LINCOLN, Neb. -- Before this week, Nebraska middle
linebacker Corey McKeon didn't know much about the Cornhuskers'
history with Oklahoma.
He says the more he learns, the more excited he gets about
Saturday's 82nd meeting.
"Hearing the stories and all the tales about the old games, the
people who played in them and the legends, you want to add to it,"
McKeon said. "You want to be in that next game where the home team
gets a big victory and everybody's celebrating. That's how people
got emotionally charged about this game over the years."
The Nebraska-Oklahoma rivalry lives on mostly in memories
nowadays.
When the teams meet, it will mark the first time since 1961 that
neither is ranked. From a national perspective, the game has become
almost irrelevant.
But it used to be known for deciding conference championships
and keeping one or the other team in the hunt for a national title.
Now it's just another step toward bowl eligibility for the
winner.
"I guess, historically, this has been one of the biggest
rivalries in college football history," OU defensive tackle Dusty
Dvoracek said. "I think it's more fun for (the media) to put all
the hoopla on it and talk about the past, and fans love it. For us,
it's another game. It's a Big 12 game that we need to win."
Fans and old players can't help but cling to the past.
Nebraska's 1995 national championship team, which beat the
Sooners 37-0 in their last meeting as Big Eight members, is holding
its 10-year reunion this weekend.
Former OU coach Barry Switzer will be a guest in the skybox of
his old rival and friend, former NU coach Tom Osborne. Heisman
Trophy winners Billy Sims and Steve Owens of Oklahoma and Mike
Rozier of Nebraska are scheduled to be in town.
On the field, players too young to remember the glory days will
be battling to keep their seasons from falling apart.
Nebraska (5-2, 2-2) is a full game behind Missouri in the North
Division after last week's 41-24 loss to the Tigers.
Oklahoma (4-3, 3-1) is in a three-way tie for second in the
South behind Texas. The Sooners are going for their 12th straight
regular-season win over a North opponent since losing at Nebraska
in 2001.
The teams don't play every year because of the Big 12 scheduling
rotation. After Saturday, Oklahoma and Nebraska won't meet again
until 2008.
Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said he wants his players to know
about the history of OU-NU. During Tuesday's practice, ABC's
telecast of the 1971 "Game of the Century" was played on Memorial
Stadium's video screens.
"We want to continue to educate our players on the rivalry and
on the tradition and importance of this game," Callahan said. "We
want to give them a clear understanding of all of the players who
have played in this classic game, what the game meant to them and
what it means to us now."
Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said he reminds his players of past
games.
"To me, it's important that they understand the traditions and
history, the great players before them, the games, who's made plays
in these games," Stoops said. "I don't like it when someone asks
them a question and they don't have any idea."
Nebraska linebacker Bo Ruud said he has a hunch all the players
on the field know a little bit about the significance of OU-NU.
"I think growing up, they always see the ESPN Classics, and
Nebraska-Oklahoma is on those a lot," Ruud said. "Most people
grasp the concept of how big this is."