The game was more than a week ago, but the Red River Showdown still sits top of mind for the incredible game it was. While the team has moved on with a 52-31 win over TCU, we have the luxury of reveling in the greatness this year’s iteration of OU-Texas brought us.
It was a game that included just about everything. Big plays on both sides of the ball, special teams showed up, a quarterback change, and a furious comeback with the Oklahoma Sooners taking their final lead with just seconds on the clock.
How good was that game? Well, in the opinions of some, this writer included, to this point, it’s the game of the year.
The folks over at USA TODAY Sports handed out some midseason awards and the Oklahoma Sooners matchup with the Texas Longhorns was Paul Myerburg’s choice for game of the year through the midway point of the season.
The Red River Shootout between Texas and Oklahoma set a record for most combined points in series history and had the subplot of Williams stepping in for an underachieving Spencer Rattler. If not an upset in the vein of Alabama losing to Texas A&M, the result did keep OU in the playoff mix and might be seen in the future as the moment when Williams announced his arrival on the college stage. – Myerburg
Caleb Williams certainly announced his arrival in this one. A game in which he combined for three touchdowns and was a key factor in Oklahoma’s comeback. He followed that up with an even more impressive against TCU when he combined for five total touchdowns, setting a true freshman record at Oklahoma and earning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week.
The Red River Showdown are where legends are made. Roy Williams and Teddy Lehman were fantastic players for the Sooners, but the play they’re most remembered for is the “Superman play.”
Fitting that the guy who’s nickname is Superman announced his arrival to college football in arguably the best game of 2021.
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