When the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns take the field at the Cotton Bowl on Saturday, it will be the 120th iteration of the illustrious Red River Rivalry.
The game is almost always competitive, no matter the rankings or records of the two teams. Even if the game isn’t competitive, its history, pageantry, and setting remind us of a simpler time in college football.
Although Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables has only held the position since 2022, he spent 1999-2011 as the school’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. On Tuesday, Venables looked back on Oklahoma’s 34-30 win last season before discussing how easy it is to get excited for the rivalry.
“This is a game that brings out all the emotions, but you only get 12 a year. So how you couldn’t have that emotion 12 times in a regular season is beyond me and our guys have been great that way. You don’t have to ‘get ’em up’ to be ready to play. They’re emotionally charged up each and every week. But this always brings out the best in guys,” Venables said during his weekly media availability.
Combining his time as a coordinator and head coach, Venables holds a 9-6 record in the Red River Rivalry. This year may be his toughest test to date, though.
The Longhorns come into the game ranked No. 1 in the country, which hasn’t happened during the Red River Rivalry since 1965.
