Tramel: Mike Gundy will miss OSU-Texas, a vital Cowboy rivalry that's about to go away
Berry TramelOklahoman
STILLWATER — Steve Sarkisian doesn’t strike anyone as a football coach who likes to answer questions. He goes through the motions, but he doesn’t seem to enjoy press conferences. But this week, the Texas football coach got a question he liked. Has he ever been to Stillwater?
“I've never been to Stillwater,” Sarkisian said quickly. “That was an easy one.”
Quarterbacking Brigham Young and coaching on the West Coast, or at Alabama, or in the National Football League, generally will steer you clear of Payne County. But Sarkisian finally walks into Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday for the first time. And maybe the last.
Even if Sark’s Longhorns stay in the Big 12 through the 2024 season before high-tailing it to the Southeastern Conference, the scheduling parameters of a 14-team league don’t guarantee that Texas will be back in Stillwater in either 2023 or 2024. Which should make everyone a little wistful. Including Mike Gundy.
“I think it’s going to be sad,” Gundy said.
The scheduling repercussions of the OU and Texas exodus have focused on the likely demise of Bedlam. But weep, too, over the loss of the Longhorn series and its importance in the Cowboy football renaissance. OSU’s success against Texas has played a not-small role in Gundy making the Cowboys a national brand.
“We’ve had great games with Texas,” Gundy said. “Our guys like playing Texas. Most of our kids are from Texas, and it’s been fun.”
Not so fun for the Longhorns. Since Texas’ 2009 Big 12 championship season, OSU is 8-4 in the series. And the Cowboys supplanted UT as the Big 12’s second-most successful program. Over the last 12½ seasons of Big 12 play, OSU is 74-36, Texas 58-52. The Longhorns are a barometer for OSU. Everyone knows the Cowboys’ Bedlam curse. But if you’re beating Texas on a regular basis, you’re on the right track.
“I think it’s a big deal,” Gundy said. “Even if they’re not playing to what they think their capability is over a period of years … they’re fortunate. They have a long history. They’re a traditional, I don’t know, arguably top five, right, when you talk about mystique? Top 10?”
And OSU-Texas games have been dramatic. Each of the last five games in the series have been decided by eight points or less, including two overtime games (OSU won 13-10 in 2017; Texas won 41-34 in 2020).
Remember when the Cowboy-Longhorn narrative was the big OSU lead, only to fall victim to an historic UT comeback?
2004: OSU led 35-7 late second quarter; Texas won 56-35.
2005: OSU led 28-9 late second quarter; Texas won 47-28.
2007: OSU led 35-14 in the fourth quarter; Texas won 38-35.
But those days are long gone. From those ashes, Gundy built a winning program with players who believed in themselves. Especially against Texas.
“This team believes in ourselves and everybody calls us the underdogs, but we feel like we’re not,” OSU defensive end Collin Oliver said. “If we’re going in there with that mindset, we’ll be just fine.”
Indeed, Texas is a 6½-point favorite Saturday, mostly because of that mystique Gundy mentioned, though Spencer Sanders’ ailing shoulder plays a part, too. This point spread is Las Vegas preying on the weakness of people who are allergic to their money. More rational minds (Associated Press poll voters) show OSU’s ascension: starting in 2010, the Cowboys have been the higher-ranked team eight times to Texas’ four at the time of the game. Including this year.
Of course, Sarkisian has Texas playing well and back in contention for a berth in the Big 12 Championship Game. UT has made it to Arlington for only one of the six title games staged since 2009, and the Longhorns would not have qualified for JerryWorld even had the conference staged a championship game from 2010-16. But the Cowboys stand in Texas’ way. They’ve been a thorn in Bevo’s flesh while building their own brand.
Cherish the game Saturday. It’s a rivalry of special significance to OSU, and it’s about to go away.
