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Question: Will NU be honoring T.O. and Barry Switzer during OU/NU game?

Mar 17, 2005
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Sooner fan from Oklahoma City here, who will be making my 5th trip to Lincoln for an OU/NU game. They have ALL been memorable, the most memorable of which were 1982 and the 1987 Game of the Century 2). I was thinking about all of the great games played over the years, as well as the great coaches.

This lead to thinking: I wonder if NU will be honoring Tom Osborne and Barry Switzer as part of the gameday activities?? I sure hope so. I know Tom and Barry are both in their mid-80's now and we need to be honoring what they achieved at every opportunity we can when our schools play. Barry has such great respect for Nebraska; and most of my older Nebraska fans really somewhat liked Barry even though they hated to admit it. Tom and Barry were COMPLETELY DIFFERENT different people (Tom's calm & reverent demeaner.....contrasted with Barry's swashbuckling ways as the son of a bootlegger), but I know they had deep respect for one another.

I am 53 years old and grew up on the OU/NU rivalry. It was part of my Thanksgiving tradition. And unfortunately my kids don't have any appreciation for what many of us experienced through this great rivalry. They don't know the history. My favorite story that Barry tells about Nebraska is the "Taco Incident" that involved Barry showing up unannounced on the Bob Devaney Show. It was great theater. And if you don't know it, here is a video of it:


Anyway.....good times. Can't wait for the game next Saturday. There are 6 people from my family making the trip. Looking forward to catching up with my old Husker friends....
 
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Sooner fan from Oklahoma City here, who will be making my 5th trip to Lincoln for an OU/NU game. They have ALL been memorable, the most memorable of which were 1982 and the 1987 Game of the Century 2). I was thinking about all of the great games played over the years, as well as the great coaches.

This lead to thinking: I wonder if NU will be honoring Tom Osborne and Barry Switzer as part of the gameday activities?? I sure hope so. I know Tom and Barry are both in their mid-80's now and we need to be honoring what they achieved at every opportunity we can when our schools play. Barry has such great for Nebraska; and most of my older Nebraska fans really somewhat liked Barry even though they hated to admit it. Tom and Barry were COMPLETELY DIFFERENT different people (Tom's calm & reverent demeaner.....contrasted with Barry's swashbuckling ways as the son of a bootlegger), but I know they had deep respect for one another.

I am 53 years old and grew up on the OU/NU rivalry. It was part of my Thanksgiving tradition. And unfortunately my kids don't have any appreciation for what many of us experienced through this great rivalry. They don't know the history. My favorite story that Barry tells about Nebraska is the "Taco Incident" that involved Barry showing up unannounced on the Bob Devaney Show. It was great theater. And if you don't know it, here is a video of it:


Anyway.....good times. Can't wait for the game next Saturday. There are 6 people from my family making the trip. Looking forward to catching up with my old Husker friends....
I would hope so. How cool they liked each other even though so different. Also 53 yrs old so our timeframe is the same if what a classic game every year. Keith Jackson still causes me pain thinking about his big plays.
 
Thanks for that link, Sooner, I remember watching that live. Boy, that really got under my skin at the time. 🤣
It's all great memories now.

May the best team (N) win when we meet yet again. 😎
 
Sooner fan from Oklahoma City here, who will be making my 5th trip to Lincoln for an OU/NU game. They have ALL been memorable, the most memorable of which were 1982 and the 1987 Game of the Century 2). I was thinking about all of the great games played over the years, as well as the great coaches.

This lead to thinking: I wonder if NU will be honoring Tom Osborne and Barry Switzer as part of the gameday activities?? I sure hope so. I know Tom and Barry are both in their mid-80's now and we need to be honoring what they achieved at every opportunity we can when our schools play. Barry has such great respect for Nebraska; and most of my older Nebraska fans really somewhat liked Barry even though they hated to admit it. Tom and Barry were COMPLETELY DIFFERENT different people (Tom's calm & reverent demeaner.....contrasted with Barry's swashbuckling ways as the son of a bootlegger), but I know they had deep respect for one another.

I am 53 years old and grew up on the OU/NU rivalry. It was part of my Thanksgiving tradition. And unfortunately my kids don't have any appreciation for what many of us experienced through this great rivalry. They don't know the history. My favorite story that Barry tells about Nebraska is the "Taco Incident" that involved Barry showing up unannounced on the Bob Devaney Show. It was great theater. And if you don't know it, here is a video of it:


Anyway.....good times. Can't wait for the game next Saturday. There are 6 people from my family making the trip. Looking forward to catching up with my old Husker friends....
A honest question for you? What was your thoughts when the big 12 formed and OU chose not to play Nebraska ever year? I’m not being sarcastic I’m interested in Oklahoma fans respective
 
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A honest question for you? What was your thoughts when the big 12 formed and OU chose not to play Nebraska ever year? I’m not being sarcastic I’m interested in Oklahoma fans respective
When the Big 12 conference was formed, OU was at an all-time low and Nebraska was an all-time high. The first year of Big 12 play was 1996, in which OU finished 3-8 and Nebraska was coming off a NC the prior year. But I think the average OU fan lamented the loss of the annual game. We knew we were going to continue playing twice every four years so that cushioned the blow. And, if OU ever got back to winning again, we knew we would play in the Big 12 championship game.

The bigger feeling of loss was when NU left the conference in 2011. We all knew that Texas was primarily to blame. I think Tom O. felt that Texas had outsized influence in the Conference (and specifically Dan Beebe catered too much to wishes of DeLoss Dodds at Texas'). The moving of the Conference headquarters to Irving, TX, moving the Big 12 basketball tourney, the Longhorn Network, etc. all didn't sit well with Tom. -- Nobody from Oklahoma cared that Colorado or Missouri left, but EVERYONE cared when Nebraska left.

I posted on this message board back in 2020 that I wish the Big 12 Conference would have gone back to Nebraska and re-offer a position in the Big 12, especially with the certain demise of the Longhorn Network. Restore Nebraska's traditional rivalries with OU, KU, KSU, etc. Texas' brand/ego had been knocked down a peg, DeLoss Dodds was gone, and I think everyone in the conference would have recognized the value that Nebraska would have brought if they could be convinced to come back. But alas, OU and Texas opted for the SEC and...here we are.

I am excited that OU and NU are playing again in 2029-2030. The more times we play, the better. Sports-talk radio in Oklahoma City has been talking about the game non-stop for past 3 weeks.
 
When the Big 12 conference was formed, OU was at an all-time low and Nebraska was an all-time high. The first year of Big 12 play was 1996, in which OU finished 3-8 and Nebraska was coming off a NC the prior year. But I think the average OU fan lamented the loss of the annual game. We knew we were going to continue playing twice every four years so that cushioned the blow. And, if OU ever got back to winning again, we knew we would play in the Big 12 championship game.

The bigger feeling of loss was when NU left the conference in 2011. We all knew that Texas was primarily to blame. I think Tom O. felt that Texas had outsized influence in the Conference (and specifically Dan Beebe catered too much to wishes of DeLoss Dodds at Texas'). The moving of the Conference headquarters to Irving, TX, moving the Big 12 basketball tourney, the Longhorn Network, etc. all didn't sit well with Tom. -- Nobody from Oklahoma cared that Colorado or Missouri left, but EVERYONE cared when Nebraska left.

I posted on this message board back in 2020 that I wish the Big 12 Conference would have gone back to Nebraska and re-offer a position in the Big 12, especially with the certain demise of the Longhorn Network. Restore Nebraska's traditional rivalries with OU, KU, KSU, etc. Texas' brand/ego had been knocked down a peg, DeLoss Dodds was gone, and I think everyone in the conference would have recognized the value that Nebraska would have brought if they could be convinced to come back. But alas, OU and Texas opted for the SEC and...here we are.

I am excited that OU and NU are playing again in 2029-2030. The more times we play, the better. Sports-talk radio in Oklahoma City has been talking about the game non-stop for past 3 weeks.
I understand why Tom did what he did by moving to the big 10. imo if the big 12 had a strong commissioner like Jim Delaney from the start the big 12 could have and should have been one of the premier conferences in the country but Texas wanted to be in charge in less than 20 years Texas was looking for greener pastures. I myself hate the big 10 and it doesn’t help we suck. Best of luck to you going to the SEC that’s going to be a real meat grinder. Good luck in two weeks but you’ll probably help put a few more nails in frosts coffin
 
When the Big 12 conference was formed, OU was at an all-time low and Nebraska was an all-time high. The first year of Big 12 play was 1996, in which OU finished 3-8 and Nebraska was coming off a NC the prior year. But I think the average OU fan lamented the loss of the annual game. We knew we were going to continue playing twice every four years so that cushioned the blow. And, if OU ever got back to winning again, we knew we would play in the Big 12 championship game.

The bigger feeling of loss was when NU left the conference in 2011. We all knew that Texas was primarily to blame. I think Tom O. felt that Texas had outsized influence in the Conference (and specifically Dan Beebe catered too much to wishes of DeLoss Dodds at Texas'). The moving of the Conference headquarters to Irving, TX, moving the Big 12 basketball tourney, the Longhorn Network, etc. all didn't sit well with Tom. -- Nobody from Oklahoma cared that Colorado or Missouri left, but EVERYONE cared when Nebraska left.

I posted on this message board back in 2020 that I wish the Big 12 Conference would have gone back to Nebraska and re-offer a position in the Big 12, especially with the certain demise of the Longhorn Network. Restore Nebraska's traditional rivalries with OU, KU, KSU, etc. Texas' brand/ego had been knocked down a peg, DeLoss Dodds was gone, and I think everyone in the conference would have recognized the value that Nebraska would have brought if they could be convinced to come back. But alas, OU and Texas opted for the SEC and...here we are.

I am excited that OU and NU are playing again in 2029-2030. The more times we play, the better. Sports-talk radio in Oklahoma City has been talking about the game non-stop for past 3 weeks.
NU had a rivalry with KU? In what sport??
 
A honest question for you? What was your thoughts when the big 12 formed and OU chose not to play Nebraska ever year? I’m not being sarcastic I’m interested in Oklahoma fans respective
First, are you sure the offer was officially made? Seems like it was possibly fan fiction/wishing that NU wanted to make it an annual game. But, for argument’s sake, let’s assume it was. The simplest explanation is, as it always is when it comes to big schools football, all about money. Fiscally, it didn’t make sense to lock into an automatic Away game in an era of an 11-game season where you had 8 conference games. Big schools would routinely play all 3 non-con games at home to help fill the money coffers. Choosing whom to play Home/Away series against had to make sense for other reasons such as recruiting exposure, fan interest to travel, etc.

To expand on what @1893 Land Run said above, timing couldn’t have been worse in terms of on-field success/failure. Can you imagine if any time in these last 10 years if OU asked NU to play every year, what NU’s answer would have been? Quite simply put, OU needed the break.

Also, from OU’s perspective, NU wasn’t their biggest rival. Texas (Red River Rivalry/hatred rivalry) and Okie St (Bedlam/sibling rivalry) are 1 & 2 in that regard (though in football, NU was a solid 2 miles ahead of OSU). On the other hand, OU was far and away NUs biggest rival (and only real rival until McCartney made it his mission to make CU be another). We just weren’t in the same rivalry places as the other.
 
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First, are you sure the offer was officially made? Seems like it was possibly fan fiction/wishing that NU wanted to make it an annual game. But, for argument’s sake, let’s assume it was. The simplest explanation is, as it always is when it comes to big schools football, all about money. Fiscally, it didn’t make sense to lock into an automatic Away game in an era of an 11-game season where you had 8 conference games. Big schools would routinely play all 3 non-con games at home to help fill the money coffers. Choosing whom to play Home/Away series against had to make sense for other reasons such as recruiting exposure, fan interest to travel, etc.

To expand on what @1893 Land Run said above, timing couldn’t have been worse in terms of on-field success/failure. Can you imagine if any time in these last 10 years if OU asked NU to play every year, what NU’s answer would have been? Quite simply put, OU needed the break.

Also, from OU’s perspective, NU wasn’t their biggest rival. Texas (Red River Rivalry/hatred rivalry) and Okie St (Bedlam/sibling rivalry) are 1 & 2 in that regard (though in football, NU was a solid 2 miles ahead of OSU). On the other hand, OU was far and away NUs biggest rival (and only real rival until McCartney made it his mission to make CU be another). We just weren’t in the same rivalry places as the other.

Lol yes Ou chose to end it, it's not in question. NU vs OU was the biggest rivalry nationally for years, also not in question. Nebraska would 100% be up for playing the game annually again. Try having at least a little bit of kNowledge before posting...
 
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I hope not. In 2000 the horses in Norman nearly ran over them both. And I am sure they get tired of being trotted out like a museum relic.

P.S. Never understood the lovefest with OU. Went to the OU - NU games from 1982 forward and still think they are insufferable.
 
Seems we have a lot of revision on both sides here. Nebraska/OU was a premier rivalry. The winner usually decided the conference champion. OU wussed out. We can empathize and say NU was great and OU sucked. Fact is OU passed on the annual rivalry. We should have preserved that rivalry regardless of North/South conference divisions. OU always played Texas even though it was out of conference. I respect that. However, OU should have kept the rivalry with Nebraska at the end of the year as we had for so long. I used to hang out with OU fans in Dallas out on Commerce Street and they would always tell me that the Nebraska rivalry meant so much more. Total respect. We both new they were going to butt stomp Texas. Not so with Nebraska and Tom Osborne.
 
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