Rivalry game with Texas may be another indicator of how Oklahoma fares under coach Brent Venables

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Without a doubt, a measuring stick game for any Oklahoma football coach happens to be the annual October rivalry matchup against Texas in Dallas.

The current Sooners’ coach, Brent Venables, knows full well about the magnitude of the game commonly known as the Red River Rivalry. In Venables’ first three seasons as OU’s coach, the game with the Longhorns seems to act as an indicator of the Sooners’ fortunes the remainder of the season.

In Venables’ first season as OU’s coach (2022), the Sooners were demolished, 49-0. It eventually led to a 6-7 finish, OU’s first losing record since 1998.

But the following year, the Sooners got revenge, using a TD pass in the final seconds from Dillon Gabriel to Nic Anderson to pull off a thrilling 34-30 win. That was arguably the high point of a season in which Oklahoma reached the Top 10 and won 10 games.

Here’s Dillon Gabriel’s dagger to Nic Anderson from about as close to the action as you can get. pic.twitter.com/m1f8uj1gRp

— Parker Thune (@ParkerThune) October 7, 2023

Last season, though, was a similar script to Venables’ first season, as Texas handed OU a 34-3 defeat. Like 2022, the Sooners eventually finished 6-7, and won just two conference games in their initial journey through the Southeastern Conference.

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So Venables knows how important this season’s game, which takes place on Oct. 12, could be for a team seeking a quick turnaround. He was asked about the Red River Rivalry on Wednesday during Oklahoma’s appearance at SEC Media Days in Atlanta.

“I would say two of the three years, we were at some key positions where we were in a really tough spot, but I think two years ago, it was reflective of the type of game that it should be, and will be moving forward,” Venables said. “But we’ve got to play better, we’ve got to coach better, play better, and that's a wonderful venue, as good as there is in all of college football (Dallas’ Cotton Bowl).

“I've said it a lot, it’s better than any national championship environment that I've been in. … So, we'll get back on track, and look forward to that opportunity in October, when it gets here.”

And Venables and the Sooners are hoping this year’s game will be more like the 2023 version instead of the ones from 2022 and 2024.