t's a new era for the Texas Longhorns football program. They now head to a new conference with their Red River rival, the Oklahoma Sooners.
Both teams had great runs in the Big 12, but the SEC is a completely different animal. That has some wondering which school is more "SEC-Ready." The easy answer would be the team that just played in the college football playoff, but I want to dig a little deeper than that.
I think the answer is Oklahoma. Now, I think both are going to be great, so it's more of a split-hairs situation here, but I think Texas will have more short-term success while the Sooners are built for more long-term success.
Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) evades a tackle by Washington edge Bralen Trice (8) during the Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff semifinals game at the Caesars Superdome on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. © Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK© Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK
If you look at it, both teams are recruiting near the top. Texas is recruiting a little bit better but the Longhorns almost always have recruited better. That has not mattered in the last two decades. I think both teams have found their future at head coach.
Steve Sarkisian is an offensive mastermind who does an excellent job of developing talent on that side of the ball. Now, we'll see what his defenses look like after losing some key contributors this offseason.
Brent Venables is a defensive mastermind. Last year, we saw his defense start coming into its own, but it's still not a finished product. Granted, he was just in Year 2 and had to fix a gutted roster due to Lincoln Riley's destruction of the defense.
Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables, at right, and Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian talk before the Red River Showdown college football game between the University of Oklahoma (OU) and Texas at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK© Provided by Athlon Sports
I think Oklahoma will be more successful because I trust defensive coaches more than offensive coaches, especially in the SEC. That's why I was not sold on Oklahoma's move to the SEC with Lincoln Riley.
Also, the coaches who have succeeded in the SEC have been former defensive coaches. The prime examples are Nick Saban and Kirby Smart.
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But if I wasn't sold on Riley in the SEC, why would I be sold on Sarkisian? Sarkisian will have a better defense than Riley did, so maybe that's the answer, but his offenses still do not rival what Riley built in Norman with multiple Heisman winners.
Ultimately, both teams are in a great spot, but give me the defensive-minded head coach over the offensive-minded head coach every day of the week.
Both teams had great runs in the Big 12, but the SEC is a completely different animal. That has some wondering which school is more "SEC-Ready." The easy answer would be the team that just played in the college football playoff, but I want to dig a little deeper than that.
I think the answer is Oklahoma. Now, I think both are going to be great, so it's more of a split-hairs situation here, but I think Texas will have more short-term success while the Sooners are built for more long-term success.
Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) evades a tackle by Washington edge Bralen Trice (8) during the Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff semifinals game at the Caesars Superdome on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. © Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK© Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK
If you look at it, both teams are recruiting near the top. Texas is recruiting a little bit better but the Longhorns almost always have recruited better. That has not mattered in the last two decades. I think both teams have found their future at head coach.
Steve Sarkisian is an offensive mastermind who does an excellent job of developing talent on that side of the ball. Now, we'll see what his defenses look like after losing some key contributors this offseason.
Brent Venables is a defensive mastermind. Last year, we saw his defense start coming into its own, but it's still not a finished product. Granted, he was just in Year 2 and had to fix a gutted roster due to Lincoln Riley's destruction of the defense.
Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables, at right, and Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian talk before the Red River Showdown college football game between the University of Oklahoma (OU) and Texas at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022. BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK© Provided by Athlon Sports
I think Oklahoma will be more successful because I trust defensive coaches more than offensive coaches, especially in the SEC. That's why I was not sold on Oklahoma's move to the SEC with Lincoln Riley.
Also, the coaches who have succeeded in the SEC have been former defensive coaches. The prime examples are Nick Saban and Kirby Smart.
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But if I wasn't sold on Riley in the SEC, why would I be sold on Sarkisian? Sarkisian will have a better defense than Riley did, so maybe that's the answer, but his offenses still do not rival what Riley built in Norman with multiple Heisman winners.
Ultimately, both teams are in a great spot, but give me the defensive-minded head coach over the offensive-minded head coach every day of the week.
