When Oklahoma and Nebraska go at it on Saturday there will be no conference bragging rights at stake, no recent spite to draw upon, and unless something happens to drastically upturn the odds, no significant national championship ramifications. And yet, of all the matchups in the early part of this college football season, few have captured the nostalgic imagination as much as a resumption of a timeless and once-revered rivalry that currently looks lopsided enough that the Sooners are a 22.5-point favorite, according to FOX Bet. A full 50 years removed from the “Game of the Century,” the 1971 epic contest where No. 1 Nebraska topped No. 2 Oklahoma, 35-31, virtually all the talk heading into Saturday’s clash (12 p.m. ET on FOX) has been of the past. “There’s something unique and special about this game,” Sooners coach Lincoln Riley told reporters. “A week like this, more than anything, just helps remind you of the history.” In 1996, the rivalry was slowed down somewhat when the teams were allocated to alternate divisions in the Big 12, meaning they would meet only twice every four years, following 71 straight years of having played annually. Following the 2010 season, the historic rivalry was put on pause altogether when Nebraska departed to link up with the Big Ten. It has become one of college football’s generational quirks, a storied rivalry that mostly just lives in the memories now. Despite there being a home-and-home series this year and next, and again in 2029 and 2030, the youngest followers of both teams don’t remember what it was like, the fire and fury, the intensity and the sheer importance whenever they got together. “There is a whole generation of Oklahoma fans that don’t know a Nebraska team that’s good, and that goes for the newest Nebraska fans too,” FOX Sports College Football Writer RJ Young told me. “The two programs seem so far apart now. With Oklahoma-Nebraska, it is different to OU-Texas, that’s more like hate, this is more like siblings. “The fan bases see themselves in each other. It is two flyover states where the college team is basically the pro team. They enjoyed being the best in the country, they took pride in their rival being one of the best teams. It is different now and a lot changed for Nebraska when they switched conferences. This weekend will be something though, three or four generations of people can come together and celebrate this game.” So much of the chatter is about the 1971 clash and former players from both sides have descended upon Norman, Oklahoma to reminisce and take part in various celebratory functions. It is worth remembering, however, that the most recent game went down to the wire, a Big 12 Championship showdown at Cowboys Stadium in 2010, that the Sooners won 23-20. Landry Jones, who went on to have a seven-year NFL career, mostly with the Pittsburgh Steelers, was the winning QB that day, and can scarcely believe so much time has passed. “I remember it like yesterday,” Jones told me via telephone. “Nebraska was leaving the conference so we knew it was going to be the last time for a long time. “There was something special about it. Mostly you just want to win a conference title but there was a feeling of history and two programs that have shared a lot and meant a lot to each other. It is pretty crazy that it’s now 11 years since the teams played.” Oklahoma will again be aiming for a spot in the College Football Playoff, having made the field four of the past seven years, while their upcoming move to the SEC no later than 2025 has been one of the sport’s hottest talking points. Nebraska is in the doldrums, without a winning season or a bowl appearance since 2016, having failed to recruit elite classes and unable to find a true heated rival in the Big Ten. Scott Frost’s arrival as head coach in 2018 was supposed to spark a revival – instead, it has gone in the opposite direction. His plight was not helped when it embarrassingly emerged that Nebraska had tried to back out of the Oklahoma game earlier this year. Anything can happen in college football, but in truth, most Nebraska fans would be somewhat satisfied if their team can keep things close and competitive. “We got a lot to gain and very little to lose in this game,” Frost said this week. “I just want our guys to play stress-free and not worry about anything, and just go attack. We got to run at things as fast as we can and try to get after them and see where we land.” It is an early season game and there will be others that, for both teams, probably end up counting for more this year. But a chance for reflection of the fondest kind has arrived, a celebration of special times gone by and maybe, who knows, an extra chapter to a famous slice of football history. Here’s what others have said … Alex Hickey, Saturday Tradition: “This Saturday, we’ll witness another return to the heart of college football when Oklahoma and Nebraska get back together for the first time since 2010. Now we just have to hope they figure out how to keep it.” Skip Bayless, FOX Sports (on the Game of the Century): “I was there, five rows up from the 50-yard line for what I believe was the greatest college football game ever played.” |
