 Thanks for reading week nine of the Rivalry Name Rankings, brought to you this week by… geography.
The No. 7 ranking is given to the game which pits two border states against each other every year—a game that always guarantees an exciting match-up. Usually, these teams are the top two in the Big 12. As if the players of these teams aren’t geared up enough to play this game, the fans are among the most intense college football supporters in the country, and you may have read stories of how much trash talk occurs, or how many fights break out in the parking lot, between these fans.
If you haven’t put in your guess yet, go ahead.
And the winner is…the Red River Shootout, or, more recently. the Red River Rivalry.
The first game of this rivalry, which turned 100 games old in 2005, was played in 1900. The game was only played three times in the 1920s, but otherwise has been played every year, sometimes even twice in a year. Currently, the winner brings home two trophies each year: the Golden Hat, and the Red River Rivalry trophy. The Golden Hat is a ten-gallon hat made of gold, which the winning school’s athletics department holds on to for the year after their team wins.
The Golden Hat is a ten-gallon hat made of gold, which the winning school’s athletics department holds on to for the year after their team wins. 
The Red River Rivalry trophy has been kept by the winner each year since the two schools’ student governments joined up to make the trophy in 2003.
Now, let’s look at some information on the all time series. Texas leads the rivalry 57-39-5, including wins in the first four games of the series. The Longhorns won all six games from 1922-1932, and pulled off two eight-game win streaks from 1940-1947 and 1958-1965. Oklahoma’s longest win streak is six games, which ironically came just before one of Texas’ eight-game streaks (1952-1957). However, when the Sooners win, they occasionally put up some major points. Examples of big wins: 50-0 in 1908, 52-13 in 1978, 63-14 in 2000, and 65-13 in 2003. Meanwhile, Texas has only scored 40 or more points four times, and never reached higher than 45 (in the 2005 game, which they won 45-12).
Since 1929, the game has been played in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. One of the more awesome sights in college football is the view of the crowd at the game, and here’s why: The tickets are split 50/50 between Texas and Oklahoma (who then sell them to their faithful fans, donors, etc.). The field is also split 50/50 on the 50 – literally, because the 50 yard line is the divider between what essentially is a Sea of Burnt Orange and a Sea of Red.
As far as the history of the name, it’s based on American geography. The Red River runs between Texas and Oklahoma, forming part of the border between the two states. Therefore, it is quite an appropriate name for the game, and falls under the “clever” category of these rankings.
That’s it for this week – if you have any comments for me, please post them on the message boards, using the link at the top. Thanks for reading, and check back next week. Go Wahoos.
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