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Stoops not eager to see Nebraska as powerhouse

In this 2008 file photo, Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, left, greets Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini, right, following their game in Norman. SUE OGROCKI/AP File Photo
 
By JEFF LATZKE AP Sports Writer
Published: 11/3/2009  2:53 PM
Last Modified: 11/3/2009  5:02 PM

 NORMAN — Bob Stoops is great friends with Nebraska coach Bo Pelini and even let Pelini's brother stay at his house for an extended period while they worked together at Kansas State.

He grew up admiring from afar the rivalry the Cornhuskers had with Oklahoma, where he'd eventually be hired as the head coach.

But would he like to see the Huskers re-establish themselves as the marquee team in the Big 12 North?

"I'd rather they didn't," Stoops said with a chuckle Tuesday.

The Battle of the Big Reds has been a bit unbalanced lately and Stoops likes it that way. While Nebraska has been rebuilding, Stoops has been able to win four straight games in the series and keep the No. 20 Sooners (5-3, 3-1 Big 12) among the nation's top teams headed into Saturday night's game with the Huskers.

Instead of the rivalry determining the conference champion — as it did 31 times in 36 years in the Big Eight — and even a national championship, the game has had less panache in recent years. There was the series' second "Game of the Century" in 2000 and the teams met for the Big 12 title in 2006, but it's been nothing like the days of Barry Switzer vs. Tom Osborne in the 1970s and '80s.

This time, both teams are just trying to make up ground in the divisional standings. It's the fourth straight time Nebraska (5-3, 2-2) enters the rivalry unranked and, before that, Oklahoma was outside the Top 25 for six of eight meetings in the 1990s.

Pelini said he is "worried about 2009 right now."

"They've
played for a long time and any time you've played for a long time and the games were meaningful, there's going to be a different air to the game," Pelini said. "A lot of people take it seriously, obviously, and we're looking forward to it."

Some of today's players have a feel for the rivalry, although they're more familiar with the 2000 and 2001 games than with those further back. Sooners cornerback Dominique Franks, whose uncle played for the Sooners, recalled watching recent rivalry games on television.

"It was amazing," Franks said. "With all the athletes they've had and the OU athletes, it's always been a great rivalry and I don't expect anything less for this game."

"It's a big one, the Battle of the Big Reds," he added. "You don't have to say too much after you say Oklahoma vs. Nebraska."

Stoops tries to make sure his players know the context of the game. As he does with other traditional rivals, he showed clips to the team about the history of the series.

"I always have had, playing Nebraska here for a long time, great respect for them. An amazing tradition and history," Stoops said. "I always want our freshmen, sophomores, guys that haven't been around that long to have a true understanding of the whole tradition, history and pride of that program.

"I've always felt that way. Playing them has always been tough."

All the history will be brought up at a reunion Friday night in Lincoln. Switzer, Osborne and some of their best players — including Heisman Trophy winners Steve Owens, Johnny Rodgers, Billy Sims, Mike Rozier, Eric Crouch and Jason White — will eat dinner together and then be introduced at halftime of Saturday night's game.

Oklahoma held a similar reunion last year for players from the 1971 "Game of the Century."

"It's a great rivalry. I'm proud to be a part of it," said Nebraska defensive tackle Jared Crick, who grew up watching the rivalry in Cozad, Neb. "I can't really think about it too much going into this week but it's in the back of my mind 'Hey, this is Oklahoma. If we beat them, we get bragging rights.'"

Oklahoma won 62-28 last year in Pelini's debut in the rivalry. Franks intercepted Joe Ganz's first pass and returned it for a touchdown, and Oklahoma opened a 28-0 lead in the first 5½ minutes. The Sooners' final point total was their highest ever in the series.

"I just think it really took everything out of them. Just the first play of the game having a pick-6, that'll discourage any offense," Franks said. "It seemed like we jumped on them real early and just took the life out of them."

Whether he likes it or not, Stoops said he expects Nebraska to rise again. He knows the Pelini family well from their days in Youngstown, Ohio.

"I just know Bo and his attention to detail, his understanding of all parts of the game, that he'll continue to do a very good job there at Nebraska and continue to build the program," Stoops said.

___

AP Sports Writer Eric Olson in Lincoln, Neb., contributed to this story.
By JEFF LATZKE AP Sports Writer

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COMMENTS 
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20 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!
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Report Comment
Arbythree, Tulsa (11/3/2009 3:01:43 PM)
Well it would be nice if someone from the North had a decent team.
Report Comment
pat, Kiefer (11/3/2009 3:08:47 PM)
Agreed, A3, but not good enough to beat OU...lol.
Report Comment
SS_Hippy, Tulsa (11/3/2009 3:11:57 PM)
How are you doing in out-picking the picker A3?
i've slowly climbed my way to the first page of rankings.
Report Comment
Deep In The Heart, (11/3/2009 3:13:32 PM)
It would help the Big 12 if some of the North teams were competitive.
Report Comment
Arbythree, Tulsa (11/3/2009 3:13:34 PM)
Made the first page finally today.
Report Comment
blackshirtsin918, Tulsa (11/3/2009 3:23:28 PM)
Its sad to say but Nebraska is so far behind in there economic vision, that Husker football is all they will ever hope to have!!!!
High taxes, Low wage, nothing to see,nothing to do out west of GrandIsland.400 miles of nothing.

THE GOOD OL'BOY WAY OF THINKIN IS KILLING THAT WHOLE STATE!!!!!!! STAGNATE!!!!
Report Comment
CowboyBobDog, Neamh (11/3/2009 3:35:04 PM)
Well as we all know, the corn eaters will be back.

Look at OU under Blake and what's his name. Look how the Sooners came back.

Look at the OSU under ah er, nevermind.

(Bobdog goes back to sleep.)
Report Comment
Arbythree, Tulsa (11/3/2009 3:37:55 PM)
Yea BobDog and look at uh uh and uh uh.
Report Comment
CowboyBobDog, Neamh (11/3/2009 3:41:40 PM)
And the beat goes on, so to speak.

(Bobdog rolls over.)
Report Comment
terryf, (11/3/2009 4:34:23 PM)
If Nebraska get its mojo back then we need not schedule 3 top 20 teams in our "pre" season!
Report Comment
HVJ, (11/3/2009 4:48:41 PM)
About a year ago now I watched a high school play-off game between Cardinal Mooney [Youngstown, OH] and Steubenville [OH] on DirecTV [STO]. Cardinal Mooney had a tackle named Pelini and a WR/DB named Stoops. Cardinal Mooney lost breaking a long winning streak. The two families go back a long, long way.
Report Comment
T!ger,, Tulsa (11/3/2009 6:22:25 PM)
OU is gonna beat the Cornhuskers this week! Bob stoops will get another victory!
This will for sure be a real good game!
BOOMER SOONER!!!!!!!!!!!
Report Comment
DavidM F, (11/3/2009 9:03:06 PM)
GO cornhuskers, strike 4 for OU who.....haha
Report Comment
The Bug, Tulsa (11/3/2009 9:21:14 PM)
blackshirtsin918, and there is sooooo much West of OKC.
and pot calling kettle black with good ol boy thinking. I love living in Oklahoma, and claim Tulsa as home, but c'mon...all that you point at and accuse Nebraska of is much more fold here.
Report Comment
Steff M, Claremore (11/4/2009 8:51:11 AM)
"more fold"??? Western OK is better driving through than western NE, but not by much.

Despite all the hoopla surrounding the RRR, my earliest memories of watching OU football as a child in the early seventies are all from the Neb. games. All the adults just seemed way more into it, probably because the conf. title and bowl implications far outweighed bragging rights. Plus there was all that good food.
Report Comment
Cali_Husker, (11/4/2009 11:23:48 AM)
Bob Stoops and the WHOLE OU program is nothing but PURE class. This is what a rivalry is all about. NU and OU have played some 100 times, with both sides almost splitting those games. (I know, OU has 55 wins.) I was at the "Ice bowl" game in '91 in Lincoln won by OU, but we got it back 10 years later in '01.
Report Comment
laughoutloud, (11/4/2009 11:35:01 AM)
The best thing about OU football is how they've dominated the Big 12, even when Texas beats them. OU can turn a lot of heads if they go in there and dominate Nebraska from the start like they started against KSU.

OU: Don't lose focus if you jump ahead early. It seemed like OU kind of gave up for a while after they got the 21 point lead early vs KSU. You have to play OU football for 60 minutes or at least until the other team is yawning instead of glaring.
Report Comment
laughoutloud, (11/4/2009 11:40:35 AM)
OU leads 44-37-3
I wish the Big XII would adopt the policy of the SEC by having a team from the opposite division be a permanent opponent for every team every year to reinstate this as an annual rivalry game. OU-NU is MUCH more interesting than ISU-OU or CU-OU etc.

NU-OU should be every year. OU has dominated every other series vs the North teams (i.e. Mizzou...65-24).
Besides Nebraska, the next closest OU-rivalry in the North is OU-CU which OU leads 39-17!
OU-NU would be great, especially if it were played on a neutral site (Kansas city) sometimes.
I can guarantee more would tune in for that than for CU-OU, KSU-OU or ISU-OU. Well, it would be a matchup to look forward to each year.
Report Comment
gba, (11/5/2009 4:49:38 AM)
this story is only important in two states
oklahoma and nebraska
no one else in the world cares
neither are going to play for the big 12 championship
there are at least 4 non-bcs teams that could beat ou or nebraska
LIVING IN THE PAST BECAUSE THE FUTURE LOOKS DIMMMMMMM !!!
Report Comment
Steff M, Claremore (11/5/2009 11:01:42 AM)
gba, you do realize that this is the Tulsa World site and Tulsa is a city in OKLAHOMA? Your jealousy is showing through. It's not our fault your team has no storied past.
 

 
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