Texas and OU enjoy bye weeks, look to the first-ever SEC Red River Rivalry next

One of the greatest sports rivalries in the world is between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners, no matter the sport. Most people, when they think of the teams, draw up images of the Cotton Bowl, split down the middle in burnt orange and crimson for the Red River Rivalry.

This year, both teams have a bye in Week 6 as they prepare for the (in)famous matchup, the Horns holding a perfect record as they head into the bye week for their first time under head coach Steve Sarkisian.

Texas has bounced around the top four spots in the AP Poll and is currently ranked No. 2 in the nation while Oklahoma has hovered around the top 20 spots throughout the season. While OU already has one loss so far, this game could determine who earns a spot in the conference championship game down the line.

The conference that these two teams compete in? The SEC.

For the first time ever, this Red River Rivalry is an SEC rivalry and in this conference, it just means more.

Last year, the Sooners and the Longhorns played in the Big 12 for their last season and Oklahoma stunned the No. 3 Texas squad in the rivalry matchup. Once again, quarterback Quinn Ewers will be returning from injury in the game, which also happened in 2022. However, this year, the Sooners don't have a solid quarterback leading the offense.

The moral of the story is that, between these two programs, a lot has changed while a lot has stayed the same over the decades that they have shared a field and a conference.

"The rivalries in college football, that's what this is all about, it's so special," Steve Sarkisian said in a mid-week press conference. "I love the pageantry of college football, I love the energy of the crowd... There's nothing like this game."

In Week 7, Texas and Oklahoma are scheduled to kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET in Dallas, TX at the one and only Cotton Bowl stadium.

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