Royal Run!!

How badly does the team want it??

🤘🏻🤘🏼🤘🤘🏽🤘🏾🤘🏿

[Alex Butler]

I’m actually more confit about this game than I was Florida honestly. I think OU THINKS they’ve played good teams and are as good as their hype. We’ll see how that goes if we get our side of the river cleaned up and our defense returns to our dominant ways that we know we’re completely capable of. 

[CJ Vogel]

Good read, Jeff!