I have been hearing and reading a lot of press and memes about how the SEC will cut Oklahoma and Texas down to size. The overwhelming majority seems to think that Oklahoma and Texas will not survive in the SEC and will turn into average teams. I am going to push back on this misguided notion.
Over the last 8 years, Oklahoma has played an SEC in bowl games on 6 occasions and won 3 times. They have defeated Alabama, Auburn and most recently Florida in the 2020 Cotton Bowl. The Sooners beat the Gators 55-20. That was their last game against an SEC opponent.
Texas has played 3 SEC teams in the last 5 years in bowl games. They lost to Arkansas but defeated Missouri and Georgia. In 2018 Texas played Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and defeated them 28-21.
Prepping for Lincoln Riley’s and Steve Sarkisian’s offense with only a week to practice is a whole lot different than preparing for them over a 3-to-5-week time span. Bowl games offer teams significantly more prep time than playing a regular season game. While SEC defenses tend to be the toughest in college football, there are precious few SEC teams that have the collective speed and skill of an Oklahoma Sooner offense.
Alabama is often thought of as the standard that all college football teams should want to live up to. Yet, which football teams consistently give Alabama fits? Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Clemson and Ohio State. What do all four of those teams have in common? High up-tempo offenses. Only one of those teams is in the SEC. And though Nick Saban is 8-1 against Texas A&M the games are always exciting.
Oklahoma routinely has top 5 recruiting. Oklahoma is consistently considered a top 10 team in the NCAA. I think it’s easy to discount Oklahoma because it’s not a sexy school. The University of Oklahoma is situated in Norman, the very heart of fly over country. Having lived in Oklahoma, many of the citizens are proud of their state. However, many of those same citizens think that most of the country considers them to be an afterthought. That is why most of the state rallies around the Sooners and are so proud of their accomplishments.
Oklahoma football has always been a fixture in NCAA football history. They have 13 Heisman trophy winners. They have 22 players and 5 coaches in the college football hall of fame. Most recently Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray were drafted number 1 in the NFL draft. Norman is the place to really hone your skills and focus on your football craft. What high school football senior wouldn’t want to play for such a lauded program giving them a great opportunity to compete for championships?
Texas Football also has a storied history in college football. Situated in Austin, the University of Texas always draws the top talent from the state. They consistently compete at a high level. Like every program there are dips. However, the University of Texas is committed to winning. They hired Coach Sarkisian who knows the SEC well. He spent time coaching for Nick Saban. Coach Sarkisian also coached in the NFL. He knows how to prepare for an NFL defense. Many of the best NFL defensive players come from the SEC. Coach Sarkisian will have the Longhorns ready to compete and competing at a high level. Texas may even steal recruits from other schools knowing that they, with their prestige, their location and their history will be playing in the best college football conference in the NCAA.
I think it is a mistake to automatically discount Oklahoma and Texas out of the SEC. They will compete. They will make the SEC better. They will win.
