Red River takes a backseat in 2010

[GSG]

Red River takes a backseat in 2010

By David Ubben

 

Yesterday, the Oct. 16 matchup between Nebraska and Texas took a spin through the hype machine, with yours truly and columnists Pat Forde and Mark Schlabach weighing in on what should be the most heated matchup of the 2010 season.

 

But all that talk spawned this e-mail and a few others with similar sentiments, which argues that Oklahoma-Texas still hangs onto its annual spot as the Big 12's marquee game:

 

Paul in Kansas City wrote: Look David, I understand that Nebraska-Texas is a huge game. But take a straw poll of nearly any Big 12 fan, and the Red River Rivalry is still bigger. OU-Texas haven't suddenly stopped hating each other more than any other school. Seriously, I guarantee at least 9 out of 10 people think the RRR is a bigger game. Please... just ask the blog. (Not to mention the fact that if OU wins, then the TX-NE game suddenly loses a lot of its luster). The bottom line is that you need to admit you are wrong.

 

Sorry, Paul. Not this year. The Red River Rivalry bakes year-round at a toasty 350 degrees, but the realignment hijinks and Nebraska's clear placement of blame on Texas in its argument for a farewell to the Big 12 have ratcheted up the oven dial to 900-degree, self-cleaning mode. A second helping in the Big 12 title game may only be more intense. Lincoln is already home to the best game experience in the Big 12, but I'm expecting an environment unlike any other in college football for that heavyweight tilt.

 

An Oklahoma victory in Dallas would tarnish the buildup slightly, but Nebraska's impending exit from the Big 12 assures the big-picture animosity will show up in Lincoln, even if Texas shows up with a loss. Fifteen years of disdain for the Longhorns came to a head this summer. Now they'll have a finale on the field.

 

 

If both teams are undefeated, it'll have two great, hard-hitting defenses, two top 10 -- possibly top 5 -- teams and plenty of pride and national title implications on the line. (Side note: What it won't have? A sweet name. Got one? Send it to my mailbag, and I'll run the best suggestions for this year's game between Texas and Nebraska)

 

That lineup sounds a bit like every year at the Texas State Fair, doesn't it? But what pushes this game over the edge is its finality. No matter what happens between Oklahoma and Texas, they'll be back again in 12 months to do it all over again. You can't say that for Nebraska and Texas.

 

 

Even if the two meet again in the Big 12 Championship, they won't see each other again in the foreseeable future. Tough to battle for bigger bragging rights than that.

 

So, sorry Red River. You'll be back in 2011, bigger and more important than ever in a probably division-less Big 12. But this year, you're taking a backseat to the yet-unnamed matchup (seriously, we need some good suggestions) between the Huskers and Horns on Oct. 16.

 

ESPN Link

 

I suggest going over to ESPN to read the comments. The Texas and OU fans are not happy about this "article."

[billdozer15]

Ubben better be careful Boss Deloss may fire him for statements like this.

[HuskerNMO]

More important to Texas and OU? The the RRR.

 

More important to the rest of the country? slUT vs DONU

 

But it's really pointless to argue at this time IMO, Texas has 3 tough games leading up to us @ Tech, against UCLA and then the RRR. They do have a bye week before us, but it wouldn't shock me to see Texas come into that game 3-2, and if we have to beat Washington and KSux before we play Texas.

 

 

[The Maudfather]

The only way this game is bigger than the Red River Shootout is if Texas and Nebraska both come into the game undefeated IMO.

[sd'sker]

The only way this game is bigger than the Red River Shootout is if Texas and Nebraska both come into the game undefeated IMO.

i like ubben's point, which i think is this, in the big 12 rrr will reign king, but nationally, after the big 12 championship (viewed by many) and then the realignment drama, the NU-TU game will be a bigger draw and better storyline.

[GSG]

The only way this game is bigger than the Red River Shootout is if Texas and Nebraska both come into the game undefeated IMO.

i like ubben's point, which i think is this, in the big 12 rrr will reign king, but nationally, after the big 12 championship (viewed by many) and then the realignment drama, the NU-TU game will be a bigger draw and better storyline.

 

+1

 

Texas and OU could both be 0-4 and the RRR is still going to be a big rivalry game for both of those teams, but there will a lot more national eyeballs on NU/UT this fall

[Enhance]

What some people don't seem to understand is that this is not about Nebraska and Texas being the biggest rivals ever (which, unfortunately, some writers are wording it as), but more about the fact that this is going to be a HUGE game this year. More eyeballs will be on the Texas v. Nebraska matchup than the RRR, especially since I don't think neither Oklahoma or Texas are national championship candidates this year.

[deedsker15]

Red River takes a backseat in 2010

By David Ubben

 

Sorry, Paul. Not this year. The Red River Rivalry bakes year-round at a toasty 350 degrees, but the realignment hijinks and Nebraska's clear placement of blame on Texas in its argument for a farewell to the Big 12 have ratcheted up the oven dial to 900-degree, self-cleaning mode. A second helping in the Big 12 title game may only be more intense. Lincoln is already home to the best game experience in the Big 12, but I'm expecting an environment unlike any other in college football for that heavyweight tilt.

 

 

ESPN Link

 

it's still our fault...

[Scratchtown]

screw the RRR, I have honestly never sat down to watch that game in my life. It has never ever appealed to me whatsoever. I'd rather go mow the yard.

[GSG]

screw the RRR, I have honestly never sat down to watch that game in my life. It has never ever appealed to me whatsoever. I'd rather go mow the yard.

 

 

It's always been one of those games where you check the score on occasion but there's always something else going on that's more important

[deedsker15]

i watch it...most of the time it is to watch oklahoma kick some butt...still wondering how they lost that game two years ago

[sd'sker]

screw the RRR, I have honestly never sat down to watch that game in my life. It has never ever appealed to me whatsoever. I'd rather go mow the yard.

 

 

It's always been one of those games where you check the score on occasion but there's always something else going on that's more important

i just pay attention, never really watched it though, to hope that the team with the better record gets a loss so maybe there will be a different big 12 south winner. also, i hope to see tu's national title hopes get crushed, i don't mind ou winning a national title as much.

[C N Red]

The only way this game is bigger than the Red River Shootout is if Texas and Nebraska both come into the game undefeated IMO.

 

I agree to a point. The Neb/Tex game will be bigger if we both come in undefeated for sure. However, even if Texas comes in with a loss and we are undefeated it will still be bigger. Everyone in the country knows the bad blood from the Big 12 champ last year and then the boiling over from the off season changes.

[huKSer]

More important to Texas and OU? The the RRR.

 

More important to the rest of the country? slUT vs DONU

 

But it's really pointless to argue at this time IMO, Texas has 3 tough games leading up to us @ Tech, against UCLA and then the RRR. They do have a bye week before us, but it wouldn't shock me to see Texas come into that game 3-2, and if we have to beat Washington and KSux before we play Texas.

O RLY? Do I need to remind you who is the coach at UCLA?

[jayhawk]

They will be different. One is a last time, hate match without much nistorical context in the grand scheme, but a lot of meaning related to current events. THe other is a long standing, neutral site game that is one in a long series. THe hate is traditional, more bred in, but the game itself is no more significant than many other years. If I had to say one was better, I would go with UT/NU. That said, both will be great games and are different, so I am cool with either POV, I would like to be at both, frankly speaking, if it did not interfere with Jayhawk watching...