Since 2015, Oklahoma has won the past five Big 12 championships, running through the conference. Since the reintroduction of the Big 12 Championship game in 2017, the Sooners have won those games by an average of two touchdowns. Nobody has been close to dethroning Lincoln Riley’s squad.
Texas had its shot in the 2018 Big 12 Championship game after winning the Red River Shootout during the regular season by three. In the second matchup, Oklahoma was too much to handle, winning by 12.
In a recent interview with Chuck Carlton of the Dallas Morning News, Tom Herman said they are “well aware” of the Sooners and laid out how the Longhorns are looking to get over the hump.
It will begin with “a continued effort to recruit elite talent,” Herman said.
Since the first full recruiting cycle Herman had with Texas in 2018, Texas has had better classes than Oklahoma in all three years according to 247Sports. The Longhorns have topped the Big 12 in recruiting since Herman’s arrival, but have failed to turn it into success on the field. He admits Texas must develop the talent to see results on the field.
The next step is a bit out of Herman’s control, citing the quarterback play for Oklahoma has been outstanding since his arrival in 2017.
“Hopefully one of these days they’ll stop having first- and second-round draft picks at quarterback,” said Herman. “But we’ve played draft picks, that’s certainly not an excuse at all, we’ve played draft picks at quarterback damn near every week, but those three guys they’ve had in the last three years were special — really, really special.”
Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts been superstars for the Sooners, with the first two winning the Heisman trophy and Hurts finishing in second place last season. Lincoln Riley’s arsenal at quarterback has been lethal, making Oklahoma the most unstoppable offense in the conference.
Sadly, it will not get any easier for Herman and Co., as former five-star quarterback Spencer Rattler is expected to take over this season. Coming out of high school, he was the top-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the country.
After Rattler, the Sooners are expected to sign Caleb Williams, the fifth-ranked player in the 2021 recruiting class.
As Herman mentions though, the quarterbacks should not be used as an excuse. Texas will be facing quality players week in and week out, no matter the opponent. No matter who the quarterback at Oklahoma is, the Longhorns have to find a way to keep them in check.
For the first time since Mack Brown, it feels as if Texas can compete year in and year out with the Sooners. However, competing does not mean winning, and Herman knows the Longhorns need to start picking up wins against the rival.
“We feel like we’re building something here that is sustainable and that rivalry is going to be, on a national perspective, I still think it’s the greatest rivalry in all of college sports because of the venue, because of the two states, because of the history of it,” said Herman. “We’ve got to do our part in making sure that we win some more of those battles.”
In the battle of Tom Herman vs Lincoln Riley, the Sooners’ coach has a 3-1 advantage, including that 2018 Big 12 title. Always the biggest game of the season for both teams, the rivalry is getting bigger every year.
Texas will their first shot at Oklahoma on October 10 this season. With new coordinators on both sides of the ball for the Longhorns, the Sooners will be seeing a new Texas team.
With Sam Ehlinger returning for his senior season and the defense returning up to nine starters, the Longhorns are in prime position to extend upon their 62-48-5 Red River Shootout series lead.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3]