TEXAS OU: Part II (The Charts don't lie)

The following shows trends and score since the inception of the RRR. Data source wikipedia...

What conclusions do I draw? Obviously we own the historical edge from a win/loss perspective. Over the course of the rivalry there have been some dark times for both sides, although I have to say I think the 1960s is the single worst span ever endured by either team, and I'm happy to say it was Oklahoma that was weeping and gnashing over those years. The 50s were tough on us and we survived some games that must have been horrifying to behold. (Talk to Don Meyer on that one.)

Of course I can think of no worse period than those early Mack v Stoops years with the exception of that 99 match that I watched from a bar in Georgetown and still remember warmly. The Gardere wins were fantastic but that speaks mostly to the beauty of this particular game given both programs were relatively mediocre and living under the shadow of the Sunshine State. Also we all knew in our hearts it was a mirage then and we were exposed for the pretenders we were by the Miami gang in 91. And the "Wrecking Crew"--the height of Aggie achievement--corrupt though it was it still hurt. Then the UCLA debacle...oh but that Nebraska game is still pure sweetness. I digress.

Unfortunately the OU game has been a fair barometer of the state of our program for more years than it has not and therefore I see value in these charts. What's the bottom line? It ain't pretty. As good as Mack and the Longhorns have been over the last 10+ years (2010 excepted), with the exception of a couple years (2005 and 2009) we have been one upped by Stoops and the Sooners. Trust me it hurts to admit it. Even 2008 when we beat them in perhaps the greatest TX OU game I've ever seen they got the better of us in the end. (Pull gun from holster, shoot self in foot. I was in that corner of the end zone with a crying child as Crabtree waltzed in.) Whether self inflicted (Colorado in the Big XII Championship) or poked by OU (OU v K State), we come in second even in this great era of Texas football. I choose to give credit to Stoops and Oklahoma for resurrecting that program and making it what it is today, rather than taking after Mack. Maybe it's just bad luck.

In the end, though, we are Texas and that is a very good thing. We aren't going anywhere and we have great days ahead. I like the building blocks we've got in place right now (55-17 does worry me though; and I have to confess I liked the David McWilliams hire). We'll only be able to judge where we really are institutionally in a few years. I look forward to that.

One thing is indisputable in my mind though. We are a heck of a lot better off today than we were in 1997 pre-Mack Brown and for that I will always be grateful to Mack (and the folks who made the hire). I remain hopeful that he's got another national championship in him, but I also think he's going to have to get it in the next 3-4 years if he does. That's not much time. If he does win it all we will view 55-17 as the anomaly and not--as many of us quietly fear--a reversion to the mean. We will also own Oklahoma again someday.

Hookem

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