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Big 12 Conference: How would OU, Texas football fare in SEC?

By John Scimeca

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 30: Running back Marcus Major #24 of the Oklahoma Sooners is tackled by linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper #28 of the Florida Gators during the second halfat AT&T Stadium on December 30, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - DECEMBER 30: Running back Marcus Major #24 of the Oklahoma Sooners is tackled by linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper #28 of the Florida Gators during the second halfat AT&T Stadium on December 30, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /
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If recent history (and common sense) is any indication, OU football would have a much easier time in the SEC than Texas if the two schools make the rumored jump from the Big 12.

OU has a clear edge against SEC opponents compared to Texas, as the Sooners have won the Big 12 six years running and have competed in the CFP several times since 2014, neither of which the Longhorns have done in that time span. OU has beaten Texas 15 of the past 20 seasons, including the last three meetings in a row. OU is now a perennial national title contender, while Texas has struggled with Big 12 mediocrity amidst three coaching changes in the past eight years.

A move from the Big 12 Conference wouldn’t affect OU too much in the regular season in its potential new SEC home. Texas is a different story.

Oklahoma football has played 11 SEC teams in school history and owns a winning record against six of them. In the past decade, the Sooners have compiled a 4-4 mark against SEC schools — including several College Football Playoff losses to Georgia, Alabama, and LSU. Before that the Sooners beat: Auburn in the 2016 Sugar Bowl, Tennessee twice in the regular season, and Alabama in the 2013 Sugar Bowl. Most recently, the Sooners defeated Florida 55-20 in last year’s Cotton Bowl.

OU owns a win-loss record of 15-10-2 against the SEC all-time. In the imagined, new SEC West Division, OU would have conference ties or share a state border with multiple teams — Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, and Texas A&M.

OU is undefeated (8-0-1) against the SEC in regular-season contests, dating back to a 0-0 tie against Vanderbilt in 1933. Since the start of the Bob Stoops era in 1999, the Sooners are 4-7 against SEC teams in bowl games.

In the last decade, Texas is 3-3 against SEC teams. They split two games against Ole Miss in 2012 and 2013, they lost to Arkansas and then beat Missouri in the Texas Bowl in 2014 and 2017, respectively, they beat Georgia in the 2018 Sugar Bowl, and they lost to LSU at the beginning of the 2019 season as the Tigers began their march to the national title behind coach Ed Orgeron and quarterback Joe Burrow.

Five of these six squads would be in Texas’ potential, geographically-based SEC West Division, and several of these schools (the Razorbacks in the Southwest and the Tigers in the Big 12) are former conference foes of the Longhorns.

The .500 record seems about par for the course for Texas against the SEC since 2012, considering that the Longhorns have been in a slide since former coach Mack Brown’s departure.

Next. Salvage the Big 12 with these four additional teams. dark

Dating back to 1935, the Longhorns are 37-19-2 all-time against SEC teams.

Oklahoma State football is 6-13 against the SEC all-time. As OSU’s head coach, Mike Gundy is 4-5 against the SEC — including the most recent matchup, a 24-21 loss to Texas A&M in the 2019 Texas Bowl.

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