Red River Showdown: 'Progress Report' For Texas Football vs. Sooners
Even in the worst seasons of Texas football, there's nothing like the Red River Showdown. It's never "just a game.''
"You come to Texas to play in different games like this," offensive lineman Derek Kerstetter said Monday.
Saturday's showcase at the Cotton Bowl could merely be a preview of what Big 12 fans could see in December. Under the direction of quarterback Casey Thompson, Texas (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) hasn't lost a game. UT has also outscored opponents 160-62 during its three-game win streak.
Meanwhile, the Sooners (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) remain undefeated, but haven't beaten an FBS opponent by any wide margin.
For a team that was expected to "run away" with the Big 12 title, the hopes of making a College Football Playoff could rely on a win at the Texas State Fair in front of a packed house.
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That doesn't just go for Oklahoma. Texas could very well enter playoff conversations with a win over the sixth-ranked Sooners.
“In the end, when you’re playing the team that over recent history has won the conference, well, here's an opportunity to basically see where are we at this point,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday. “We’re going to find out. We’re going to see where we’re at.”
Saturday marks the first Red River game in Sarkisian's career. He's no stranger to heated rivalries during his time in Pac-12 or SEC. At USC, he faced UCLA five times. As Washington's head coach, he won the Apple Cup over Washington State four of his five seasons.
Last season with head coach Nick Saban out, Sarkisian subbed and propelled Alabama to a 42-13 win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl, sealing Sark's status as head coaching material this offseason.
It doesn't take a homegrown name to understand what's at stake when these two schools take the field. Even newcomer Sark knows that.
“I’m fired up for this game,” Sarkisian said. “To think this is the 117th time these two schools are meeting, that’s a crazy number. So from that aspect of it, the State Fair, all that stuff, I'm looking forward to it."
READ MORE: Texas vs. Oklahoma State Kick Off Time Up In The Air
There are storylines galore here. The Sooners look vulnerable for the first time under the direction of head coach Lincoln Riley.
One of Oklahoma's biggest strengths has been its offensive line play and run game. Both have struggled thus far.
The Sooners rank 76th nationally in run offense, while quarterback. Spencer Rattler has been sacked eight times this season. Tennessee transfer running back Eric Gray has yet to score a touchdown despite averaging five yards per play.
On the flip side, Texas' strength is its ground game. Running back Bijan Robinson now ranks second in the nation rushing behind Michigan State's Kenneth Walker. The Heisman hype from earlier this offseason continues to grow, just like Robinson's role in the offense.
"I felt really good coming out of that game with that kind of workload," Robinson said of his career-high 35 carries against TCU Saturday. "I’m just ready to go.”
Thompson will also draw fans on both sides of the border, as he's a native of Oklahoma City.
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His father, Charles, played quarterback for the program in the late 1980s. His older brother, Kendal, was a member of the program from 2011-13.
Meanwhile, both schools recruited Casey Thompson back in 2018.
"It's a dream come true for me to start in this game, but I really don't think I’ll be nervous or anxious or uptight,” Casey Thompson said. “I’m excited to play. I wish we could go play today if we could.”
As an annual midseason matchup, Red River usually serves a "progress report" for both programs.
Texas wants to show that its Week 2 road loss to Arkansas was a fluke. The Sooners need to prove the battle for the Big 12 title goes through them.
The last time Texas won in this series came back in 2018 off the leg of Cameron "The Kicker" Dicker as time expired.
Texas would go on to beat Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. The Sooners, led by Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray, would face Alabama in the Orange Bowl in the College Football Playoff semifinals.
READ MORE: Texas-Oklahoma Site of ESPN's College Gameday
In the end, Texas-OU is a tradition almost as old as the sport itself.
"It's honestly my favorite game. It always has been," UT linebacker Luke Brockermeyer. "I think it's the greatest rivalry in college football."
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