The Ultimate Texas Tech vs Oklahoma Showdown!

If you’ve been paying attention to college football this season, you know that it’s not the national championship game that has you fumbling in the bathroom, but rather a little showdown between two of the Big 12’s powerhouse programs at home on a senior day. The winner gets to host the national championship game at historic Jones AT Texas Tech, and the loser must travel all the way to Oklahoma for one final match-up against their former teammate. Well, now we can officially say goodbye to these two programs as they face off against one another for a final time this Saturday night! This is no ordinary rivalry. These are two of the most storied football programs in the history of college football, with rich traditions and heated rivalries that reach well beyond their famous head-to-head matchup in Norman. From Lubbock to Lufkin and everywhere in between this weekend, consider this your Ultimate Texas Tech vs Oklahoma Showdown guide!


What is the Texas Tech-Oklahoma rivalry?
The Texas Tech-Oklahoma football rivalry is one of the oldest in college football. It’s one of the longest-running rivalries in all of the college sports, having been around for almost as long as there have been teams from Texas Tech and Oklahoma. The two programs have met in 11 different seasons, most recently in Norman, Oklahoma on December 3, 2017. The Red Raiders and Sooners have met 26 times in the trenches, including in the postseason. Texas Tech leads the all-time series, 13-6.


How long has the Oklahoma-Texas Tech rivalry been around?
The Oklahoma-Texas Tech football rivalry is one of the most storied in all of the college sports. The game has been taking place in Norman, Oklahoma since 1912, but there was really no precedent for this game. The first game in the series was between Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, played in Stillwater, Oklahoma. This was the template for how the series would operate for the next century.


Which school started it first?
Both Oklahoma and Texas Tech claim to be the first school to play in this series, though the Sooners are probably a little more accurate in their claim. When the Sooners joined the Southwest Conference in 1921, they were members of the Texas Inter-State League, which was relatively new at the time. The league’s only other members, the Texas Tech Red Raiders, were also members of the SWC. The Tech-OSU series began in 1924, seven years after the Tech-Red Raider’s first game.


The most heated match-up of these two teams was in Norman at the Cotton Bowl.
This was the second meeting between the two teams in Norman, as the Red Raiders visited the Sooners in 1997, but this was the first time that the teams actually met in Norman. Texas Tech won the first game in Norman, 17-6, but OU came back to win the next two games, 24-19 and 26-23, to give the Sooners a winning record against the Red Raiders in Norman.


Classic Texas Tech vs Oklahoma clashes
The most exciting and iconic match-up that this year’s game features are, without a doubt, the classic 1968 clash between the two programs in Lubbock. The Red Raiders led the nation in scoring, and the Sooners, who would become national champions three years later, we’re right on their tails. The game was scoreless after the first quarter, and the gears were still on the field for several extra periods when Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer decided to bring on the kicker for his final attempt. The Red Raiders were able to drive for the winning field goal, but the officials called the playback and the Sooners won, 7-6.


Who will be the winner of this game?
This is not a traditional rivalry game. There is not one team that everyone supports, and there is not one that fans love either way. Rather, these is two programs that have been going at it for decades with a lot of history between them. And even though the winner of this game will host the Super Bowl, it’s not the national championship game. This is an opportunity to crown a champion against all odds, and it’s a chance for the losing program to bow out on top. So which program will win this game? It all comes down to the winner of the game between Alabama and Ohio State. If the Buckeyes can pull off the upset and take care of business against the No. 1 team in the country, they will solidify themselves as the national champion, and they will also be hosting the game against the champion, which would make this their final game against Texas Tech.


Can Oklahoma still compete for a national championship?
Although Oklahoma voters this year may have decided to give the school their “College Football National Champions” Trophy, the Sooners are still not eligible for the national title. They needed just one more win to become eligible for the playoff, but Oklahoma State and TCU tied for the final spot, and those teams will now play this week in the CFP championship game. So, while the Sooners have momentum and a chance to win the game, it’s the Crimson Tide who have the hardware.

Does Texas Tech have a chance to win this game?
The Red Raiders have not been to a bowl game in 11 years, making this a longshot possibility. But, if the team can somehow take down the conference’s other two powerhouses, Florida State and Clemson, in their final two games, they will have a much better chance at a bowl game and a second consecutive 8-game winning streak. If the Red Raiders somehow fall short, then it will be a classic shootout against the Seminoles at the Cotton Bowl.


Busted Coverage: Will Oklahoma Win?
The Red Raiders are 5-1 all-time against the Sooners, and they have won twice in Norman. However, the last time these two teams met, in 1997, the game was played in freezing temperatures, and the Sooners won, 37-23. So, it will be interesting to see if Tech’s coaching staff is actually cold-hearted enough to let the game get that close. But, the key to winning this game will be for Tech receiver Jehu Chesson, who is set to make his first career start at cornerback, to stay healthy and not allow his team to get burned by the Sooners’ pass rush.


Does Oklahoma still have a chance to win the national championship?
This game does not count for anything in relation to the national championship, but it is still a chance for two programs to play against one another in a classic game that has been taking place for almost as long as college football has been a thing. So, even though the Sooners have nothing to play for other than a chance at redemption, it’s still a great opportunity for the fans to see two of college football’s most storied programs take the field against one another in a battle of the titans.