Tomorrow marks the 108th annual AT&T Red River Rivalry match up between No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners and No. 5 Texas Longhorns. Now to some of you, I know you couldn’t care less about what has become one of the most highly anticipated football games of the year. But maybe seeing how this could compare to SMU football in some twisted way will pique your interest.
What is so special about this one game that it has been estimated more fans will attend than will pass through Ford Stadium during the Mustang’s entire season? Is it that both teams are nationally ranked or have won national championships? Is it the intense rivalry that has evolved between these schools over the years? Or is it the outstanding coaching staffs and Heisman hopefuls that frantically run up and down the field for sixty minutes, in hopes of earning another 365 days of bragging rights?
Having been to this game last season, I can attest that it gives the Rose Bowl and even the Super Bowl a run for their money. Held at Cotton Bowl Stadium smack in the middle of the Texas State Fair grounds, it attracts more crazed and insane burnt orange and maroon-clad Longhorn and Sooner fans than the university’s respective cities.
But when I compare it to SMU football, other than our football team’s more than disappointing record, the Mustang and Horned Frog rivalry provides just as many similarities to the Texas-OU game as the Battle for the Iron Skillet.
Both teams involved in the DFW Duel have at one point or another, been National Champions and achieved other national rankings and recognitions along the way. Just for the record, SMU and TCU each hold one title, OU has seven and UT has four. Yes, I realize seven is a whole lot more than one, but some programs just take longer, even 20 years longer, to develop than others.
The Mustangs, Sooners and Longhorns all have nationally recognized coaches, and each school has been home to Heisman Trophy successors and record breaking players. Okay, OU and Texas did not receive the death penalty and lose their entire program for a year, but both organizations have overcome extreme deficits only to be more successful in the years to follow. Oklahoma went on a five-game winning streak against Texas in the ’70s, but Texas managed to push on to eight- and seven-game win streaks, proving all teams are capable of escaping a rut.
Cotton Bowl stadium was home to the Mustangs for 31 years between 1948-78, eventually taking on the nickname “the house that Doak [Walker} built.” Texas and Oklahoma fans owe thanks to the best player in SMU’s history for the expansion of the stadium. Without Walker’s outstanding performance at SMU, Cotton Bowl Stadium would not be the spectacle it is today. Some of the Mustangs most historic games, including their win in the 47th Cotton Bowl Classic took place on the very same field the Sooner and Longhorns meet on tomorrow.
Home to the 1994 World Cup, Cotton Bowl Stadium has also hosted the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs within its concrete walls. Construction on the stadium resembles the SMU campus, as new renovations are constantly being implemented to add more seats and concession stands and a larger press box.
Besides the records, the only noticeable difference is the entire city of Dallas becomes one giant billboard, advertising anything from drink specials, to T-shirt sales, but only for Texas or OU fans. Forget being a Mustang fan and seeing red and blue hanging in windows. Walk down Greenville on an SMU game day and you’re more likely to see a Top 25 team on in sports bar T.Vs. No Mustangs, no Bo Levi Mitchell, and no June Jones. It’s almost become acceptable for people to leave campus on Saturday evenings knowing they can escape the downfall of SMU football just by heading out to surrounding bars.
Kick off for the Red River Rivalry is at 11 a.m., SMU kicks off against Tulsa at 7 p.m. at Ford Stadium. Yes, it’s fall break, and yes I realize no one will be on campus tomorrow, but if you’re lucky enough to catch both games, you might just catch a glimpse of what SMU could become.
Nicole Jacobsen is a junior journalism and advertising double major. She can be reached for comment at [email protected].
