Latimer recalls Cornhuskers' big rivalry — with Colorado
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OU linebacker remembers little of the Big Eight days

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"Yeah, that's something that we watched all the time around Thanksgiving," he said. "After you eat, turn the TV on and watch the game."

Sounds a lot like the old days of Barry Switzer and Tom Osborne, back in the 1970s and '80s, when Oklahoma and Nebraska met annually in the last week of November.

But no. Latimer speaks of the not-so-old days of the late 1990s, when Nebraska vs. Colorado was the big rivalry game on television.

"I never really watched Oklahoma," said Latimer, a Denver native and OU's starting middle linebacker heading into Saturday's Big 12 Championship game against Nebraska.

"I don't know nothin' about the Big Eight. All I know is Rashaan Salaam. He was all over the TV. That's all I remember about the Big Eight."

Latimer turned 11 years old two months before Salaam became Colorado's first and only Heisman Trophy winner.

Two years later, the Big Eight became the Big 12, and Oklahoma was replaced by Colorado as the Huskers' Thanksgiving weekend rival.

"It's always a big game around here," said Don Latimer, Zach's father. "Everybody watches it."

Don Latimer watched it a little closer than usual last Friday afternoon.

Texas A&M's upset of Texas earlier that day put the Sooners in position to clinch the Big 12 South and play Nebraska for the conference championship.

"I was watching (Nebraska's) alignment and all," Don said. "I called (Zach) after the game, and we had a talk about all the little things Nebraska was doing.

"I told him about the trick plays they ran against CU. I told him to be heads-up and make them make a decision before they're ready."

Since arriving in Norman in 2002, Zach Latimer has learned the back story of the OU-Nebraska rivalry, thanks to coach Bob Stoops showing tapes of past meetings between the Sooners and Huskers.

"I've learned a lot," he said. "They put the tapes on and let us know how long it goes back. I'm a lot more aware of what's going on now than before I got here."

Don Latimer, who played nose guard collegiately at Miami, Fla., and then with the NFL's Denver Broncos, was a little surprised when Zach chose Oklahoma over nearby Colorado.

"Zach really liked Gary Barnett. He made him feel welcome, made him feel at home. After that, he kind of became a CU fan," Don said.

One goal drew Zach to OU, the very goal he sees before him this week — a potential Big 12 Championship.

"When it all came down to it, I wanted to win a championship, Big 12 and even national," he said. "That's why I came here."

And as long as Zach's happy with his choice, so is his father.

"I wanted to leave it up to Zach. I wanted him to go somewhere he'd be comfortable," Don said.

"If he had to do it all over again, I think he'd choose Oklahoma one more time."