Written by Allen Kenney at Bloguin
For all of the mystique that surrounds college football’s best rivalry game, the Red River Shootout rarely produces what many would consider instant classics.
Of the last 20 meetings between Oklahoma and Texas, the final margin of victory has fallen within a touchdown just six times. In fact, there have been just as many games in that span where the winning squad has administered beatdowns of 20 points or more.
The games are rarely well-played. I can come up with just as many editions like the 10-7 clunker in 1991 as I can heavyweight showdowns like 2008. Frequently on those October Saturdays, the electricity of more than 90,000 crimson- and burnt orange-clad fans split right down the middle of the Cotton Bowl turns the game into a perverse contest of who makes fewer mistakes.
Yes, Oklahoma and Texas share mutual disdain and begrudging respect. Sure, the setting in the middle of the Texas State Fair is as unique as you’ll find in the sport. Of course, you can get a deep-fried Thanksgiving dinner to accompany your wax cup of lukewarm beer.
All go into making this annual grudge match a singular college football experience. But what really stand out are those times when the drama that seems to constantly surround these teams away from the field bleeds into the action on it.
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