Sooners seem to be in complete denial about their status in the Red River Rivalry

SEC Media Days have arrived and this year, none other than the Oklahoma Sooners were one of the first teams to take the podium.

From head coach Brent Venables to starting quarterback John Mateer, the Sooners had relatively uneventful responses, especially regarding a team like the Texas Longhorns.

However, when sophomore defensive lineman Taylor Wein was asked about the "urgency" that OU feels when heading into the Red River Rivalry this season, the edge rusher gave an answer that felt pretty out of touch with reality.

"It’s not a sense of urgency; they are just one of the games we play this [year]," Wein said. "They're no different than any other opponent. They are very, very talented; they are very, very well coached. That's what we look forward to... we look forward to our next opportunity, and we look for competition."

Well, the Horns look for competition, too. Over the last two years since Texas and Oklahoma joined the SEC, the Sooners have been anything but competitive in the rivalry matchup.

Brent Venables may need to give his team a reality check about Texas

In the last two Red River Rivalry games, the Sooners have scored zero (yes, 0) touchdowns, combining for just nine total points against Texas in the two meetings.

When Wein gave that answer on Monday, July 20, it had been 1,017 days since Oklahoma had found the end zone against the Longhorns. In fact, the last time the Sooners scored in the Red River Rivalry, Wein wasn't even on the depth chart yet.

As a rivalry game, the matchup between Oklahoma and Texas every year draws an audience from across the country and puts both coaches on notice. If you lose to a rival over and over again, your job becomes increasingly at risk.

Read more: How does the Red River Rivalry stack up against other SEC rivalry games?

In other words, after failing to score a touchdown over the last two years, Venables is in a seemingly must-win situation, as he and the Sooners travel to Dallas to face the Horns and head coach Steve Sarkisian this season.

Making Venables' seat even hotter is the simple fact that OU has gone 1-3 against Texas since he took over in Norman. In 2022, his first year with the Sooners, the Longhorns shut out their rival, securing a 49-0 victory over Oklahoma.

2023 was the only victory the Sooners have seen over Texas since Venables was named as their head coach, eking out a 34-30 victory over the Horns. For a little more context, Sarkisian has gone 3-2 against Oklahoma since taking over on the 40 Acres in 2021.

Also read: The most pressing question for Arch Manning to answer at 2026 SEC Media Days

Wein tried to play down the importance of the game, which might be what he was told to do at SEC Media Days, but if Oklahoma truly feels as though there isn't any extra importance in this year's Red River Rivalry, then the Sooners are as out of touch with reality as ever.

Today's best reads

• Texas defensive ranking snub made worse by the 2 SEC teams ranked ahead of the Horns
• Texas Longhorns unsurprisingly dominate rankings for the top SEC matchups in 2026
• 5 in-state recruits who Texas will never forgive itself for missing out on
• The most pressing question for Arch Manning to answer at 2026 SEC Media Days
• 3 transfers Texas most regrets letting walk away over Steve Sarkisian's first 5 years

This article was originally published on hookemheadlines.com as Sooners seem to be in complete denial about their status in the Red River Rivalry.