Fanrun SEC Roadtrip Preview: The 121st Edition of The Red River Shootout
Image: Derek Cody/University of Oklahoma
By Aidan Sidoti
Few rivalries in college football carry the tradition and spectacle of the Red River Shootout – yes, Shootout, change the name back.
On Saturday, FanRun will be in Dallas for the 121st meeting between Texas and Oklahoma, played inside the historic Cotton Bowl Stadium with the Texas State Fair buzzing just outside the gates.
This game is more than just football. It’s about the split stadium, half burnt orange half crimson, and the carnival atmosphere that makes this rivalry unlike any other.
I’ll be doing my part before kickoff: fried butter, fried Coke, plenty of beer, and of course a Fletcher’s corny dog for breakfast.
Texas enters at 3-2, still searching for consistency offensively after last week’s 29-21 loss to Florida in which the Longhorns surrendered six sacks.
Protecting Arch Manning has to be priority No. 1 if they want to keep pace with Oklahoma’s stout defensive front.
The Longhorns will also monitor the status of Sooners quarterback John Mateer, who is expected to play just 17 days removed from thumb surgery in his throwing hand.
Dr. Shin really is a damn magician.
The real question is how effective will Mateer be barely two weeks after surgery?
For Oklahoma, they come in 5-0 and looking every bit like a team with playoff aspirations.
The defense allows just 7.2 points per game–second in the country behind Ohio State– and has only allowed three touchdowns all season.
Oklahoma’s defensive dominance makes them the more complete team, and Texas’ offensive line, along with Arch Manning, will be fighting for survival all afternoon.
The Red River Shootout is more than just a game– as I figured out the first time I went.
It’ll be my seventh Red River to date and it gets better each time I go. The split stadium, the fair food, the chaos, and the game that never fails to live up to the hype.
Whether Texas can protect Arch Manning and slow down John Mateer will decide the outcome, but either way, the 121st edition promises to be another installment in one of college football’s greatest rivalries.
Stay tuned for the recap article coming Tuesday.
