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David Stanley Ford

Berry Tramel: Bring back OU-Nebraska, every year

By BERRY TRAMEL, Staff Writer, btramel@opubco.com    Comments Comment on this article93
Published: November 5, 2009



It's Oklahoma-Nebraska week, so you know what that means.

Saccharine overload.

Welcome to college football's lovefest. The series that's more mushy than a Valentine card. More syrupy than a cherry Dr Pepper.
Johnny Rodgers, Barry Switzer and Tom Osborne pose for a group photograph at the half of the college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the University of Nebraska Huskers (NU) at the Gaylord Family -- Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008, in Norman, Okla. BY STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN

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The rivalry in which fans join hands at halftime and sing We Are the World. In which old gladiators convene the night before kickoff and celebrate the wondrous game they lost.

So OK, I give up. I'm on board. Time to play Oklahoma-Nebraska every season.

Time to trash the Big 12's balanced schedule and make the Sooners-Huskers an annual rite.

College football was built on rivalries like this. College football needs games like this.

We've got enough Florida-Tennessees and Boise State-Oregons. Enough OU-Texases. Enough Bedlams.

We need more games that celebrate all that is great about sport. We need to preserve and treasure traditions, not cast them to the street in the name of equitable scheduling.

The Southeastern Conference realized that back when it expanded to 12 teams and two divisions in 1992. The SEC adopted a scheduling format to protect the Alabama-Tennessee rivalry. The Crimson Tide and Volunteers play every year despite being in opposite divisions. All other SEC team were given an annual crossover opponent, too, but clearly, the format was fueled by Bama-Tennessee.

The Big 12 should do the same. We've tried it for almost 15 years, pretending OU-NU is just another game.

I supported the balanced schedule when the Big 12 formed. Argued that OU-Nebraska was a great rivalry only because it usually was a championship showdown. OU would forge other rivalries.

I was wrong. Turns out, OU-Nebraska endures whether the Big Reds are big dogs or not.

In the 1990s, the Huskers were awesome and the Sooners stunk. Much of this decade, OU soared while NU stumbled.

Yet the bells-on-the-hills feelings remain for these ancient powers, whose eyeblack has shot their arrows into each other's hearts.

Tom Osborne, once Nebraska's coaching legend and now its athletic director, has invited OU's major award winners to join their Nebraska counterparts at a dinner Friday night in Lincoln, then be recognized at halftime Saturday night.

Last October, Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione staged a reunion of the 1971 Game of the Century, which the Sooners lost, that rarest of celebrations, honoring not victory, but competition.

Such honor and respect is in short supply in the modern athletic world, which is why OU-Nebraska clamors to return to an annual schedule.

Yes, it could create a scheduling imbalance, particularly if the Huskers ever return to their historic status as the Central Time Zone's flagship football program north of Norman.

That's a small price to pay to restore a grand tradition that never should have been halted.

Oklahoma and Nebraska played every season from 1928 until 1998. Seventy straight autumns, from Calvin Coolidge's administration to Bill Clinton's.

And an uncommon thing happened. The best parts of sport thrived. Sportsmanship. Dignity. Competition. And the best football games you've ever seen.

Let not such honor take two-year hiatuses, just to satisfy some scheduling model.

Bring back Oklahoma-Nebraska every year.

Berry Tramel: 405-760-8080; Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1.

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David Stanley Ford


Related Topics: Sports, Football, College Athletics, College Football


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Oh, and RL, where do you think Nebraska got Tommie Frazier from? Last I heard, it was in SEC country. Too vanilla? You obviously haven't been to Nebraska lately. Seriously, its not like we're Idaho.
Alex, Rushvill - Nov 10, 2009 at 4:00 pm
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I shouldn't say "in the mountains", but no mountains in sight. To add, Oklahoma could keep the Red River Rivalry, since its earlier in the season, and have it serve as a strength of schedule game in off years. Don't know what OU fans think, but it makes sense to me.
Alex, Rushvill - Nov 10, 2009 at 3:55 pm
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I'd like some proof that Nebraska tried to get into the Big 10. The weak 11 sucks and always will. As hospitable as a Nebraska fans can be, they hate the Big 10 and absolutely hate Notre Dame. How's this for a master plan to retool the Big 12? Give Colorado to the Mountain West. Makes sense as there would be three conference opponents within two hours of driving (Air Force, CSU, Wyoming). The New Mexico and Utah schools would also be close. Then take TCU from the Mountain West (not even in the mountains), put them in the Big 12 South. Then bring OU north. As a Nebraska fan, I would be perfectly comfortable with this, as the best team would win, competition in the North would be better, and whoever would win the north would likely crack the whip on the Texas. This move would strengthen the conference and balance things out a bit, and would bring back my favorite game to Thanksgiving.
Alex, Rushvill - Nov 10, 2009 at 3:45 pm
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Good Lord, Mary...you can't be serious. OU and NU can play each other in the off years if they choose to. It would fall under their 4-game OOC games..even though the 2 teams play in the same conference. It would not count as a conference game. Hence, the "OOC" designation. If I were speaking to you face to face, I'd say quote/unquote. Get it now?
harry, lake forest - Nov 7, 2009 at 11:05 am
Mary, even in that you are wrong. The football talent pools are in northern Texas, mid and northern Florida and southern California. They move north every year. Reason State of Oklahoma is now being mentioned as an emerging football talent pool. And as a further comment, the demographics for football are not moving south. They are moving north. Nebraska is blocked. Big Ten will not take them. They tried in the '90s. Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois refused. Delany, Big Ten Commissioner, is going east for expansion of the Big 10, if it occurs.
r, richardson - Nov 6, 2009 at 11:27 pm
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I remember the old NU/OK Thanksgiving rivalry. I couldnt even get up at half time to go the bathroom or turn my head lest my dad smack me for not paying attention. Bring it back!!!!!!!!
HuskerBob - Nov 6, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Forget Texas for a moment, OSU can't even beat your mid-majors like Houston or TCU. That's how much talent there is in Texas, when a major college like OSU or Nebraska can't even compete with the mid majors in Texas. We're talking Nebraska here, a university that fills a 90,000 seat stadium week in and week out. Some of these mid-majors in Texas don't even pull in thirty thousand for a game. I mean when the talent overload is this lopsided that a kid would rather stay home and play for a mid-major over Nebraska then I have to question the integrity of the game. I don't think it's a Big XII issue as much as I believe it's an NCAA issue. Maybe conferences should be done away with and your opponents determined by drawing them from a hat!
Mary, Oklahoma City - Nov 6, 2009 at 6:02 pm
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Wrong r! Look at what's happened to the Big 10! They suck! So does the Pac 10. It's all about Southeast Conference vs. Big XII now for National Championships. This is because populations are moving from the North to the South with factory and mining jobs becoming more scarce in the North. High oil prices are keeping Southern recruits closer to home. They no longer wish to leave Texas to play so far North as Nebraska where their families are unable to attend the games on a regular basis. No one is disputing the talent pool in Texas. OU and OSU both make a living recruiting talent from Texas. Oklahoma High School football is not on par with Texas HS football. They build shrines in the form of stadiums at high schools in Texas. Football is the sport of choice in the state of Texas. The climate is moderate, sometimes almost too hot. Most NCAA Division II schools don't have facilities as plush as many Texas high schools. There's big money and big stakes involved with Texas HS football. They should pass a rule that only allows limited scholarships for universities with enrollments over 40,000. Smaller private schools should be allowed twenty more scholarships than the big schools. In fact they should set scholarship limitations based on enrollments. The larger schools should get fewer scholarships and the smaller schools should get more scholarships. In doing so allow the larger schools to field an unlimited number of walk-ons.
Mary, Oklahoma City - Nov 6, 2009 at 5:42 pm
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Let's just stick with OU and Nebraska playing every year. I sure as heck would rather watch OU NU than OU Idaho State.
David, Grant - Nov 6, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Wrong Mary. That is just Big Eight Psycho Talk. Big Eight had the advantage of being in the right place at the right time. Texas was saddled with a bunch of private schools in the SWC. Big 10 was attempting a ban on redshirting. And academic requirements weren't that high. So recruiting was much easier. The talent was almost exclusively in Texas in the southern part of the Big Eight recruiting grounds. The northern part raided Big 10 recruiting grounds.
r, richardson - Nov 6, 2009 at 4:27 pm
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I'll tell you something else too! The OU-Texas game isn't nearly as important now that both teams are in the same conference as it was when it was the Big 8 vs. the Southwest Conference. It's lost in the ratings significantly. I'll tell you something else, too! Moving out of the Southwest Conference and into the Big XII Conference was the best thing that ever happened to Texas. Texas was content in competing in a mediocre Southwest Conference and never was a threat to win a National Championship. The step up to the Big XII is what has propelled Texas into national prominence. Texas owes the Big XII Conference a debt of gratitude, it's not the other way around!
Mary, Oklahoma City - Nov 6, 2009 at 3:58 pm
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I don't know what the solution is but OSU can't beat Texas! I don't know any other meaning for "OOC" other than "out of conference". Please explain. The referenced column speaks of bringing back Nebraska-OU every year. You can't do that the way the Big XII is currently set up. I think it's a great idea too! Playing in the North has devastated Nebraska's football program. Nebraska has the finest fans of any university in the nation barring none. They are great people and they support their football team through thick and thin. Texas is just a behemoth who with a coach like Urban Meyer would never lose to anyone, anywhere, anytime. It's fortunate that Mack Brown is head coach at Texas because of his ineptness as a coach it keeps some teams competetive with Texas. Maybe we should shuck the entire North and bring back TCU, Houston, SMU, Rice and Tulsa to make an all Oklahoma/Texas Conference. You could call it the Texhoma Conference. This Big XII just doesn't work right the way they have it set up.
Mary, Oklahoma City - Nov 6, 2009 at 3:43 pm
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Record is OU 44-37-3 overall with the game of the decade being the most memorable in 1971. OU won the last game 68-28 in Norman - 2008. During the "we would like to forget 90's" NU dominated OU and won by most points ever, 69-7 in Lincoln - 1997. OU returned the favor in 2000's, but their widest margin of victory came in 1949, a 48-0 victory. Yes, there is a great deal of respect between the two teams and never any whining it seems. Tom Osborne, the consumate gentleman and quiet one, is as important in the rivalry as Barry Switzer, beloved of Sooner fans everywhere and very outgoing. Yes, Berry Tramel, we all agree, bring this very important competition back to an annual and much anticipated event. It will be good for college football, the two universities, and add to the bottom-line by generating revenue for the programs and B12. I doubt Barry Switzer will ever consider the role of AD at OU, but would be happy if he did. In my own mind, it sounds appropriate.
william, Tulsa - Nov 6, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Mary. Be very careful in speaking for OSU. Colorado is the weak point in the Big 12. If they attempt to leave, Texas will come to their support. AGAIN, OSU wishes to remain in the South. Contrary to anything you have written on this thread. OSU wants to stay with the Texas schools. And if it means leaving the Big 12 to stay with Colorado, Texas, Tech, A&M and Oklahoma, they will do it.
r, richardson - Nov 6, 2009 at 11:03 am
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Mary. Be very careful in speaking for OSU. Colorado is the weak point in the Big 12. If they attempt to leave, Texas will come to their support. AGAIN, OSU wishes to remain in the South. Contrary to anything you have written on this thread. OSU wants to stay with the Texas schools. And if it means leaving the Big 12 to stay with Colorado, Texas, Tech, A&M and Oklahoma, they will do it.
r, richardson - Nov 6, 2009 at 11:02 am
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Mary--reading comprehension not your strong suit, huh? Go back and read the post again. Pay particular attention to the quotation marks around "OOC". See if you can figure out what it means.
harry, lake forest - Nov 5, 2009 at 11:01 pm
Amen!!!! Boy do I wish!!!!
Stuart, Brooklyn - Nov 5, 2009 at 10:10 pm
DUMP Baylor. Get Arkansas into the Big XII. Back in the 70s, there was a great OSU-Arkansas rivalry. Bring it back.
Keith, New York City - Nov 5, 2009 at 5:37 pm
I would like to get rid of Colorado though! They complain all the time and no one likes the time change and the thin air. I know OSU would like to make Colorado a memory.
Mary, Oklahoma City - Nov 5, 2009 at 5:23 pm
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Ok here it is! Dump Colorado and pick up Arkansas. Put Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, OSU, Missouri and Arkansas in the East. The rest goes to the West.
Mary, Oklahoma City - Nov 5, 2009 at 5:21 pm
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I think that if Arkansas played all their games in Fayetteville, which they really should, they'd have no problem joining the Big XII. It's those Little Rock games that keep them in the Southeast Conference.
Mary, Oklahoma City - Nov 5, 2009 at 5:10 pm
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Harry you're an idiot! You can't schedule Nebraska as an OOC game when they're in your conference!!!
Mary, Oklahoma City - Nov 5, 2009 at 5:07 pm
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There was no leadership in the Big-8 back when the Big-12 was formed. SEC will always be
the leader and all others follow. Donnie Duncan was trying to stay employed somewhere, so
he didn't care about the rivalry, OU had no competitive football program under Gibb's, no
AD(Duncan), and I think David (the weasel) Swank was still the acting president. Conference
is a want-a-be joke, with weak teams, except Texas. Drop all those non-conference games
and play everybody in the conference, be the leader, not the follower. But it takes an AD
with a pair to get that done and OU Ain't Got One.
jo, edmond - Nov 5, 2009 at 4:28 pm
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I miss the Big 8. The NU OU rivalry was always much better than the UT OU rivalry. The NU OU one was based on respect and the importance of the game. The OU UT one is based on insecurity and hatred. It is a really nasty and negative rivalry. I agree. They should play NU and OU every year the Friday after Thanksgiving.
John, edmond - Nov 5, 2009 at 3:11 pm
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no way OU/Neb should play every year

The Big 12 schedule works fine the way it is now
Eric, Oklahoma City - Nov 5, 2009 at 1:41 pm
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