Steve Sarkisian explains why Texas-Oklahoma is the best rivalry in college football

Rivalry makes college football special and few compare to the Red River Showdown. Every year around the second Saturday in October, Texas and Oklahoma meet in Dallas at the State Fair of Texas to compete for the Golden Hat. Thousands of fans pour into the Cotton Bowl and create such a special atmosphere.

A lot matters at Texas and beating Oklahoma is one of them. Head coach Steve Sarkisian is still relatively new to the rivalry and just earned his first win over the Sooners this past fall in blowout fashion, 49-0. While Sarkisian might only be two years in, he does believe Texas-Oklahoma is the best rivalry in college football.

“You go to Dallas, you’re at the State Fair,” Sarkisian said during an interview with the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast. “The stadium is split 50-50 right down the middle. The locker rooms when you come out, you’re about 10 yards apart. Both teams are right there. It’s at the old Cotton Bowl. We’re not at Jerry World yet. You’re in the grass. It’s a really cool setting. It’s something that I have never experienced in a game like that where the fans are split 50-50.”

Of course, Sarkisian was always going to say Red River was the best rivalry in college football. He’s the head coach of Texas and wants to hype up his program. However, he has been involved with other top-notch matchups the sport has to offer.

Sarkisian did get to serve as a head coach during the Iron Bowl. When Nick Saban was out for the week due to COVID-19, he stepped up for Alabama and got a resounding win against Auburn. Go a few years back to his USC days when the rivalries with Notre Dame and UCLA can be mentioned.

All have unique circumstances but in Sarkisian’s eyes, none are comparable to the game played in Dallas.

Luckily for Sarkisian and fans alike, the tradition at the Cotton Bowl is going to continue. Even with the move to the SEC, there are no plans to move away from the venue. Heading into the future, Texas and Oklahoma will be playing at the State Fair.

“The contract runs for the next three years and we’ll be in the process of renewing that contract,” Texas AD Chris Del Conte said during Virtual Town Hall Meeting in February. “I’d like to stay employed with you all for as long as possible. So if I change that, I would be unemployed. I love the State Fair. I love the whole game… I have no plans at all of moving the game.”

In a time where plenty of college football traditions are being broken, Texas-Oklahoma seems to be one that will stay. And while there will be arguments over Sarkisian’s ranking of the rivalry game, he’s still picking one of the greatest games of the year.