OU-Nebraska: One last hurrah
Barry Switzer said Thursday what everyone on both shades of the Big Red Rivalry has been saying. The Oklahoma-Nebraska series is gone. No desire exists on either side to reconvene with a non-conference series, once the Huskers bolt for the Big Ten next summer.
But one last OU-NU game could come about. The Big 12 championship game this December.
Nebraska's Roy Helu Jr. rushes up field as OU's Austin Box (12) chases him down during the first half of the college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers (NU) on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, in Lincoln, Neb. Photo by Sarah Phipps, The Oklahoman
For all the talk about Nebraska-Texas in 2010, no matchup in college football could be bigger from an historical standpoint than an OU-NU showdown for the conference championship.
Conference titles are what the Big Reds were all about. OU-Nebraska became a huge national game not because of in-state rancor (Alabama-Auburn) or cultural geography (OU-Texas, Ohio State-Michigan) or national patriotism (Army-Navy).
OU-Nebraska was THE rivalry of college football in the 1970s and 1980s because both programs were so good. The game almost always carried Orange Bowl and/or national championship implications.
Long before the Big 12 split into divisions and staged a Dr Pepper game in a Texas or Missouri metropolis, the Big Eight staged a conference champioship game. A November showdown between OU and Nebraska.
That Thanksgiving tradition is long gone, and not even the 2006 Big 12 title game — OU beat the Huskers 21-7 in Kansas City’s cold — resurrected the title tradition of the series. That was a down Sooner team (by Bob Stoops standards) and a Bill Callahan Nebraska team (which meant not even Husker fans could be proud of winning the South).
But 2010 would be different. Nebraska is back in the preseason top 10, joining the Sooners there, and some believe Bo Pelini has the Huskers back in the swing of national relevancy.
A Big 12 title game involving nationally-prominent teams, with a 100-year series history that is about to end, with Nebraska leaving the league, would be a huge story.
Big 12 media favors the Huskers and Sooners to win their respective divisions, though Texas will have a lot to say about that and Missouri will have a little.
But here’s hoping the OU-Nebraska rivalry gets the sendoff it deserves.
-------------Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel. Visit Berry's website here.
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Comments
What would be a fitting end of the Big 8* for the rivalry. An OU-NU game with a national title on the line.
*I refuse to acknowledge the Big 12, the Texas schools joined the Big 8.
Would love to face OU one more time with a lot on the line. We’ll miss our Big 8 friends. Go Big Red!
Greg/Omaha
Well anyonewho wants an NU-OU big 12 title game will likely get it… that is if OU can make it. The huskers will run the table in the north if not their entire schedule and will be in the top 5 to finish the regular season… If OU can do the same thing, I see a Game of the Century repeat, I hope Niles Paul has his Johnny Rodgers impression down by then… MAN WOMEN AND CHILD DID THAT PUT EM IN THE AISLES, JOHHNY THE JET RODGERS JUST TORE EM LOSE FROM THEIR SHOES! GO BIG RED!!!
Nebraska will be down. How do you lose what they lost and still be good? They have not had any good recruiting classes lately. I just don’t see it. Losing Sue, Turner, Denard and that safety is going to hurt and the offense is dreadful. I just don’t see what people are seeing. I know we will hear from the corn-holes talking about these untested D-linemen but I think we should all set back and watch before we say they are back. This team will struggle, I guarantee. I do know that Oklahoma will be good but I just cant see Nebraska. If Nebraska makes it. It’s because the North is weak again and they will get slaughtered in the Jerry dome. Nebraska fans better hope Zac Lee doesn’t win that quarterback battle.
I would love to see an OU-NU game in December. I for one can tell you, I have respect for the that game..I only have a great big HATRED for Texas…and I hate it that we only played every two years and now after this year, who knows. Call me silly, but I will miss them…Go Big RedS !!!
Another excellent reason for Nebraska fans to be excited the Huskers are leaving the Big 12 for more stable pastures — no more maudlin and sappy reminiscing about the vaunted NU-OU rivalry every time it comes up on the schedule. And in this case, even when it doesn’t.
With each passing year, this legendary time-honored “respect” between the two schools has grown in sportswriters’ and fans’ memories to almost Woodstock-like proportions. I remember the ’70s and ’80s; they were hardly the Goodwill Games that people like to make them out to be today. Husker fans wanted desperately for their team to beat OU because they saw the Sooners as dirty, shallow cheaters. OU fans looked at Nebraska like NU did like Missouri — a historically difficult, yet quaint foe with a few notable memories and spirited players, but offering nothing that could approach their rivalry with Texas.
Today’s players don’t care. They were toddlers when the Big 8 went away. They react to the lectures from Baby Boomer fans and motivation-seeking coaches like dozing students in history class. This stuff is all academic to them; NU-OU hasn’t been anything approaching a rivalry for almost as long as the length of the stretch in the ’70s and ’80s when the game was nationally relevant.
In 2010, NU-OU is only important to the “Remember When” crowd. In 2011, it’ll be, at long last, gone for good. After wheezing along on life support for 15 years, its death is more a relief than anything.
How can Nebraska be good this year? 9 starters returning on offense and depth on the o-line, that’s how. Defense also has more depth on the defensive line and at linebacker. Dejon Gomes is moving to safety and he is a stud. Nebraska will without a doubt be better this year, and they beat OU last year with an anemic offense. It’s on this year, and Texas is getting a beatdown in Lincoln.
Pete,
Don’t try defending Nebraska’s offense. Let others criticize the Huskers. I like being in the underdog position. Nothing better than proving some people wrong. And if the inevitable happens (we don’t live up to expectations), you can at least live with knowing you didn’t preemptively write a check your butt can’t cash
Husker fans will miss the NU-OU games. Some folks now may not remember how great the rivalry was, however, the games were exciting, the crowds electric. How many great players did we all see in those games – just outstanding! Nebraska and Oklahoma are farm/ranch states with solid citizens and the players just flat out played hard, solid football. The 1971 game of the century has stood the test of time – excellence on both sides. That game is the measuring stick for many Husker fans and I hope Oklahoma fans. The big Reds definitely ruled and both are still standing proud.
Yawn. After a while it gets really old hearing about “them good old days” when everything was simpler and slower-paced, the preznit wasn’t a mooslem terrorist and sodie pop cost just a quarter. Here’s something that era has in common with the Nebraska-Oklahoma rivalry: Everything about it can be written in the past tense.
The Husker-Sooner Mutual Admiration Society can keep a candle burning, I suppose, though their ranks will get smaller and smaller every year. Maybe when the last person to longingly pine for NU-OU finally drops dead from a broken heart, the Cult of Nostalgia can finally go from “legally separated” to “divorced.”
Scott, you, yourself may need to look at finding help. If I was not a fan of college football, I would think that holding onto memories is one of the best things about life. And then finding and LIVING and bringing about new ones. Hate all that you want about people living in the past. But, I am a huge college football fan and a Husker. Why would you be pissed about 2 great football teams meeting, and why would you be so charged up about a team who trying to do the right thing to win? NU and OU fans want to know?
By the way, steve and scott ..is this yer first chance to get on your computer. Guess your parents let you stay up late. Or, perhaps your second semester at college. Now u no evryting!
Anybody who cannot get jacked up over the possibility of this game happening one last time, really can’t claim to be a college football fan. Seriously what is wrong with you sorry Sallys.
Yes I’m certain that when the players roll past the pictures and the trophies of past great games with OU, they yawn. I’m sure they were oblivious to the signifigance of last years win in Lincoln? And let’s not forget what the author missed, the Youngstown crew meet in their biggest game, with a National title on the line. The storylines for this potential game will be of historic proportions! Wake up.
Have a great season Sooners, beat the crap out of Bevo and the rest of the SWC and see you in Dec!
GBR!
hahaha! Yes! The idea of the Huskers and the Sooners meeting up ONE LAST TIME in the same conference gives me a nice warm fuzzy feeling. The Rivalry got killed (for some reason or other just can’t help but to look Texass’ way) when the Big8 expanded. I’ve got a good feeling about this season! And that it ends seeing Oklahoma roll the south up, and Nebraska roll up the North! YES!! I can see the headlines now! UNDEFEATED NEBRASKA TAKES ON UNDEFEATED OKLAHOMA IN THE CCG!!! What a Way for These Two Schools to Part Ways for GOOD! (unless in a NC somewhere down the line.. Think of how much fun THAT Would be!!! HAHAHAHAA)
Nebraska was avg at best in the BIG 12 and will be average at best in the BIG 10. They bring nothing to the BIG 10 and would have faired much better in the BIG 12 from here out unde Pelini. Good riddance.
Richard,
Nebraska and Oklahoma have both had 3 losing conference seasons in the history of the Big XII. Oklahoma has had 3 overall losing seasons during the Big XII era while Nebraska has had 1 overall losing record in that time. When did Oklahoma become relevant after a 10 year hiatus? When Stoops took over. When is Nebraska becoming relevant after a 10 year hiatus? It appears as if Pelini is doing the same exact thing as Stoops. Did you black out during the 90′s or are you just in that much denial that Nebraska and Oklahoma are 2 similar programs?
And please don’t mention North vs. South discrepancies. Oklahoma was putrid at competing in the South when the North was the dominant force in the early days of the Big XII. That also happens to be when Nebraska was more dominant in the Big XII…kinda like Oklahoma of recent in the Big XII South…
Well being a lifelong husker fan growing up in okla. I for one truly hope they both end up in the big 12 champ. both hopefully undefeated. That would be the biggest game nationaly hands down. Especially since NU leaving and one last game for the conference title and the winner more likely than not making it to the national title game too.
This would be bigger than the national title game by far especially if they both make it undefeated.
I think Scott and Steve should actually grow up…what the hell is football and football fans for that matter without a history of games to even look back on..as I said before, I am and ALWayS will be an OU fanatic..but I also have grown fond of the rivilry that the OU/NU and yes football will go on without it..but make no mistake about it, the game between the two will be missed. again…GO Big RedS!!!
I wholeheartedly agree. And, if it were to happen, it would be just like the old days; an OU-NU game with conference and national implications. If it happens, both teams would likely be in the top 10 and perhaps the BCS championship game hunt. I, for one, hope it happens. And, best of all, Texas would be home watching on TV!