It feels kind of funny with this not being in early October. It also feels odd in that for the first time in my life OU and Texas will play each other twice in the same football season.
When this new ten team Big 12 evolved after Nebraska, Texas A&M, Missouri, and Colorado left the conference this matchup is what many expected to be an annual meeting of sorts. But it’s taken awhile for this to happen as Texas struggled with its program before finally showing some traction this season in Tom Herman’s second season in Austin.
The Big 12 needs this matchup if the conference is going to remain viable. These two iconic programs have to lead the Big 12 in football. Oklahoma has more than kept its part of the deal. The Sooners have been to two Final Fours and with a win in this game will probably make their third appearance in the college football playoff since its inception. If the Sooners win this game it will also mark their fourth straight Big 12 championship. No team has ever done this before.
From a conference standpoint this is a huge game with national implications. Historically, this could be where Texas draws a line in the sand and proclaims its intent to get back to yearly national relevance. Same thing could be said in the SEC championship game as Georgia continues its climb back to national relevance a year after making the national championship game against Alabama.
Notre Dame at 11-0 will be in the field. Alabama is in the field even if they lose against Georgia. Clemson is in if they beat Pitt in the ACC championship game. Nobody cares what the PAC 12 does on Saturday for the second straight season. OU and Ohio State are on the bubble while Georgia is only in if they beat Alabama.
If you’re a college football fan this is your favorite week of the season bar none.
If you’re either an OU or Texas fan this is new ground. This is something different having a second Red River Rivalry twice in a period of less than two months.
But this is what the forefathers of this ten team Big 12 envisioned as the saving grace for a football conference with ten teams where you play everybody at least once and if you’re lucky you get to play someone a second time in late November.
OU vs. Texas for an encore. The purists will say they hate it. I think it could be the saving grace for a conference which needs a brand boost in the worst way.