On October 12th the University of Texas and Oklahoma will clash on one of the biggest rivalries in sports. Ahead of the Red River Shootout, senior offensive lineman sent a clear message to quarterbacks Arch Manning, Quinn Ewers and rest of the Texas Longhorns.
Texas enters the game with a 5-0 record, ranked first in the nation. The winds have changed in Austin, and the Longhorns are now a juggernaut in college football. However, they can’t afford to get overconfident. On the other side, a tough Oklahoma Sooners squad will be standing ready, hungry to snatch both the Golden Hat and Texas’ hopes for an undefeated season.
Whenever Oklahoma and Texas meet, the records go out the window and anything can happen. It takes experience to learn that and senior offensive lineman Jake Majors knows all about it. On the eve of the 2024 Red River Rivalry, Majors sent a clear message to his ‘burnt orange’ teammates.
“We’re going to preach composure all week,” Majors said, via Sports Illustrated. “When it comes to game time, you got to come back together and glued to what we’re trying to do there. We’re not a finished product by any means. But I’m very proud of the way we’ve progressed and learned from our mistakes so far. We take all those mistakes with a grain of salt, knowing that we can get better next week, and I’m very proud of our unit for continuing to grow.”
Recent history
The Red River Rivalry, Shootout or Showdown is played annually since 1929. The dislike between both schools is evident on either campus. This game means much more than a single win in their records.
The Longhorns have the upperhand and lead the all-time series with a 63-51-5 record. Since the turn of the century, however, Oklahoma has flipped the script, boasting a 17-8 record in one of the NCAA‘s biggest matchups. Last year, Oklahoma snapped Texas’ undefeated streak at the Cotton Bowl. This time around the Sooners hope there is more from where that came from.
The Longhorns’ last victory came in 2022, when they took home the Golden Hat in dominant fashion with a 49-0 win. As these two sides prepare to clash again, something’s got to give. Will Oklahoma’s recent dominance prevail, or will Texas confirm their return to glory with an emphatic triumph in this classic rivalry?