Paul Finebaum says Red River might have surpassed Iron Bowl as SEC’s top rivalry game

SEC Nation was broadcasting live from outside the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on Saturday, so it’s possible Paul Finebaum just got caught up in the moment.

However, the SEC Network analyst and former Birmingham resident, said Saturday that he doesn’t necessarily consider the Iron Bowl the top rivalry game in the SEC anymore. It’s possible the Red River Rivalry — Texas vs. Oklahoma, which will be contested for the 120th time on Saturday afternoon — is now No. 1, Finebaum said.

“I don’t want to make any broad generalization here about the best rivalry in the SEC,” Finebaum said, before doing just that, “but this, this may very well be the best for a couple of reasons. … Whatever I’ve made in my life is because of the Iron Bowl, but the Iron Bowl isn’t the same anymore. It’s home and home. And quite frankly, Nick Saban did a good job of really ruining what was in every other year deal.

“But this is different, especially last year when Texas waltzed in here after beating Alabama, they own the world. And what happened? The Sooners won the game. That’s what this rivalry is all about.”

SEC Nation host Laura Rutledge seemed surprised that Finebaum “switched it up,” but noted she will “check back in with you next week,” to see if he had changed his mind back.

No. 1 Texas (5-0, 1-0 SEC) meets No. 18 Oklahoma (4-1, 1-1) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. ABC will broadcast the game live.