Believe it or not, it’s here: OU-Texas weekend is upon us. While this season’s edition is pushed up a week from its traditional second weekend in October, this is the official sign that we are in the thick of football season. With both teams ranked for the first time since 2012, we can officially say it: the rivalry is back on folks.

Meet the Longhorns:

I don’t really know what to say here. It’s Texas. While there are teams I certainly have deeply loathed over the years, there is no amount of hatred for a team than the one that burns for these guys. Over the past years, the rivalry’s importance may have faded due to constant trash Longhorn teams but the hatred never left.

I hate their color. I hate their logo. I hate their cannon. I hate their fight song. I hate just about everything involving these guys.

However, the past few years it just hasn’t felt right. Rivalries are great not only because the stakes are higher, but because the danger of losing is usually significant. Without that danger going in, the game simply doesn’t have the same weight. Even when OU managed to beat bad Texas teams, the vibe felt more “yeah, well, we were supposed to win” than “hell yeah, we beat Texas!”. And if you lose…the embarrassment is ten-fold.

But now, here we are, back to a ranked matchup for the first time in five years. The just feels right again.

Who to Watch For:

#11 Sam Ehlinger, QB

Honestly, I have no idea who to spotlight other than Ehlinger. He’s the only play that stands out for the Horns offensively, but his play has been just okay. The rushing is bad and the receiving game is usually limited to a few big plays (Editor’s Note: Texas DOES have two wideouts over 6’4; this will be an issue and we end up discussing it in our OU-Texas special of The Schooner Pod). This just kind a bit of an unspectacular team on paper. It makes much more sense how their punter won Texas Bowl MVP after my research.

Expect Ehlinger to manage the game the same way quarterback Charlie Brewer did Saturday; stay on the field and whittle away at the defense until they make a mistake.

Series History: 61-46-5 (Texas)

This one of the few series that Oklahoma actually trails. While the gap isn’t as close as one would assume, this a series that started before Oklahoma was a state. In recent history, the series has had a much more narrow slant.

One strange stat? In games this millennia where both teams are ranked, OU holds a dominating 9-3 record against the Longhorns. It’s strangely clear that the Sooners simply just show up more when Texas has a good record.

This is Day 1 of our week long OU-Texas preview series. Tomorrow, get ready for our State Fair guide: you won’t want to miss it!