5 things you need to know about the Nebraska-Oklahoma rivalry

By BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 7:35 pm

1. Switzer-Osborne

Many say the Nebraska-Oklahoma rivalry died when the Big 12 Conference formed in 1996. But really, the series began losing luster with OU coach Barry Switzer's departure after the 1988 season. He was Tom Osborne's nemesis, and the one coach Husker fans loved to hate. Who could forget Switzer crashing Bob Devaney's live television prediction show with a bag of tacos in 1980? Osborne lost five times to Switzer before finally defeating OU in 1978 ... only to get rematched with the Sooners in the Orange Bowl that season. Osborne finished his career 13-13 against Oklahoma, but was 5-12 against Switzer.

2. Sooner Magic

The phrase was born in 1976, when Oklahoma scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to defeat Nebraska 20-17 in Lincoln. The key play: On third-and-19, quarterback Dean Blevins threw the ball to Steve Rhodes, who lateraled to Elvis Peacock for a gain of 32 yards to the Nebraska 2-yard line. That set up the winning touchdown with 38 seconds left in the game. In 1980, George Rhymes scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 56 seconds left in a 21-17 Oklahoma victory in Lincoln. And who could forget Keith Jackson's one-handed grab in 1986? The 41-yard reception down the sideline with 9 seconds left set up the winning field goal in a 20-17 Sooner victory in Lincoln.

3. Great Husker moments

Nebraska has had its share of memorable plays in the OU-NU series, too. The younger generation can tell you all about Mike Stuntz's pass to quarterback Eric Crouch to secure a 20-10 victory -- and Crouch's Heisman Trophy -- in the 2001 game in Lincoln. Scott Strasburger's interception with 26 seconds remaining sealed a 28-24 victory in 1982 and sent students pouring onto the field. (That's the same game that Nebraska broke out the "Bounce Rooskie"). The next year, Neil Harris batted down a fourth-down pass in the end zone with 32 seconds left to preserve a 28-21 victory, and NU's third straight Big Eight championship.

4. Game of the Century

No, we didn't forget Johnny Rodgers' historic punt return (or the clip that Sooner fans will say occurred on the play but wasn't called). The first touchdown of the 1971 Nebraska-Oklahoma game is one of most memorable scores in Nebraska football history. Jeff Kinney's TD plunge from the 2-yard line with 1:38 remaining finished a 12-play, 74-yard drive and lifted No. 1 Nebraska to a 35-31 victory over No. 2 Oklahoma in Norman. (Game of the Century II, in 1987, was considerably less dramatic -- a 17-7 victory for No. 2 Oklahoma over No. 1 Nebraska in Lincoln.)

5. Rivalry renewed?

After Saturday, when will the Big Reds meet again? With Nebraska moving to the Big Ten next season, the only time these old friends could meet would be in a bowl game, although Osborne, now the NU athletic director, said he and OU athletic director Joe Castiglione have discussed a possible home-and-home series in 2020 and 2021. But first, Nebraska wants to get acclimated to the Big Ten, which will eventually go to a nine-game schedule, limiting Nebraska's nonconference slate to three games.