Red River Shootout
Each year, on the second week of October, on the grounds of the State Fair of Texas in Dallas, in the iconic Cotton Bowl, history is made. The University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma have been at war with each other on the college gridiron since before Oklahoma became an American state. Since 1900, Texas and Oklahoma have clashed for bragging rights, recruiting supremacy, as well as conference and national championships. With 11 national championships between them, its safe to say that both schools have blue blood football programs and iconic brands that have helped build college football into the American sensation that it is today. From the decade of dominance by Oklahoma head coach Bud Wilkinson’s legendary football teams of the 1950s, to the introduction of the wishbone offense by Texas’ Emory Bellard in the late 1960s, and Barry Switzer’s near perfect utilization of the wishbone offense during the 1970s and 1980s, both schools have undeniably left a lasting impact on the sport and have also been two of the most influential programs in college football history.
The great players and coaches who have played a part in popularizing the rivalry is like a whose who of the sport. From James Street and Earl Campbell to Caleb Williams and Adrian Peterson. This rivalry has historically been a game where young men have made a name for themselves. And on several occasions, someone who nobody would have expected to. A recent example of this trend is the 2021 game, in which a largely unknown backup quarterback named Caleb Williams introduced himself to a tuned in national audience against the Texas Longhorns. After trailing 28-7 early in the first half, Williams led Oklahoma to an historic comeback win over Texas that all but solidified his status as one of the best quarterbacks in college football. Williams went on to win the Heisman Trophy in 2022. Another fine example is James Brown. One of Texas’ first starting black quarterbacks, Brown got his first start against the Sooners in the 1994 edition of the rivalry, and did not disappoint. In a game that was decided in the final seconds of regulation, on a famous goal line stand by Texas defensive lineman Stonie Clark, Brown led the Longhorns to a gritty 17-10 victory over their hated rivals from North of the Red River.
The Red River Shootout has had its fair share of controversy. As Texas began its domination of the college football landscape with its revolutionary wishbone offense during the late 1960s and early 1970s, other powerhouse programs scrambled to catch up. Luckily for the Sooners, Texas’ legendary head coach Darrel K. Royal was excessively generous with other programs by gifting them with the deep intricacies of the wishbone offense.
Probably the greatest beneficiaries were the Oklahoma Sooners. Royal played quarterback and defensive back at Oklahoma for his mentor, the legendary Bud Wilkinson. Royal’s strong ties to Oklahoma likely played a significant part in facilitating this development. However, after Barry Switzer, another legendary Oklahoma head coach, was hired by the University of Oklahoma he was accused of spying on Longhorn practices by Royal. Although Switzer denied these accusations, he has long acknowledged that the spying of Texas practices by Oklahoma did take place. Just not under his watch as head coach. It turns out that spying did in fact take place under his predecessor’s time at Oklahoma. Nevertheless, the suspicion and hate between Texas and Oklahoma might have been at an all time high.
The 1976 game was the culmination of this tension. President Gerald Ford attended the game and walked with Royal and Switzer onto the field before kickoff. As President Ford unsuccessfully attempted to reconcile the hard feelings with small talk, both coaches were silent and locked into what would turn out to be a 6-6 tie. Ultimately, Royal felt antagonized and even betrayed by his Alma Mater. 1976 would turn out to be Royal’s final year of coaching. Switzer was in the middle of Oklahoma’s “Sooner Magic” era, in which they claimed three national titles in 1974, 1975, and 1985 under Switzer’s leadership.
In 1984, Texas and Oklahoma clashed in a struggle between the two top ranked teams in the nation. Texas came into the game ranked #1 in the country, and Oklahoma #2. In a rain-soaked, sloppy, back and forth contest, the game ultimately came down to an official’s controversial call. In what should have been ruled an interception of Texas quarterback Todd Dodge by Oklahoma defensive back Keith Stanberry at the corner of the end zone, Stanberry was ruled out of bounds and Texas was able to immediately kick a 3-point field goal to tie the game 15-15 in the closing seconds of the game. Switzer, wearing a red hat that read “Beat Texas”, confronted officials after the game, visibly infuriated by the outcome of the game.
On Saturday, the Texas Longhorns will walk down the Cotton Bowl’s iconic tunnel, onto the field as the #1 team in the nation once more. Oklahoma will be playing the role of the underdog, currently sitting at #18. In the two programs’ first matchup as members of the Southeastern Conference, the game is guareented to have a massive impact on the college football playoff race. Starting quarterback Quinn Ewers returns from injury to lead the Longhorns against Michael Hawkins Jr., the first true freshman quarterback to ever start for Oklahoma in the rivalry, and a stout Oklahoma defense. Viewers should expect the unexpected. This has always been a game that has been decided by the most physical and disciplined teams. Turnovers and explosive plays will likely decide the outcome of this year’s edition of the Red River Shootout.
And finally, this game is special to me. The first Red River Shootout I attended was in 2000, the same year that Oklahoma won its last national championship behind quarterback Josh Heupel and an underrated supporting cast of players. As a lifelong Longhorns fan, the 2000 edition of the rivalry was heartbreaking, as Oklahoma overwhelmed and routed Texas, 63-14. I attended the next three matchups, and learned to love this rivalry. From the pleasing smell of fried foods, of all varieties, that fills the air above the Texas State Fair grounds, to the deafening sound of a packed Cotton Bowl, the fans split down the middle at the 50-yard line. Burnt orange on one side, crimson and cream on the other. From the joyful smiles and sobbing faces of young children passionate about their favorite team, to the startling explosions popping off from Smokey the Canon and the RUF/NEKS ceremonial shotguns. This game has it all. I expect the 2024 edition of the Red River Shootout to be no different. Both teams will give it their all, for sixty minutes, to have bragging rights for 365 days. To earn the Golden Hat trophy, which is rewarded to the winning team. This game is always like a mid-season national championship matchup. This game has the organic electricity that seems to always give me the butterflies. All I have to say is Texas Fight, and OU sucks.
