Kirk Herbstreit believes Texas game will say more about who Oklahoma is
The Red River Rivalry is already going to be massive for a pair of Top-15 teams and their fanbases. To Kirk Herbstreit, though, this stage in the Cotton Bowl is the Sooner’s chance to announce themselves to the sport.
Herbstreit spoke with Bob Stoops on ‘Conversations with Coach’ to discuss No. 12 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 Texas. Although they’re just as undefeated as the Longhorns, Herbstreit believes we have a much better chance of learning more about OU by the end of the weekend.
“I’ve watched Oklahoma but I think, this week, at least as an outsider? I think all of us are, obviously, going to learn a lot more about who they really are,” said Herbstreit.
Still, even for an outsider, Herbstreit knew more than most about the Sooners. He went on to speak well about both of their units, which each currently rank in the top-five nationally, and what has been built already in just over a year under Brent Venables in Norman.
“I’m a big fan of Jeff Lebby and what they do on that side of the football. You know what they’re capable of doing, especially with Dillon (Gabriel),” said Herbstreit. “They seem to have more playmakers around him. They seem to be, in the second year, just playing faster on that side of the ball.”
“Then, everybody knew – Brett learned under you and Mike (Stoops). I mean everybody knew his reputation, even with Clemson, as one of the better defensive minds, one of the more innovative defensive minds in the game,” Herbstreit noted.
Oklahoma sits at 5-0 but has done so against fairly flat competition. Their slate has been a bit lackluster while OU has posted an average margin of victory of over 36 points.
Still, Texas is on a whole other level from what they’ve seen before. For Herbstreit, that makes it the perfect proving ground, in a rivalry game no less, for the Sooners to make a statement that they’re as real as anybody else by the start of October.
“I feel like we know more about Texas just because of being tested a little bit. I feel like if OU wins this game? They’re, all of a sudden, going to be a major splash on the scene in the college football world,” Herbstreit explained. “Right now, after the year they had last year? I think the college football world is like, ‘I’m not sure, yet, about who they are yet.’
“If they go out and win this game? Their entire world would change drastically because of the attention and the stage that they’re about to step into on Saturday.”