Amid return of Arkansas, A&M rivalries, Oklahoma remains must-win game for Steve Sarkisian, Texas

During a chat over on the On3 YouTube channel, Andy Staples and Joe Cook from Inside Texas discussed the Longhorns’ entry into the SEC this season, and specifically, what that means for the Red River Rivalry this coming season.

Staples remarked that last year’s Red River Rivalry game was “a classic” and “everything you could dream of” in such a matchup. However, he feels like Oklahoma hasn’t received nearly as much publicity ahead of their first year in the SEC compared to Texas. In a question to Cook, Staples wondered if the Texas staff and fans are focused on that game after the Sooners got them a year ago — even if that contest isn’t as shiny and new as some of these other SEC matchups.

Cook admitted that the Oklahoma rivalry has sort of been the Achilles’ heel for Steve Sarkisian.

“Sark’s 1-2 against Oklahoma and both of his losses are kinda heartbreakers off big comebacks by the Sooners. For all the praise that he’s gotten in Austin, there are diehards who are like, ‘you’re still 1-2 vs. Oklahoma and that’s something that needs to be fixed,'” said Cook. “49-0 is a great one, but Texas expects to play and beat its rivals and that’s one that Sark hasn’t topped yet.”

As for the game this coming season, Cook outlined a pretty well-known Texas core that’s leading the way for another season, while OU has changed some things around.

“So I think it’s going to be a very interesting matchup just because you have a Texas program with a quarterback coming back, coaches, head coach coming back. You have a very talented Oklahoma program with Jackson Arnold stepping up, new offensive coordinator, new defensive coordinator, but we know Brent Venables is still running that defensive operation.”

The largest change, obviously, is the setting of the game: now an SEC intra-conference matchup rather than one in the Big 12. Even just having a different logo on the field could give the Red River Showdown some extra spice.

“Of course, the backdrop of the SEC. It’s going to be funny to see the Cotton Bowl. You know, it always had the burnt orange Big 12 logo and then the crimson one. That’s going to be an SEC logo now and that’s gonna be SEC rivalry there instead of Big 12,” added Cook.

Whether in the SEC or Big 12, a big stage is always set when Oklahoma and Texas meet one another on the football field.