As soon as you arrive at the University of Texas or the University of Oklahoma, your mind immediately starts to wander to the second Saturday in October at the State Fair of Texas. The two schools first played in 1900 and have met in the middle every year since 1929.
For decades, they battled as non-conference foes -- Texas in the Southwest Conference, OU in the Big 8. No one forced them to go out of their way to play each other each and every year, but neither side could imagine life without this game. Then, in 1996, they joined the newly-formed Big 12, a marriage of convenience that largely centered around these schools and this game. In 2011, the Big 12 dropped its title game, meaning, in theory, Red River would become the de facto Big 12 Championship. Then, last year, the rivalry entered a new phase -- the October game became simply Round 1 of a 2-part epic, as Texas and OU met in a rematch for the first time ever.
No matter the circumstances around it, the game remains. It's the State Fair, the Cotton Bowl, and sharing half the stadium with the team you hate most in the world. Whether your'e a student, a player, a coach or a creative video department staffer, Red River is a fundamental experience of your experience at Texas or Oklahoma, a game you plan for from the moment you put on the crimson or the burnt orange.
As the two sides prepare to meet for the 115th time, both schools struck a historical chord for their respective hype videos.