HuskerfaninOkieland Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 NE Statepaper A Rivalry at Half-Mast NU-OU series not the cultural event it once was by Samuel McKewon October 30, 2008 Oklahoma Week. That used to truly mean something on these high plains, a tension, a electricity, a sense of the Husker Nation’s energy coming together, leaning toward a television or a radio, and trying to will Nebraska to a win over vaunted OU. It wasn’t just about the state of Nebraska, either, or the just in-state kids, or the just walk-ons. South Dakota joined in. Western Iowa. Whole chunks of Wyoming and Kansas, too. On the team, the out-of-state, scholarship guys, like Steve Taylor and Broderick Thomas, got it, too. It was, like the best of the old college football rivalries, a cultural event that involved the fans, the uniforms, the coaches, and even the words as they scrolled across the screen. You didn’t sit down to watch “the Nebraska-Oklahoma game.” You sat down to watch “Nebraska-Oklahoma.” It was a three-hour trip to the place where heroes and villains lived, where an announcer’s utterance of a man’s last name – Bosworth, Jackson, Sims, Selmon, Noonan, Redwine, Rozier, Gill – could aptly describe that man’s actions on the field. That’s how well you knew them, the teams, and the contest. What is NU-OU today? What is it really, when you strip away the homilies and the lip service? For this year, it’s Bob vs. Bo. Youngstown, Ohio natives Bob Stoops and Bo Pelini have insisted this game is not about their long-time friendship. But it is. Pelini said basketball games between the two were more intense. Well, we’ll see. Can you imagine their conversation before the game at midfield? Beyond that? It’s not much. It isn’t folks, and I wish that weren’t so. The “rivalry” game this Saturday is Florida vs. Georgia, although those teams have played exactly, hmm, let’s see, one game, before Saturday, in its entire series history that involved both teams being in the top ten. Nebraska-Oklahoma? A rivalry, sorta, but hardly transcendent. There is no great romance to it now, no real sense of vengeance or magic. In this era, the game has been reduced to just another selection of the overwhelming buffet that is college football. To borrow a vague, overused phrase: It is what it is. We’ll just have to mourn what it ain’t. “I don’t really know nothing about the Nebraska-OU,” safety Larry Asante said. “I’m not from this area, whatnot. I don’t really have an answer for that question.” “We treat it as a business-as-usual,” tight end Hunter Teafatiller said. “We don’t want to get off point.” “For me personally, I don’t have the greatest grasp,” defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh said. “I have some history on Nebraska. I’m not the best in that category.” Now, that’s not to knock these three players. All of them went on to speak to the hyped nature of the game, its relative importance, etc. The Husker players aren’t clueless. Certainly coaches like Barney Cotton and Marvin Sanders, who played for Nebraska at the peak of the rivalry aren’t. But, right now, Colorado’s a bigger deal. Missouri probably is, too. Kansas State? Just maybe. Call it blasphemous. It’s true. Nebraska sees those teams every year. They represent a direct threat to NU’s goals of a Big 12 North title. Oklahoma represents an opportunity. It’s just not the same. And head coach Bo Pelini isn’t throwing himself headlong into the series the way Bill Callahan did. After the strange 2004 NU-OU game – Nebraska lineman Darren DeLone was charged with (and eventually acquitted of) assaulting a OU spirit squad member, and Callahan called Sooners fans a derogatory name – Callahan played video of Nebraska-Oklahoma games while the Huskers practiced in the stadium, he started a “Oklahoma drill,” he did the “throat slash” in 2005. He looked distraught after NU lost the 2006 Big 12 title game. Maybe Callahan viewed those games differently because of Steve Pederson’s stated mission to never surrender the league to OU and Texas. Maybe it all traced back to the 2004 game, when the great OU team, quite frankly, took some serious mercy on the Huskers. Maybe Callahan just liked gimmicks. At any rate, Pelini isn’t that guy. He coached at Oklahoma, he enjoyed his season there, and Stoops is a buddy. And when you’re fighting for a bowl berth – and Nebraska badly needs one for the extra month of practice that comes along with it – there isn’t much time to get too nostalgic, stomp on a schooner, or whatever. It doesn’t mean Pelini isn’t using his own motivational techniques. He doesn’t talk much to the media about them, but he’s always got some pointed, useful message for his team before each game. It may have seemed like the Huskers were bit subdued this week. By Saturday night, they won’t be. Emotion is never a problem for these guys. If only fans could tap so easily into that as this game rolls around on Saturday. It’ll be fun to see those shades of red together on the field again, hear “Boomer Sooner” way too much, and listen to the announcer say “Nebraska-Oklahoma.” But the magic isn’t there, and it would only be recaptured through a series of close, hard-fought games that would have to include a Big 12 title game here or there. Until then, NU-OU is almost as much of a novelty as it is a rivalry. When Pelini was asked what would happen if Michigan and Ohio State, his alma mater, didn’t play every year, the coach said: “A riot.” Eleven years ago, as No. 1 Nebraska was in the midst of a 69-7 pummeling of the sorriest football team in Oklahoma history for Tom Osborne’s 250th career win, the end of a continuous NU-OU series was celebrated with fireworks and a rainbow. Maybe we should have known something then. Quote Link to comment
admo Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 There might be more interest if both teams were in the top 5 because everyone likes to see a good hyped up game. Other than that, yeah it's prestige has fallen over the years. Cant do anything about it. It's not a yearly thing. And it's not a Thanksgiving weekend thing either. Sucks, but I'm fairly confident that it means a lot more to people from Okiedoke and N'brasky. By the way - there is only ONE BIG RED! And there will only be ONE! GO BIG RED! Quote Link to comment
NUpolo8 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 I really hope Asante was misquoted in that article. If he wasn't.... Man his grammar is worse than 75% of this board. Quote Link to comment
Drowning_in_the_Sea_of_Red Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 I really hope Asante was misquoted in that article. If he wasn't.... Man his grammar is worse than 75% of this board. Me takes offence to dat. Quote Link to comment
MCAT800 Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 Well it certainly still means something to OU and NU fans. I have watched the 71, 87,88, 91 and 01 games this week. I still love it, yea were not both battling for the conference or National championship (Big 8 style) so on a national scale it doesn't matter. Quote Link to comment
zoogs Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 I really hope Asante was misquoted in that article. If he wasn't.... Man his grammar is worse than 75% of this board. I'm not so sure about that.... Also, you meant 'if he weren't'....right? Quote Link to comment
The Maudfather Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 I really hope Asante was misquoted in that article. If he wasn't.... Man his grammar is worse than 75% of this board. I'm not so sure about that.... Also, you meant 'if he weren't'....right? I am concinved that Tuff Tiger is Larry Asante's alter-ego.. Quote Link to comment
Army Husker Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 I really hope Asante was misquoted in that article. If he wasn't.... Man his grammar is worse than 75% of this board. I'm not so sure about that.... Also, you meant 'if he weren't'....right? Singular subject (Asante/He) requires singular verb (wasn't=was not)...wasn't is correct there Quote Link to comment
huskered17 Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 Who needs the "check spelling button", we got you guys GBR!!! Quote Link to comment
newenglandhusker Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 Who needs the "check spelling button", we got you guys GBR!!! -OR- a cursory understanding of the English language... Quote Link to comment
sarge87 Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 If I had a dying wish, it would be a return of the annual OU-NU game instead of every 2 years. Quote Link to comment
zoogs Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 I really hope Asante was misquoted in that article. If he wasn't.... Man his grammar is worse than 75% of this board. I'm not so sure about that.... Also, you meant 'if he weren't'....right? Singular subject (Asante/He) requires singular verb (wasn't=was not)...wasn't is correct there It's a subjunctive clause (if...). "Wasn't" is the indicative form. "Weren't" is subjunctive - singular or plural. Hence, "if I were you" instead of "if I was you," even though "I" is singular. Quote Link to comment
Drowning_in_the_Sea_of_Red Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 Is this going to be on the test? Quote Link to comment
Army Husker Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 I really hope Asante was misquoted in that article. If he wasn't.... Man his grammar is worse than 75% of this board. I'm not so sure about that.... Also, you meant 'if he weren't'....right? Singular subject (Asante/He) requires singular verb (wasn't=was not)...wasn't is correct there It's a subjunctive clause (if...). "Wasn't" is the indicative form. "Weren't" is subjunctive - singular or plural. Hence, "if I were you" instead of "if I was you," even though "I" is singular. Quote Link to comment
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