Three weeks ago we saw a rather ceremonial end to an iconic rivalry. When you think of all the top rivalries in college football, what comes to mind? There are several that come to mind immediately. Ohio State-Michigan. Georgia-Florida. Florida State-Miami. Oklahoma-Texas. Army-Navy. Auburn-Alabama. Rarely has a rivalry decided who will compete for a national title. One rivalry that carried college football and had those title implications in the 1970s and 1980s was Oklahoma-Nebraska.
Back then, when you thought rivalry you would think the Battle of the Big Reds. Before the prominence of ESPN, there was the Game of the Century and the origin of Sooner Magic. There was an Orange Bowl rematch game and throwing oranges on the field. What other rivalry would not only have the Game of the Century but the sequel as well. If you would like a look at some of those special moments, Sooner Sports has a great section dedicated to the old rivalry.
But then something killed the rivalry. Most point to the creation of the Big 12. When creating the divisions, the separated the two schools. And when setting the schedules, they decided to end the yearly matchup so they would be on two years and off two years. This answer is too easy, though. You have to look at the bigger picture. What really killed this rivalry was mediocrity.
The Sooners were horrible in the 1990s. Since Barry Switzer left the program in 1988, the Sooners only won one of those matchups before the creation of the Big 12 and none of the matchups before Bob Stoops arrived. In 2000 and 2001, both teams were good and could have given us a preview of what was to come. That was for naught…Nebraska fired Frank Solich in 2003 after a 9-3 season which lead to some horrid Bill Callahan coached teams. Although Callahan did have the Huskers reach the Big 12 Championship game against Oklahoma, these two programs were clearly still on different tracks.
The rivalry showed promise last year with a defensive classic as Nebraska forced OU QB Landry Jones to throw 5 INTs in a 10-3 win for the Cornhuskers. But it was too little too late. The 1990s and 2000s killed this rivalry. So this last matchup in the Big 12 Championship a few weeks ago was a window of what could have been under a Bo Pelini –Stoops matchup. It was a great way to end the series. The Huskers built a 17-0 lead in the first half. Oklahoma then miraculously mounted a comeback, tying the game right before the half before a Nebraska field goal to end the half at 20-17. The Sooner defense shut down Nebraska the entire second half and a pair of field goals gave the Sooners the win.
courtesy of Michael Mitra
So here’s goodbye to the lost rivalry. I would say that we would miss it but we’ve been without it for most of the last twenty years. May we have a reunion during the 50 year anniversary of the Game of the Century. I hope the powers that be get that 2020-2021 series going.
So from a Sooner fan, goodbye Nebraska.
the Meat Life End of 2010 Review to come.
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