Believe it or not, the Oklahoma Sooners have appeared three times more in the College Football Playoffs than the Texas Longhorns.
The Horns earned their first berth into the CFPs in 2023, after nearly a decade and a half of struggling to earn a spot in the nation’s top 25.
The Sooners, led by stars such as Baker Mayfield, made their way to the CFPs in 2016 and then for three consecutive seasons from 2018 to 2020.
However, the past season saw Texas storm back to the front of the college football scene and earn their first playoff appearance.
As both the Horns and the Sooners join the SEC, almost everyone is talking about how head coach Steve Sarkisian has built Texas for success in its new conference but is Oklahoma ready?
Brent Venables left the Clemson Tigers for the head coaching job at OU in 2022 and has led the Sooners to a 16-10 overall record so far.
Last season, the Sooners finished at 10-3 overall, 7-2 in conference play, but lost an embarrassing appearance against the Arizona Wildcats in the Alamo Bowl.
Texas finds itself with a top-three position in many preseason rankings, while Oklahoma struggles to break into the top 15.
Not to mention, the Sooners lost their Heisman-hopeful quarterback Dillon Gabriel to the Oregon Ducks while fellow Heisman candidate quarterback Quinn Ewers stayed in Austin.
The Longhorns also earned a No. 6 ranking for Sarkisian’s work in the 2024 transfer portal, Venables and Oklahoma landed at No. 20 in the country.
Out of context, the Sooners have a powerhouse program. However, going up against their new SEC opponents and the Horns, Oklahoma isn’t quite up to snuff.
So, yes, the Texas Longhorns are more than ready to play in, and most likely dominate, the SEC but the Oklahoma Sooners may need a few more years to acclimate.
