OU-Tulsa: Make it an annual series
OU-Tulsa wasn’t much of a football game. The Sooners won 45-0. But OU-Tulsa is an excellent football series. A solid opponent for the Sooners. A chance at the golden goose for the Hurricane.
It is getting harder and harder to get foes to come to Owen Field. The Sooners have started offering home-and-home series and some 2-for-1 offers — two OU home games, one road game — with opponents you wouldn’t normally think, including some mid-majors.
Why not establish an annual series with Tulsa. OU wouldn’t agree to a home-and-home with Tulsa, but the schools could make it a 2-for-1 deal. Even getting just one home game every three years would be a good deal for Tulsa, which would increase its season-ticket base.
Meanwhile, OU would have one less scheduling hole to fill. An annual game with TU would be a good, competitive matchup, this 2009 whitewash not withstanding. It would keep the money in the state, would hold down expenses for both schools and would give OU a greater presence in Tulsa.
Are there any downsides to OU playing Tulsa? “I don’t know what they would be,” Bob Stoops said. “We’ve gone over there a few times (since World War II, 1987, 2002, 2007). It’s a favorable experience for everybody.”
Football coaches don’t seem to have the same posturing as basketball coaches when it comes to in-state rivalries. OU and OSU absolutely should be playing Tulsa in every sport, every year. The OSU-Tulsa football series, with only one meeting since 2000 (2004), resumes on a limited basis next season.
Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech should be playing other Texas schools, including some road games (which they do some). Arkansas should be playing Arkansas State (it doesn’t). Ole Miss should play Southern Mississippi. Alabama should play UAB.
Such games are good for the economy, good for football spirit and good for scheduling in the crazy world of college football.
-------------Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel. Visit Berry's website here.
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Comments
Stupid idea. Play the best to be the best. Teams only have what three or four non-conf games? Why waste this on a second-tire, second rate school? You amaze me sometimes with your ‘brilliant ignorance’…
Lee, Berry makes a lot more sense than your silly post. He points out how difficult scheduling is. Teams do not want to come to OU to get their butts beat. And, OU is careful about scheduling too many road games – like Miami. OU does have 3 games scheduled with Tulsa. As I recall, it’s a 2 for 1. One trip to Tulsa. It’s a great scheduling move. OU needs to play TCU and North Texas also. But, Tulsa should be the top priority. Another scheduling idea: Play more Big 12 games. Try 10 or 11 – rather than 8. That’s one reason to be in a conference.
Already beendiscussed between the two ADs, Berry.
They both agreed it would become “stale”. Playing every other year (with 2-for-1, home/away) seems like the best option for both programs.
“Playing every other year is appropriate,” Cunningham said. “If you play every year, it gets stale.”
So what happens to in-state recruiting should Tulsa pull off what B.Y.U. did this year? That future Jenks All-American who is sitting on the fence may just lean Tulsa’s way. I think that’s what’s on the minds of the Sooner A.D.
I agree! I don’t know why it would get “stale” if they played every year. Last time I check, the bedlam game is not stale. OU-texas is not stale. Those are great rivalries that took time to build up. No reason we can’t have the same with OU-Tulsa or OSU-Tulsa. Tulsa (minus this last game) has showed great improvement in the last couple years and if this trend continues, it’ll prove to be a great matchup every year. At the very least, TU should be playing either OU or OSU every year.
Mike it would be “stale” because fans enjoy seeing an assortment of different opponents for non-conference games.
We only get 4 a year, let’s see some national (at least out of state) schools, especially since one is likely to be a 1-AA, since the expanded 12 game schedule.
And obviously Tulsa isn’t that interested in an (almost) automatic ‘L’ on their schedule every year.
Playing every other year is fine. Just as BOTH athletic directors and universities agree.
Playing instate schools is what cost Texas a shot at the Big 12 and National title last year, so I can’t see Mr. Brown and company agreeing to do that. When you play Rice and UTEP and two more stinkers it kills your strength of schedule. But I thought that UT going to El Paso was a great thing for the state of Texas, just not the team in the long run…