Lincoln Riley and Todd Orlando are well acquainted.
Riley is known for his success with agile, Heisman Trophy–caliber quarterbacks like Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, while Orlando is known for developing physical defenses that turn those guys into one-dimensional players. The coaches have crossed each other in each of the last two years, splitting the meetings. In 2016 Houston (with Orlando as defensive coordinator) upset Oklahoma (with Riley as offensive coordinator); last year Oklahoma beat Texas 29–24 in the first year for Riley as Sooners head coach and for Orlando as the Longhorns’ defensive coordinator under Tom Herman.