Red River Rivalry Showcases Why Bedlam is Dearly Missed
Conference realignment has stripped Oklahoma State of its biggest game.
Through six games, OSU is 3-3 and already out of the Big 12 title race. While the Cowboys will have an opportunity to upset conference favorites and playoff hopefuls throughout the second half of the regular season, they will not meet their rival.
For the first time since 1909, Bedlam is not on the Cowboys’ schedule. This time last year, OSU was in the midst of its turnaround, and a matchup against Oklahoma was looming.
The Cowboys’ Nov. 4 win against the No. 10 Sooners defined their season and sent their rivals to the SEC with a Bedlam loss. While the Sooners left OSU behind, they moved into college football’s top conference alongside Texas.
On Saturday, Oklahoma and Texas played the latest edition of the Red River Rivalry. No. 1 Texas took care of business against No. 18 Oklahoma 34-3. While the game was nothing remarkable, the atmosphere was another reminder of what OSU lost when the Sooners departed the Big 12.
Rivalries are not simply about the game itself. They are about the trash talk before kickoff, the often wild histories and the pure hatred that radiates for 60 minutes of game time.
Despite being a short drive apart, the teams in Stillwater and Norman will not play again for several years at best, but perhaps more than a decade. The wins were particularly important for OSU, as it has been on the wrong side of so many matchups versus the in-state rival.
In 2021 and 2023, OSU’s Bedlam victories were capped with fans rushing the field and pandemonium along the streets of Stillwater. Even if OSU has big games or upset opportunities in the future, the emotions simply can’t compete with the feelings of Bedlam.
The matchup will not be gone forever, but every passing year will feel like an eternity.
READ MORE: Burning Questions for Oklahoma State's Final Six Games
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.