50 years later, the Game of the Century resonates as Nebraska, Oklahoma rekindle faded rivalry

CBS Sports ^ | September 16, 2021 | Dennis Dodd

[FryingPan101]

They'll play a game Saturday morning in which the home team is a 22-point favorite. The game was deemed so non-competitive that the visiting team tried to cancel it a scant six months ago.

Forget about the label once affixed to the most notable game in this rivalry's history: Game of the Century. Nebraska-Oklahoma is not even the game of the day headed into Week 3 of the 2021 college football season.

The rivalry is a shell of its former self, the threads of history yanked apart by time and conference realignment. A rivalry that used to measure itself against any Iron Bowl or Ten-Year War you can name has dimmed, but it is not … quite … gone.

Look into the 70-year-old eyes of Johnny Rodgers. Saturday marks the 50th anniversary the Game of the Century, which ended with No. 1 Nebraska on top of No. 2 Oklahoma, 35-31, on Thanksgiving Day 1971.

[FryingPan101]

When life was life. When sports meant something. When you could have breakfast at a diner and never meet a stranger if you just said “Black Shirts.” I loved living in Nebraska while my husband was attending school. Our children didn’t particularly love the bitter cold going to school but we all loved the Huskers. Still do thru all their turmoil. Rush Limbaugh loved them as well. I was always happy when he was a guest at a game.

This game will be nothing compared to the past but that’s the way things go. Scott Frost has had rough times when he should be riding high as NU’s native son come home to be the head coach. I pray for him all the time.

I’m gonna watch. I’m gonna miss not having my husband with me just to hear him cuss at a dropped ball. No one bothered us on game day. It was our time. It won’t be the same and I expect NU will be clobbered but I’ll hope. 🥰☕️ GBR Nebraska G O B I G R E D!

A side note, we always pulled for Oklahoma in non-conference games. Still do.

[NWFree]

Good gawd you sound like somebody died

I can’t wait for the Sooners to begin SEC and see some new teams for a change.

[OLDCU]

I really thought Scott Frost would turn the program around.

[srmanuel]

Texas dipped its toe into the SEC last weekend against Arkansas and got it’s ass kicked

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

This used to be the season highlight for OU and Nebraska.

Excellent fundamental football before ESPN existed.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

He did turn it around 360 degrees, not 180 degrees.

[NWFree]

It was always on Thanksgiving weekend

[lurk]

When the Sooners and the Huskers were somebody.

Life is change. New kings rise up.

[FryingPan101]

I did too but he ran into a buzz saw with constant problems from the situations that caused the AD to fire good coaches in previous years and then the Covid stuff. It’s hard to recruit for Nebraska now as well since they aren’t in the top ten year after year and they look bad….and it’s cold there….and they’re in the Big Ten….But….Nobody’s gonna break my stride….😊…I love ‘em. I love Scott Frost. And I bet every little boy in Nebraska still dreams of being a Cornhuskers.

[FryingPan101]

Ha ha. I hate to say it but I was glad. I’ve lived in Texas for a quarter century+ and I still consider the Longhorns a mortal enemy.

[FryingPan101]

Yep. Somehow the Sooners always ride out the storm and stay in contention. I like their style.

[FryingPan101]

LOL…LOL….You wouldn’t have wanted to be around our home when NU lost a game. 😆 Or if the doorbell rang when NU had possession.

[FatherofFive]

Here in Tulsa, nobody under 30 knows anything about the OU-Nebraska rivalry. A buddy told me he is taking his son to the game. He told him to expect to see a lot of old people dressed in red.

Q. What does the N on the side of the Cornhusker helmet stand for?
A. Knowledge

[Brookhaven]

I suspect Oklahoma will be competitive in the SEC.

Texas, I’m not so sure about.

[FryingPan101]

LOL. I hate facts. They keep showing up in sports but not in politics. Notice that? But it was a great run.

[Tell It Right]

Oklahoma in the SEC will be like Ole Miss: good enough to make a game exciting and even win a big game every now & then. But win the conference or even their division? That's about as likely as the Sooners going through a season without their wagon crashing. LOL

[The Truth Will Make You Free]

OU has become “quarterback factory.”

10% of NFL QBs (3) are former OU Heisman winners or candidates. Two were back-to-back #1 draft picks.

The current and backup QB are potential candidates.

If you were the best high school QB in the nation, OU is likely the best training and offensive team to showcase your skills that you could find.

BTW, read up on OU coach Lincoln Riley. Couldn’t make it as a college QB, but the coach saw his analytical skills, assigned him as a volunteer coach and as a sophomore gave him the responsibility to train he college’s key QB recruit. Riley went on to become the youngest college offensive coordinator in the nation, and then to OU. He’s been training college QBs a long time for a young guy.

[dfwgator]

It’s really sad to see what happened to Nebraska, bad move going to the Big Ten.

What’s funny is if they had stayed in the Big 12, they might have moved to the SEC with Texas and OU.

[dfwgator]

Texas dipped its toe into the SEC last weekend against Arkansas and got it’s ass kicked

That was a beautiful thing to watch.

[dfwgator]

Here’s the 1971 “Game of the Century” in its entirety.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-urZvcMgqog