Casey Thompson, Spencer Rattler At Center Of Red River
Texas' Bijan Robinson is a Heisman contender. Oklahoma's Kennedy Brooks and Eric Gray play off each other's strengths.
There will be running back talent galore at the Cotton Bowl on Saturday when No. 21 Texas (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) battles rival No. 6 Oklahoma (5-0, 2-0 Big 12). Those carrying the rock will be factors, but don't expect the outcome to be dictated on their production.
Texas' Casey Thompson and OU's Spencer Rattler will likely decide who wears the Golden Hat. May the better quarterback win.
“I never really grew up hating a team, and even now that I’m at Texas, I wouldn’t say that I hate OU,” Thompson said earlier this week. “At the end of the day, I’m a competitor. I want to win, and I also want to start, so that’s what it comes down to.”
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Thompson's ties to the Red River Showdown goes well beyond his three seasons on the Forty Acres. He's a native of Oklahoma City. His father Charles was the Sooners quarterback for two seasons under Barry Switzer in the 1980s.
Thompson sat inside Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Saturdays, cheering on OU like his old man. All that changed when he committed to Texas in 2017.
Casey always dreamed of following Charles' footsteps. He wanted to play quarterback. Check. He wanted to play for a Division I program. Check.
He always wanted to play in the Red River Showdown. Check that off when he starts Saturday.
"My dad was able to start in this Red River rivalry whenever he was playing quarterback," Thompson said. "He got to play in (two games), and he obviously enjoyed it. It was a dream come true for him, and it’d be a dream come true for me.”
Since coach Steve Sarkisian made the change from Hudson Card to Thompson in Week 3, Texas' offense has been on-point. The Longhorns have outscored opponents 160-62 during their three-game winning streak.
Currently, Texas sits sixth nationally in scoring, averaging 43.8 points per game. That's not all on Thompson, but where would Texas be if the Horns continued to start Card?
“I just tell him, just do your thing,” Robinson said of Thompson. “Use the gifts that God gave you, like I always say, and just make sure you’re comfortable.”
On the other side of state border stands Rattler. Lincoln Riley's top-rated quarterback and perhaps the most talked about player in the country all offseason. Coming off a record-breaking season, Rattler is the first Sooners QB to start more than one season since Baker Mayfield in 2017.
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Before taking a snap this season, many tabbed Rattler next year's top selection in the NFL Draft. But the Heisman favorite and face of Oklahoma football has seen some fans turn on him.
Against West Virginia, many in crowd began chanting, "We want Caleb!" That's 2021 top prospect Caleb Williams. Remember, the Sooners are undefeated and in the playoff hunt.
"It might not be very fair to the kid," Sarkisian said Friday. "You look at the standard, it's been set so high with the quarterback play they've had for however many years it's been."
Rattler may not be the frontrunner for college football's most coveted prize, but he's a true gunslinger. He's second nationally in completion rating (76.3), and leads the conference in passing yards (1,260) and touchdowns (10).
Rattler also ranks fourth in passer rating with 158. Thompson is first at 180.4.
"I know we all want to score 50-plus times whenever we go out, but he's still maximizing opportunities," Sarkisian said of Rattler. "I think continually he's playing better."
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Quarterbacks in this rivalry have had their moments at the Cotton Bowl.
Last season, quarterback Sam Ehlinger accounted for six touchdowns to keep Texas alive. Rattler was benched, but came back to secure the 53-45 overtime thriller.
Saturday's winner goes a long way to cementing a quarterback's legacy. Rattler can prove he still is the next great OU quarterback ready to make the jump to the NFL. Thompson can make his mark like his day, but be saying "Hook 'Em" instead of "Boomer."
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History isn't on Thompson's side. Quarterbacks making their Red River Showdown debut are 4-14-1 since 1991. But anything can happen in one of college football's greatest rivalries.
And Rattler and Thompson will be at the center of it all in the heart of the State Fair of Texas.
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