Oklahoma made Colin Simmons eat his words with Red River Rivalry win

Texas star edge rusher Colin Simmons probably wasn't lying when he said he prefers to play Texas A&M over Oklahoma, but not for the reason he insinuated.

The Sooners upset No. 1 Texas 27-24 on Saturday inside the Cotton Bowl to avoid what would have been a miserable three-game losing streak in the rivalry to endure for the next year. It was the first time that Simmons, a junior, lost in the Red River Rivalry, so he had gotten pretty arrogant after those first two wins before Saturday's much-needed humbling.

Simmons over the offseason, during peak talking season, had an asinine take while promoting EA Sports' College Football 27 video game in a video. He was asked if he considered the Red River Rivalry the best rivalry in college football, but he put his cleat in his mouth by saying that he didn't think OU was even the Longhorns' greatest rival. Instead, he claimed he had a higher regard for the Lone Star Showdown against Texas A&M.

It was a weak take then, with no real backing, that just became bulletin-board material for the Sooners, and we kept the receipts.

"It's hard when you beat OU two years in a row," Simmons said. "It definitely is (a rivalry). The atmosphere itself says rivalry, but when you on that field playing against (Oklahoma), it doesn't say rivalry. That's how I feel.

"I say Texas A&M more of a rivalry than OU."

That comment was back in June, but four months and a win later, the Sooners made it clear they not only heard what Simmons said, but didn't forget.

Colin Simmons take goes cold after Sooners upset Texas

It was a laughable take then, even before the Sooners became the last ones laughing before Simmons heads to the NFL at the end of this season. His main reasoning was that Texas had beaten OU in his first two seasons. The Longhorns had also beaten Texas A&M the past two years in a rivalry with a lot less history.

Simmons clearly had not done his research. It was the first time since 2008-09, before Simmons was old enough to be in school, that Texas had won two in a row over OU. The Sooners, though, in that time, won four straight in 2018-21, two in 2016-17, and three in 2010-12.

Texas leads the Red River Rivalry all-time 66-51-5, but the Sooners have doubled up the Longhorns with an 18-9 record this century since 2000.

Simmons got his history lesson in the 122nd edition of the Red River Rivalry. This meeting was even put on a platter not only for Texas, but for Simmons specifically. But Simmons learned that the Red River Rivalry is unpredictable, just like every great college football rivalry.

With Michael Fasusi and Eddy Pierre-Louis injured, the Sooners were missing the entire left side of their starting offensive line. Fasusi is the Sooners' best lineman and seemed to be their only hope in keeping Simmons away from quarterback John Mateer.

Instead, Ryan Fodje started at left tackle again, with E'Marion Harris on the right side. Simmons sacked Mateer and forced a fumble on the first possession and tallied two tackles in the first two drives, but after that, he was quieted by a depleted offensive line, then shut up by Tate Sandell's field goal that sealed OU's win.

He recorded four tackles, two sacks, and three tackles for loss after entering the game with the second-most sacks in the country. Sure, he could boast about a solid stat line, but there's no win he can keep riding high on.

Simmons just found out that rivalries are always two-sided, and he got to not only be part of the best rivalry in college football, but also OU history.

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