No need to mince words here.  It isn’t what it used to be, this Nebraska-Oklahoma gridiron rivalry.

“Hell, no, it ain’t the same,” said former Sooner coach Barry Switzer. “The only way it would be of equal magnitude now is if both teams were playing in the Big 12 championship game and were undefeated.”

Even then, it might not recapture the magic of the rivalry’s most glorious moments, which are too many to count.

Today, for the first time since 1961, Nebraska and Oklahoma are both unranked going into a game. Both teams are clawing and scratching to stay alive in their Big 12 divisional races. In short, with five losses between them, they’re non-factors in the national title chase entering their 11 a.m. contest at Memorial Stadium.

Nevertheless, when the teams take the field for their 82nd meeting, fans from both schools no doubt will experience flashbacks to monumental games and ultra-talented players that helped define one of the foremost rivalries in any sport. The mere sight of the teams’ uniforms, the colors, the helmets, the stripes — it’ll be enough to provoke memories of past All-Americans and annual showdowns that had conference and national title implications, not to mention social and economic ramifications.

Yes, those were the days.

Don Bryant, longtime NU sports information director and former sports editor of The Lincoln Star, says the rivalry’s wonderful and unique madness essentially began in October of 1959. That’s when Nebraska upset Oklahoma and legendary Bud Wilkinson in Lincoln, 25-21, snapping the Sooners’ 74-game unbeaten string in conference play.

At last, after 16 straight losses to Oklahoma, Nebraska finally slew the dragon. Husker fans mobbed the field at Memorial Stadium and tore down the steel goalposts. Amid utter euphoria, university classes were canceled the following Monday. The next year, Nebraska again surprised Oklahoma, 17-14, in Norman.

“That really got things going, and I think it encouraged Nebraska to get enthusiasm and catch up and get things going (in the football program),” Bryant said.

Of course, what ensued is magical and riveting Nebraska gridiron history. In 1962, Bob Devaney took over as head coach and inherited a team stocked with talent thanks to strong recruiting by his predecessor, Bill Jennings. Devaney beat Oklahoma in his second year in charge and captured the Big Eight Conference title for the first time.

“That’s when it got rolling in a consecutive-year basis,” Bryant said.

If Nebraska beats Oklahoma today, Husker Nation will be delighted. But classes will be held Monday, and the goalposts probably will be safe. 

“It’s a different deal now,” Switzer said.

“The unfortunate thing about the rivalry is it ended when we stopped playing Oklahoma every year,” said Bryant, referring to the formation of the Big 12 Conference  in 1996 and its rotating divisional scheduling format.

Of course, the advent of the Big 12 wasn’t the only thing that diminished this rivalry. It also hurt when Oklahoma endured a decade-long down cycle that began in the late 1980s after Switzer’s departure. Of course, Nebraska endured rough waters of its own in recent years, reaching a low point last season with a 5-6 record.

Who would have predicted in 1996 that Nebraska and Oklahoma still haven’t squared off in a Big 12 championship game? It’s unlikely to happen this year, as the Huskers (5-2, 2-2 Big 12) and Sooners (4-3, 3-1) battle through up-and-down seasons characteristic of teams loaded with youth and inexperience.

“It’s two teams that have dropped below the glory standard getting together to have a little back-alley brawl,” Bryant said.

Flashing back

During breaks in Nebraska practices this week, Husker coach Bill Callahan made it a point to play video of the 1971 Nebraska-Oklahoma game. Playing the video was part of the process of educating his players about the importance of the Husker-Sooner rivalry, Callahan said.

However, it might be impossible for current Huskers to completely grasp the magnitude of the Game of the Century. Indeed, it’s still a challenge for many adults to fully appreciate the level of drama that unfolded on Thanksgiving Day in 1971 in Norman, Okla.

Oh, there were other unforgettable moments in series history: Tom Osborne beating Oklahoma for the first time, in 1978; the Sooners’ defense dominating and Charles Thompson making all the right moves in 1987 in Game of the Century II; the Huskers surprising everyone in 2001 with Black 41 Flash Reverse, a play that produced a 63-yard touchdown pass from freshman Mike Stuntz to Eric Crouch and all but finished off the Sooners.

That’s just to name a few moments.

Of course, the 1971 game was the creme de la creme. Nebraska was ranked No. 1, Oklahoma No. 2. The Huskers were No. 1 in defense, while the Sooners boasted the top offense. Seventeen of the 22 All-Big Eight selections that year played in the game. Devaney’s coaching staff included Osborne, while OU head coach Chuck Fairbanks’ staff included Switzer and Jimmy Johnson.

On the Monday before the game, 100 media members from around the country already had descended on Norman to size up the nationally televised affair, Bryant said. If you watched college football on Nov. 25, 1971, you watched Nebraska outlast Oklahoma 35-31. ESPN wasn’t around; it was the only game on TV.

It was a rare case of a game living up to its hyperbole, from Johnny Rodgers’ 72-yard punt return for a touchdown to open the scoring to Nebraska’s dramatic march to immortality during the final seven minutes.

After returning to Lincoln that night, Nebraska’s coaching staff convened at the American Legion Club for a turkey dinner. It’s probably safe to say that, for Devaney and his staff, stuffing and cranberries never tasted so good.

“Right now, Nebraska’s building to where Devaney was building in the 1960s,” Rodgers said. “They’re trying to build a dynasty. In 1971, we were at a point where we had built a dynasty and were trying to maintain it. I hope that right now they’re trying to relive the steps we walked.”

Rodgers credits Devaney for being a visionary.

“Bob didn’t see things as they were,” Rodgers said. “He saw things as they could be.”

Mutual respect

Most college football fans understand that Oklahoma considers Texas its blood rival.

“Nebraska and Oklahoma had a much different rivalry than that,” Bryant said. “It was one of mutual respect among the coaches and players and fans. It really was a fun experience, like the Super Bowl or World Series. Even if you lost, it was an interesting and valuable game and experience.

“We had great relationships with them.”

Said Rodgers: “When I go down to Oklahoma, I’m still as well received there as I am here.”

Some suggest the Nebraska-Oklahoma rivalry could regain some zip if administrators from both programs would agree to schedule games during seasons they don’t meet on the Big 12 schedule. 

Don’t hold your breath.

“In theory, it’d be a great thing to do,” Nebraska athletic director Steve Pederson said. “The reality of it is, I don’t know if it can happen given the way the conference is structured.”

Pederson said he and Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione have discussed the matter. But Pederson noted the Sooners’ nonconference schedule is determined several years in advance. What’s more, Pederson indicated playing the Sooners in a nonconference game might be awkward.

Scheduling matters aside, Pederson insists the rivalry can regain the prominence it enjoyed in its glory years. The key is for both schools to continue to strengthen their programs and return to sustained stays in the national top five.

“That day will happen again, absolutely,” Pederson said.

“Bob didn’t see things as they were; he saw things as they could be.”

Meanwhile, Pederson still believes in the magic of a rivalry that has brought so much joy to so many people that it can be difficult to put into words.

“Around here this week, it just feels different,” he said.

Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.