Oklahoma Sooners-Nebraska Cornhuskers: A Classic Big Red Rivalry

Barking CarnivalAug 10, 2010

I will take credit for being right about the Big 12-2 not breaking up and I have surer hopes for its long term survival than most. My confidence about its future relying greatly on the abundance of evidence that no one other than Oklahoma and Texas have anywhere else to go (on their own).

But that’s not what this entry is about…..

I don’t always confront my feelings….or so says my OrangeBlood bethrothed, the fine mother of our two boys is she…

So, thank God never having lost anyone close to me, though having just celebrated my parents 80th and 82nd birthdays, respectively, I have suddenly become quite morose about the death of the Oklahoma-Nebraska rivalry.

Oh, I suppose its death was a foregone conclusion circa 1996 when aforementioned B12 was formed with a two times in four years regimen for Battles of Big Red’s, but it never felt final until now.

As most of you know, I grew up in Texas and only became a Sooner fan when my older brother matriculated to Norman. My very first ever Oklahoma game was in Norman versus the assumed invincible 1983 ‘Huskers. The Sooners came in with 3 losses, for the third consecutive year, and weren’t given any chance. We lost, but played the invincibles off their feet.

I, 16 at the time, proclaimed to God and everyone, that Miami would beat said invincibles. My proclivity for prophecy was such cemented.

I was still a Dallas non-elite Catholic high school in East Dallas boy in 1984, and only made the OU-OSU game following the BOTBR’s in 1984, but the dimunitive Danny Bradley, yes, Mark’s daddy, and an elite defense led by a redshirt frosh from Irving Macarthur with funny hair, led an upset of #1 in Lincoln

It was then that I discovered an INDISPUTABLE TRUTH. All the best, 1971 being the exception that proved the rule, Oklahoma-Nebraska games were played in Lincoln. Sooner Magic originated in Lincoln. Sooner Magic lived in Lincoln. And Sooner Magic, now deceased, is ever connected to Lincoln.

Sooner Magic is deceased, so I say? Yes. It’s not to be down on the program. In fact I’m bullish on 2010. But I’m old enough to know what Sooner Magic was. And I dare say the fathers of the Better Off Red guys do too.

It started here……

Sooner Magic spanned the entire Switzer-Osborne era. The facts are such…Barry was 12-5 against Nebraska. In 10 of those 12 wins, Oklahoma trailed in the fourth quarter. The wishbone became an unstoppable passing force. The defense became impenetrable. Everything went the Crimson way.

So, skipping the 1985 contest my freshman year in Norman when a 27-7 score wasn’t even that close, though I must share this play……..

All the before said, if one must identify the quintessential games of the Battles of the Big Reds, they were 1986 and 1987.

There is no question whatsoever that the 1986 Oklahoma team is my favorite Sooner squad of all (my) time. They pitched five shutouts in conference play, including a 71-3 shellacking of KU in Lawrence on national TV. Their one loss was to Vinny’s ‘Canes in September in the Orange Bowl. They beat Arkie 42-8 in the Orange Bowl game. So, of all my four (five, actually) years in Norman, America, this is my single favorite game.It is also the best and last example of Sooner Magic to be had….For the record, along with Derrick Strait, Jamelle Holieway is my favorite Sooner of all time….

Now, at this time, and this might sound eerie to devotees of the new Big 12-2, it was determined that it was unfair for any other team in the Big 8 to have to play Oklahoma and Nebraska on the road in the same season. It would seem that it was equally determined by the other members of the Big 8 that they had no stinking chance whatsoever of selling their season tickets if they had neither Oklahoma or Nebraska on their home slate.

For the purposes of this earnest entry, what resulted was that Oklahoma had to travel to Lincoln for the second year in a row and the third time in four years. Corn was #1. Steve Taylor, the flat footed ‘Husker passer said the week of the game that undefeated Oklahoma couldn’t compete and that the game might not be that close…..Nebraska crossed midfield ONE TIME the entire game. Oklahoma, playing with a freshman quarterback with one game under his belt after the horrendous knee blow of said St. Jamelle, dominated the game. Now, I’m naturally a pessimist when it comes to my beloved Crimson and Cream, but I remember, distinctly, being supremely confident down 0-7 at half. This game wasn’t close….

P.S……….Damn, I loved watching Anthony Stafford and Patrick Collins run……

First half…

Second….

From there it got humdrum…I’ve never been colder in my life than at the 1988 OU-UNL game in Norman, where CT broke his leg in a 7-3 loss. (For the record, I attended with my diehard parent’s the Notre Dame -UH Cotton Bowl. Norman that day was colder)

They smoked us in 89, 91 and 92. We smoked them in 90. Then the darkness hit Norman for four years.

In 2000 we took over #1, and kept it through the BCS, with a home win over Nebraska, but it wasn’t the same. The rivalry may not have died in 1995 but the intensity did.

So, now that Nebraska has made its decision regarding conference alignment, a decision that was theirs to make, though I believe they made it for the wrong reasons, one of the GREAT, and just maybe, TOP FIVE rivalries of all times goes into the history books forever. I’ve never hated Nebraska, never had any reason to, but hope against all hope that they win the North this year. While, of course, I pine for a win on 10/2 in my beloved Cotton Bowl and a Sooner South win.

My God, can you picture the storyline of that championship game, especially if there’s a shot at a BCS title on the line.

Godspeed, other big Red. Let’s hook up in Arlington in December. We’ll have a memorable and emotional time.