My fellow fans of the Oklahoma Sooners, hear me out. I know how this headline looks, and believe me, I don’t like it any more than you do.
However, I believe the Sooners would benefit from the Texas Longhorns being “back” before the two programs move to the SEC.
Like it or not, the Longhorns made a statement last Saturday in Austin. If Quinn Ewers doesn’t get hurt, Texas wins that game. For whatever reason, Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide wasn’t prepared and looked completely disorganized.
Not only that, but the Longhorns’ defensive line looked like an SEC unit. There was nothing “Big 12” about the team wearing burnt orange. I was expecting a blowout. I was wrong.
To be clear, no, I am not saying Texas is back. You aren’t “back” after losing a game at home. However, I think the Longhorns are finally on the right track. Steve Sarkisian had his players ready to go. Will he be the guy to captain the ship when the Longhorns are in the SEC? I don’t know, but he definitely works for now.
Like it or not, OU and Texas are joined at the hip, and they always will be. The Red River game is one of the most iconic games in college football for a reason. It’s just better when both teams are good.
I have all the confidence in the world in Brent Venables and his staff. The Sooners will be SEC-ready when that time does come. Will the Longhorns be SEC-ready? I feel better about their chances now than I did back in August.
Like it or not, football programs in the SEC have this certain image of themselves. They believe that they are a step above the rest. A frequent jab at the Sooners during their recent run of Big 12 Championships has been that their competition has been lacking. If the Sooners and Longhorns both go into the SEC and win football games, that argument loses credibility.
There’s very little downside to the Longhorns being competitive again for the Sooners. They already get better recruiting classes than OU. That’s always been an issue, although the 2023 class may be different.
A more competitive Red River game in October would be a good thing. If the Sooners can’t beat the Longhorns when Texas is, in fact, “back,” then they don’t deserve to be winning national championships. That is still the goal: to win national championships.
Brent Venables was brought to Norman to get the Sooners on the level of Alabamas and Georgias of college football. If Texas manages to get to that level as well, so be it.
There’s just no downside to the Longhorns being a good program again. Should OU and Texas both compete in the new SEC, good things will come to the Sooners.
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