Steve Sarkisian describes the hate between Texas, Oklahoma ahead of Red River Rivalry

The biggest rivalry in the Big 12 is set to take place this Saturday when the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners square off in the Red River Showdown. There is a ton of bad blood in this rivalry, and Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian is well aware of it.

As they prepare for their contests against their heated rival, the Texas headman took a moment to describe the bitterness between the two programs.

“We embrace it because they’re supposed to hate us,” said Sarkisian jokingly. “At the end of the day, this is a great rivalry. And I don’t think that there is a whole lot of love lost between the fan bases, between the ex-players, the ex-coaches. There’s a lot of crossover from both rosters of players that have played together in high school or against each other in high school.

“The coaching staffs have competed against each other, maybe not at these two institutions but at different places. So, in the end, it is what it is. We’re trying to compete for a Big 12 championship, and so are they. And so it’s gonna take our best effort not only physically but, I think, mentally to be sharp Saturday.”

In 2021, under Sarkisian, the Longhorns blew the largest lead in the history of the rivalry game (21 points) on their way to a 55-48 loss. Last season, Sarkisian and the Longhorns more than made up for it as they routed the Sooners 49-0.

As Texas continues its drive for a College Football Playoff berth and Big 12 title this season, Sarkisian and crew would love nothing more than to repeat the history of last season, destroying their rivals to the north in what will be their final Red River Showdown as members of the Big 12 conference.

Sarkisian on OU’s Dillon Gabriel

Dillon Gabriel is playing his best football at the right time for Oklahoma. A 5-0 start is what everybody in Norman ordered, with Gabriel playing a huge role. The next course will come in Dallas, facing off against Texas in the Red River Shootout — the quarterback’s first appearance in the Cotton Bowl

Sarkisian knows the best version of Gabriel is on the way. He was complimentary of him as a player, saying it goes back to his time at UCF.

“We’re going to get their best version,” Sarkisian said. “Dillon is a fantastic player. He was a great player at UCF, he’s a great player now for OU. So, we know we’re going to get the best version of him.”

With how Gabriel is playing at the moment, he is on track for a career year. Throughout five games the veteran quarterback has 1,593 yards, 15 touchdowns, and two interceptions. His accuracy has been on display as well with a completion percentage of 75.2% — well above his current career average of 62.8%.