Red River Shootout: The most wonderful time of the year
I said it in 2008 (search earlier entries) and I’ll say it again. It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
The weather is finally starting to cool down, baseball playoffs, high school football gets serious, and of course, the Red River Shootout (or Rivalry, take your pick). The more of these games I cover, the more I like what I see.
I’ll reference a blog I posted a few weeks ago that caused some discussion about whether or not it was good for Texas when OU lost to BYU. I didn’t think OU would have two losses on its record when the Sooners came into the Texas game. Where does that leave me on my pregame thoughts?
Sam Bradford is back. Period. Paragraph.
Jermaine Gresham is not. You may recognize that guy from previous years. #18, pointed the horns down in the end zone a few times… His absence makes a huge difference in any game Oklahoma plays.
The Longhorns’ 46 rushing yards against Colorado is a concern because of Oklahoma’s strong defensive front. If the run is not established, Texas becomes one-dimensional and therefore easier to defend.
Oklahoma’s offensive line is not the wrecking crew they brought to the 2008 game, and is still anchored by Trent Williams, but has holes. Holes I think Sergio Kindle, Lamarr Houston and Sam Acho would like to see.
Does this leave me with a pregame prediction? Absolutely not. I am reminded of Brian Orakpo’s postgame thoughts from last year, and how they still apply to Saturday. “Everyone was playing as hard as they possibly could, because nobody wanted to lose.” I am not doing this quote justice because the way he said it said it all. It was with urgency and passion, and when he said “nobody,” he meant, “not a single person on either team.”
The passion and the swagger and the pride which these two teams exhibit on Saturday at the Cotton Bowl is something to see. When you watch the spectacle of the half burnt orange, half crimson and cream crowd, watch the facial expressions of the players. Watch how they look at their surroundings. Last year, we got a great shot of Chris Hall after the 45-35 win, before the team sang “The Eyes of Texas.” He was on one knee, looking up, and taking it all in, appreciating what was around him. These guys have control of the outcome of the game, and they always talk about their favorite memories of the atmosphere.
My favorite memory will probably always be from my first game, where I was stuck in the tunnel with the Texas band marching to a drum cadence, while the Oklahoma captains walking up the tunnel and got yelled at by the band, and looked stone cold as they headed toward the locker room. There was so much energy in such a small place, it felt like being in an atom smasher.
The players on the field make time to appreciate what is around them. We should too. And then hate, scream, yell, Hook, Boom, and do whatever you need to do. But you’re doing yourself an injustice if you don’t appreciate it first.
