On Monday, the Texas Longhorns, along with their arch-rival Oklahoma Sooners, officially joined the SEC. But the question following the former Big 12 members has always been: can they handle the SEC?
The two athletic programs have been preparing for this moment since July 2021, when it was announced they were departing the Big 12 for the SEC.
Texas carries a ton of momentum with them, coming off their most successful season in years, winning the Big 12 title and going on to the semi-finals of the College Football Playoff.
Oklahoma had a bounce-back season last year, finishing 10-3 in Brent Venables’ second season after going 6-7 his first year.
That still doesn’t truly answer the question of whether either of these historic programs is ready to compete with the big boys of college football.
The last two Big 12 members to join the SEC were Missouri and Texas A&M. They’ve combined for two SEC Championship appearances, losing both.
Per Fan Duel odds , the Longhorns enter the SEC with the second-best odds of winning the conference (+350). The Sooners come in at ninth (+3300).