October brings us Octoberfest and Wurstfest. To me these celebrations are merely an excuse to normalize what heavy beer drinkers do all the time, which is to drink a lot of beer. Big deal. The greatest most important and most consequential October celebration in Texas is the Texas-Oklahoma game. Or Texas-OU as we affectionately call it. A friend of mine a couple decades ago said Texas-OU was Christmas for adults. I had never thought of it in just that way, but he was exactly right.
During the last decade and a half, the Texas-Oklahoma celebration has been more like the Army-Navy game than the Texas-OU classics of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. The last time the Texas – Oklahoma game was played with both teams sporting undefeated records was 2011. Texas was ranked #11 and Oklahoma #2. It didn’t turn out to be a classic with Oklahoma winning 55-13.
Going into this year’s game both teams are undefeated. Texas is #3 and Oklahoma is #12. The game definitely has national championship implications. This is more like the Texas-OU that I grew up with. Mind you I was still growing up well into my 50s and the process isn’t over yet. Anyway, I did a little research, and you can see the results in the chart below. Since 1963, Texas and Oklahoma have met fifteen times with undefeated records and each ranked in the top 10. Seven times they were both undefeated and ranked in the top five. In 1963 Oklahoma was #1 and Texas was #2 in a game memorialized by Dan Jenkins in one of his classis Sports Illustrated stories. You should look it up. Under Darrell Royal Texas won that one 28-7 on their way to their first national championship.
Texas- Oklahoma History
Undefeated and ranked in the Top 10
Year UT Rank OU Rank Outcome
1963 2 1 W 28-6
1969 2 8 W 27-17
1971 3 8 L 48-27
1972 10 2 L 27-0
1975* 5 2 L 24-17
1977* 5 2 W 13-6
1978* 6 1 L 31-10
1979* 4 3 W 16-7
1981* 3 10 W 34-14
1983* 2 8 W 28-16
1984* 1 3 T 15-15
2001* 5 3 L-14-3
2002* 3 2 L 35-24
2004* 5 2 L 12-0
2008* 5 1 W 45-35
Texas Reord
7-7-1
* Willie Earl was there 2023
The last time I checked Texas was a 5.5-point favorite and to many analysts 5.5 points isn’t a big enough spread. When I look at this matchup I have trouble envisioning Oklahoma making a game of it. Deep down this worries me. It’s ancient history but there have been two other times when I felt very confident that Texas would win. In 1982 Texas lost and in 1984 it was a tie. I hope Texas is confident but not overconfident.
Paper Sooners
Oklahoma has been a scoring machine in 2023 putting up 73 and 66 points on Arkansas State and Tulsa respectively and another 50 on Iowa State. Dillon Gabriel is having a very good year so far ranking #7 nationally in passing yards with 1,593 and he’s completing 75.2% of his passes with a healthy 10.1 yards per pass average.
Take those stats with a grain of salt as they were compiled against the 82nd most difficult schedule in the country. Oklahoma’s signature win came against 2-3 Iowa State 50-20. They were held to 20 points by Cincinnati and 28 by SMU.
The Oklahoma running game is 55th nationally averaging only four yards per rush. Despite their paltry average rush, they are sticking with it averaging 40 attempts per game. Perhaps this stick-to-it-iveness in the rushing attack accounts for their offensive line’s success in pass protection. Gabriel has been sacked only four times through five games.
Statistically, the Oklahoma defense statistically has been as impressive as their offense surrendering only 10.8 points per game. Again, this is against the 82nd most difficult schedule in the country.
Quinn Ewers
I like that Quinn Ewers has been here before. Last season he played one of his best games at Texas against Oklahoma completing 21 of 31 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns. He won’t be overwhelmed by the magnitude of the game.
Dillon Gabriel missed the game last season due to an injury. We’ll see how well he deals with the Texas-OU cauldron.
Expectations
I expect Dillon Gabriel to connect on at least one touchdown pass of 40 yards or more and I expect Oklahoma—despite their limp rushing attack—to breakoff at least one run of 40 yards or more as Wyoming and Kansas has against Texas.
Quinn Ewers will have a good day but will throw one interception to choke off a Texas scoring drive. Xavier Worthy will allow at least one punt to hit the ground and roll inside Texas’ 5-yard line.
Texas will never lead by more than 10 points, and they will win the game by less than 10 points.
Fun OU game fact
I have attended 40 Texas-OU games and have never had a Fletcher’s corny dog.
BEAT THE HELL OUTTA OU
Hook ‘Em,
W.E.
“Seems Like Old Times”
