The Red River Rivalry rarely turns into a runaway, and that’s a big part of why Oklahoma-Texas is such a staple every fall. These games usually come with tension, noise and plenty of back-and-forth. When one side does pull away, it stands out.
In 121 years of the series, only 16 games have been decided by 30 points or more. That’s a tiny slice of the rivalry’s history compared with the 50 one-score games that have gone the other way. In all, 41% of the matchups have been decided by eight points or fewer, while just 13% have landed in blowout territory.
Even in the modern era, those lopsided results have been uncommon, though not absent. Six of the 16 blowouts have come since 2000, and 11 more games in the past 26 seasons were decided by a single score. That stretch has still produced plenty of tight finishes, which is exactly what fans have come to expect from this matchup.
The biggest margin in the series belongs to Texas, which beat Oklahoma 49-0 in 2022 during Brent Venables’ first season as Sooners head coach. That result is tied for the third-largest victory margin by either team in the rivalry. Oklahoma also posted a 49-point win over Texas in its 2000 national championship season.
Among the 16 blowouts, Oklahoma has nine and Texas has seven. The Sooners own the two largest wins in the series: a 50-0 victory in 1908 and a 63-14 win in 2003, which came by 52 points.
There’s also the home-team edge to consider, and Oklahoma will have that in 2026. Since 2000, the Sooners have won nine of 13 games as the designated home team. Still, that hasn’t guaranteed anything lately - Oklahoma has lost the last two times it has been the home team under Venables.
Blowout wins by 30 or more point in the OU-Texas rivalry
1904 -- Texas 40, Oklahoma 10
1908 --Oklahoma 50, Texas 0
1909 -- Texas 30, Oklahoma 0
1941 -- Texas 40, Oklahoma 7
1956 -- Oklahoma 45, Texas 0
1970 -- Texas 41, Oklahoma 9
1973 -- Oklahoma 52, Texas 13
1986 -- Oklahoma 47, Texas 12
1987 -- Oklahoma 49, Texas 9
1998 -- Texas 34, Oklahoma 3
2000 -- Oklahoma 63, Texas 14
2003 -- Oklahoma 65, Texas 13
2005 -- Oklahoma 45, Texas 12
2011 -- Oklahoma 55, Texas 17
2012 -- Oklahoma 63, Texas 21
2022 -- Texas 49, Oklahoma 0
In Other News...
Texas Let Red River Slip Away In The Worst Possible Moment
In a rivalry game that already had its own pulse, Oklahoma found the break it needed late and turned it into the kind of finish that lingers. The Sooners toppled No. 1 Texas in the Red River Rivalry on Tate Sandells last-second 47-yard field goal, a kick that capped a wild sequence built on defense, special teams and the sort of pressure that can unravel even the best-laid plans.
Texas had been dragged into a tense fourth-quarter fight long before the final drive, and the Longhorns never quite recovered from the momentum swings that defined the afternoon. Oklahoma had already changed the game with a punt-return touchdown and a pick-6 off Arch Manning, then got one more chance when its defense forced the decisive interception in the closing seconds, setting up a finish that left the Sooners celebrating and Texas staring at how quickly the game slipped away. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Just Handed Oklahoma Fans A New Rivalry Talking Point
Texas left the Red River Rivalry with a familiar kind of frustration, the kind that lingers because the game was there to be taken. Oklahomas 27-24 win came down to Tate Sandells 47-yard field goal at the buzzer, but the postgame conversation from the other sideline quickly shifted toward self-inflicted damage. Longhorns edge rusher Colin Simmons pointed to Texas mistakes as the difference, a fair read considering Arch Manning threw two interceptions in a game that featured a late turnover on a promising final drive.
For Oklahoma, the result was the same regardless of how Texas explained it. The Sooners took advantage when it mattered most and walked away with a rivalry win that came after a night of swings, miscues and pressure-packed possessions. For fans on the Oklahoma side, Simmons assessment only adds another layer to a game that already delivered plenty of fuel for bragging rights, and a reminder that the Red River meeting rarely needs much help creating a talking point. [Read more 🡒]
Sooners Defense Has Oklahoma Fans Believing In Red River Upset Chance
With the Red River Rivalry looming, the conversation around Oklahoma has started to shift away from the offense and toward a defense that has given Sooners fans a reason to believe. ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit pointed to Texas as the favorite, but he also singled out Oklahomas ability to get off the field, noting the Sooners top-ranked third-down defense as one of the clearest reasons this matchup could stay tight.
Herbstreit also framed the game through the lens of both quarterbacks, saying Arch Manning has not been especially sharp on the Texas side while Oklahoma has had its own offensive issues. Even with that in mind, he still leaned toward the Longhorns to pull it out, which only adds to the intrigue for Oklahoma heading into a rivalry game that could hinge on whether that defense can keep the Sooners in striking distance long enough for the rest of the offense to matter. [Read more 🡒]