The Odyssey was sickened when Oklahoma and Texas announced their move to the SEC in 2021. SICKENED!!
In so doing, the two traditional powers decided to destroy many zesty regional rivalries. The worst outcome will be the end of the annual Bedlam game between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. REALLY?!?! C’mon Oklahoma state legislature — earn your keep and do whatever it takes to keep this game on the schedule. We scoff at their athletic directors who say that scheduling the game will become impossible. Get real!! Your fans would love the banishment of a non-conference cupcake off the schedule in favor of Bedlam.
With the actual exit date of the Sooners and Longhorns still unclear, their 2022 games at many conference venues may be their final visit. Texas Tech fans get far more geeked up to play Texas than any other team. When the Red Raiders hosted the Longhorns and upset Texas in overtime last month, a joyous field storming resulted. Last Saturday, Texas generously coughed up a 14-point lead and lost at Oklahoma State, 41-34. Don’t you think the spirit of Boone Pickens celebrated like it was 1999?
TCU’s sendoff of Oklahoma in Fort Worth was the most deliciously emphatic. Brent Venables was hired as the new coach in Norman due to his defensive chops. Wonder how Venables felt when TCU torched his defense for 478 yards: in the FIRST half! The Horned Frogs 55-24 blowout of Oklahoma has been one of the season’s shockers.
There are 5 more chances for vengeful sendoffs in the last 5 weeks of the regular season:
10/29 Oklahoma at Iowa State
11/5 Texas at Kansas State (Get healthy, Adrian Martinez)
11/12 Oklahoma at West Virginia
11/19 Texas at Kansas (Be fantastic if the Jayhawks can again upset UT)
11/26 Oklahoma at Texas Tech
Make no mistake. All 5 of these home teams will be sky high for these “farewell” tilts. Make no further mistake: The Odyssey will root for these home squads to go 5-0, but would gladly “settle” for 4-1.
Since Texas has not been able to win a Big 12 championship in seemingly forever, moving to the SEC and being a middle-of-the-pack member may not produce a big change in their results.
However, we think Oklahoma is making a mistake in moving to the SEC from a success standpoint. The Sooners’ recent dominance of the Big 12 will not be matched in the SEC. Mark that down as a certainty. We wonder how well that Oklahoma will do in the NIL, money-is-first era. The Sooners have always heavily relied on Texas preps for their excellence over the past 70 years. With Texas and Texas A&M having deeper pockets their virtually any other program, the Odyssey questions whether the Sooners will maintain their same level of success in recruiting the Lone Star state. Toss in the fact that an upcoming Arkansas program also heavily recruits Texas and we predict a Sooner dropoff in the SEC.
In which case, could Oklahoma become a new version of Nebraska? A former power that falls on harder times and unsuccessfully flails away in an effort to regain glory.
The Odyssey sure hopes so. We are mad at the crippling of a great regional conference. Rock groups often go on farewell tours to adoring fans. The farewell tours of Oklahoma and Texas won’t exactly be met with the same fate as the Eagles.