Bob Stoops retires at Oklahoma: 5 reasons Texas will own the rivalry

Apr 15, 2017; Austin, TX, USA; Apr 15, 2017; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorn quarterback Shane Buchele (7) smiles with Texas head football coach Tom Herman during the Texas Longhorn 2017 Orange-White Spring Game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Gutierrez-USA TODAY Sports /

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Oct 8, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns running back D’Onta Foreman (33) runs against Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Emmanuel Beal (14) in the game at Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Texas has proven they can beat Oklahoma even when bad

The Oklahoma Sooners might have owned the rivalry during the Bob Stoops era, but the Texas Longhorns were still able to get their fair share of wins. Even recently, when the team struggled under Charlie Strong and was by no means good, they pushed the Sooners.

Oklahoma took the win this past season, but the Longhorns gave them everything they could handle. When it comes to the Red River Rivalry, it doesn’t matter if one team is bad and the other is good. It’s anyone’s ball game for 60 minutes in the Cotton Bowl.

With Stoops stepping down, Tom Herman has a chance to galvanize his players into a new era of being the dominant team in the rivalry. It’s going to take some work as Herman gets his recruits and culture put into place, but he’ll be coaching against someone in a similar boat.

Having a little recent success during the down years should give the Longhorns confidence that this rivalry is theirs for the taking when they do turn things around. Fans should be excited about the potential that this rivalry has with new faces at the helm. Let us not forget Herman bested Bob Stoops while with the Houston Cougars either.

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