With all the chaos that conference realignment has brought to college football, it will bring even more to Columbia, Missouri and Norman, Oklahoma on saturdays for years to come.
With Oklahoma entering the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the rivalry between the Sooners and the Tigers will be revived 13 years after the two team’s last matchup. When the two teams meet in November, it will be their 97th meeting.
For Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables, entering what he repeatedly called the most talented conference in the nation is an exciting challenge that Oklahoma will not shy awway from.
“It goes without saying that the SEC is a deep, incredibly competitive league,” Veneables said Tuesday at 2024 SEC Media Days, “unlike any other in college football and everything about this league is about parity, its about competetive depth and its one-possesion league.”
Oklahoma is familaar with playing in tough enviroments. Playing in Columbia in a late-season match with a ear-pounding crowd will be nothing new for the Sooners. Its the norm in the SEC. But the talent is a bit more deep in the SEC. There’s few, if any, easy outs in a season.
“You got incredibly challenging venues,” Venables said, “every member of this conference, top to bottom, is comitted to the excellence that this conference represents. As a football program, being here in our first year, we’re really looking forward to the challenge.”
There will be important factors on the line when the rivalry is renewed. Not only for the practical stakes with both teams expected to be in the running for the 12-team College Football Playoff but also for emotional stakes for fans.
The flames of the rivalry have been stoked over the past few years, mainly due to the transfer portal. Missouri has added a player from Oklahoma through the portal in each of the first two years. First with wide receiver Theo Wease in 2023 and then with offensive tackle Cayden Green in 2024. You don’t have to spend much time on the internet to sense the aminosity between the two fanbases.
That passion will come to life on Saturday, November 9, when the Sooners travel to face Missouri for the first time since 2010, when the Tigers secured a 36-27 victory over No. 1 ranked Oklahoma. Expect another meaningful matchup in week 11 of the season. According to Venables, the Sooners will be prepared for the test.
“Oklahoma isn’t intimidated as a program,” Venables said. “We’re running towards the SEC.”
Source link : https://www.yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/amp/missouris_revived_rivalry_with_oklahoma_will_be_one_of_many_challenges_for_new_sec_foe/s1_17065_40617330
Author :
Publish date : 2024-07-16 14:54:48
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.