Red River Shootout Or Iron Bowl: Texas And Oklahoma Bringing Nation's Best Rivalry To SEC?

DALLAS - These dang newbies from Texas and Oklahoma haven't even played a game in the Southeastern Conference yet, and they think they already have the best rivalry in the league and country.

The Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn is seen as the nation's best, or one of them, because it is an in-state game matching brother vs. brother in a state with no major professional sports. But Texas coach Steve Sarkisian gave the crown to the Red River Shootout between SEC yearlings Texas and Oklahoma Wednesday at the SEC Media Days here.

Alabama (left) and Auburn have met in football every year since 1948 and 88 times in all since 1893, and they played every game from 1948-88 at the neutral site of Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. (Getty Images)

"I’ve been part of the Iron Bowl," Sarkisian said in his first SEC Media Days at the Omni Hotel downtown. Sarkisian previously was Alabama's offensive coordinator under coach Nick Saban in 2019 and '20.

"I’ve been part of the Apple Cup in Washington. I've been part of SC-UCLA," he said as he coached the Washington Huskies from 2009-13 and USC in 2014 and '15. "I’ve been part of some great games. The Red River Rivalry is the most unique game for sure that I’ve ever been a part of."

Rookie mistake? Inexperienced exuberance? Well, he did make some excellent points.

The Red River Shootout between Texas and Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas is not an in-state game, but it's very close to it. Texas, located in Austin, is 197 miles straight south of Dallas. Oklahoma, located in Norman, is 190 miles straight north of Dallas. The Red River separates the two states.

And the Red River Rivalry has what the Iron Bowl no longer has - a neutral site right here in Dallas with an exact 50-50