What are other websites saying about the OU-Nebraska game?

ESPN.com- Stoops turns Sooners back into title contender By Dan O'Kane Barry Switzer stood outside Oklahoma's locker room after its 41-31 victory against

Tuesday, October 24th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

ESPN.com- Stoops turns Sooners back into title contender
By Dan O'Kane

Barry Switzer stood outside Oklahoma's locker room after its 41-31 victory against Kansas State reading a stat sheet and shook his head.

"How the hell do you win a game with 11 yards rushing?" Switzer said.
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ESPN.som- Solich has Huskers in national title hunt
By Todd Cooper

Fists clenched and veins popping in his neck, Nebraska coach Frank Solich talks about steps to a national championship and asks his players if they have the mettle to meet those challenges.

His coach's shirt draping his thick shoulders, Solich implores his players to meet the task through whatever means necessary. His voice rises until his players begin clapping in unison, a slow beat that builds into a rhythmic frenzy.
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ESPN.com- Oranges back in style for OU-Nebraska rivalry
By Wayne Drehs

NORMAN, Okla. - Glance at some highlights of old Nebraska-Oklahoma games and you notice a large presence of oranges.

That's right, oranges. In the middle of Oklahoma. Sure they often had bruises and divots in them, but for their purpose, it didn't matter. They weren't to be eaten. These oranges were symbolic, representing the Orange Bowl that the winner of the big game often attended.
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Omaha World Herald- Oklahoma Developing Double-Barreled Attack
BY STEVEN PIVOVAR

Lincoln - Oklahoma had trouble last season getting its running game off the ground.
The Sooners were one of the worst rushing teams in Division I-A football. Oklahoma ranked 97th among 114 teams, averaging 105.5 yards per contest last season.
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Omaha World Herald- Shifty Back Could Give NU Trouble
BY MITCH SHERMAN

Norman, Okla. - Oklahoma running back Quentin Griffin is small. He's quick and shifty, and he has a knack for making tacklers miss.

Sound familiar, Nebraska?
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Lincoln Journal-Star- Linebacker Calmus key to Sooner defense against NU
BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE

NORMAN, Okla. - He's a rough-cut linebacker named Rocky.
So of course he prefers facing running teams over finesse passing attacks.

"I always like to put the game in the linebackers' and d-line's hands instead of the defensive backs," said Rocky Calmus, third-ranked Oklahoma's leading tackler. "I'd rather be in the mix of things."
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Lincoln Journal-Star- No. 1 vs. No. 2 always something special
BY KEN HAMBLETON

Frank Solich said it best, "If you're human, and you put No. 1 against No. 2 together, it's got to be something special."
It's the best possible matchup in college football.
**Full Story**

Grand Island Independent- Sooners to test improving NU defense
By Terry Douglass

The Nebraska defense has made rapid statistical improvement in its last two outings. But on Saturday, the Cornhuskers should get a more accurate picture of just how far they've come.

Top-ranked Nebraska (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) will face possibly its stiffest test of the season against No. 3 Oklahoma (6-0, 3-0) at Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla. The challenge will be especially steep for the Husker defense as the Sooner offense ranks as one of the most potent attacks in the country.
**Full Story**

October 25, 2000

ESPN.com- No more begging people to come see the Sooners
By Wayne Drehs

NORMAN, Okla. -- It wasn't that long ago that Oklahoma sports information director Mike Prusinski had to beg people to cover Sooner football games.

Prusinski would travel to every small-town Oklahoma newspaper and magazine he could find, looking for someone, anyone to help fill the OU press box. The team was in the midst of six straight losing seasons, five years without a bowl appearance, and Prusinski was looking for whatever kind of coverage he could find.
**Full Story**

Omaha World Herald-Excitement Fills the Oklahoma Air
BY MITCH SHERMAN

Norman, Okla. - Puddles of standing water dot the streets this week around the University of Oklahoma campus.

Heavy rain has doused central Oklahoma the past few days. The grass inside OU's Memorial Stadium is still damp, and dark clouds threaten to dump more water.
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Omaha World Herald- NU Linemen Find Extra Motivation
BY STEVEN PIVOVAR

Lincoln - Nebraska's offensive line really didn't need any added incentive to get ready for Saturday's game against Oklahoma.

After all, if a lineman can't get excited about being a part of a game that matches old rivals ranked first and third in the country, then he'd probably better turn in his playbook.
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Lincoln Journal Star- Sooner coach finally a part of famed rivalry
BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE

NORMAN, Okla. - As a boy growing up in the 1970s in Youngstown, Ohio, Bob Stoops watched the glorious Nebraska-Oklahoma football clashes on television with extreme wonder and enthusiasm.

At that point he had no connection to the Sooners, but he always cheered for them.
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Grand Island Independent- Huskers steering clear of hype
By Terry Douglass

LINCOLN -- All signs point to Saturday's Big 12 Conference matchup between No. 1-ranked Nebraska and No. 3 Oklahoma being one of college football's biggest games of the year.

But in Cornhuskers camp, where the biggest game is always the next one, several Nebraska players and coaches claim it's business as usual as they prepare for the Sooners.
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Grand Island Independent- Crouch, Heupel liking Heisman Trophy hype
By George Schroeder

NORMAN, Okla. -- Josh Heupel doesn't read the newspaper, watch television or listen to sports-talk radio. Eric Crouch seldom reads the newspaper, rarely watches television and never listens to sports-talk radio.

But despite the self-imposed media blackouts, neither quarterback is unaware of his high national profile -- or of the personal significance of Saturday's matchup between No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 1 Nebraska.

At stake? How about the Heisman Trophy?
**Full Story**

October 24, 2000

Lincoln Journal-Star- BCS poll has NU No. 1, OU No. 2
BY KEN HAMBLETON

Sounds like old times, No. 1 Nebraska and No. 2 Oklahoma meeting.
The first official Bowl Championship Series rankings were released Monday afternoon and Nebraska, as expected, was ranked No. 1 and surprisingly, Oklahoma is No. 2. The Sooners leaped past Virginia Tech, which fell to third.
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Omaha World-Herald- Sooner Offense Poses New Wrinkles for Blackshirts
BY STEVEN PIVOVAR

Lincoln - Nebraska's performance against Texas Tech nine days ago raised the Huskers' confidence for the challenge that awaits them this week at Oklahoma.

But in taking apart the Red Raiders' offense, Nebraska might have provided Oklahoma with some insight into how the Huskers might try to break down the Sooners.
**Full Story**

Grand Island Independent- NU, Sooners set for another showdown
By Chuck Schoffner

It's just like old times for Nebraska and Oklahoma.

Once they dominated the Big Eight Conference and when they faced each other, that game often decided the league championship. Occasionally, it even decided the national championship.
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Daily Nebraskan- High rankings revive Nebraska-Oklahoma rivalry
By Lincoln Arneal

NU Coach Frank Solich isn't usually one to offer superlatives, but he'll make an exception for his No. 1 Cornhuskers' huge matchup with No. 3 Oklahoma on Saturday.

"This is as big as it gets," Solich said.
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USA Today- Nebraska readies for showdown

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) â€” While Oklahoma had the weekend off, No. 1 Nebraska had the next best thing.

The Cornhuskers' 59-0 win over Baylor on Saturday allowed Nebraska's starters to have a very short afternoon as they head into this weekend's showdown with the No. 3 Sooners.
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FansOnly.com- Sooners Try to Stake Claim to Top Spot When They Host Huskers

One of college football's most storied rivalries regains its national prominence as third-ranked Oklahoma hosts No. 1 Nebraska on Saturday.

For four decades, the road to the Big 8 Conference title almost always traveled through either Norman, Okl., or Lincoln, Neb.
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CBSsportsline.com- Back to the good ol' days for Big Red Rivalry
By Anthony Gimino

Those just about reaching their teen-age years might be wondering what the fuss is all about.

Nebraska-Oklahoma? Hey, that's their dad's favorite rivalry game. The last time this game meant something, kids were still playing Atari at home and MTV was actually showing videos.
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CCN/SI.com- OU has work cut out against Huskers
By Ivan Maisel

The buzz in the heartland has already begun even though Oklahoma doesn't play Nebraska until October 28.

The obvious question is whether the Husker pass defense, which ranks in the bottom half of the nation, can slow down Oklahoma quarterback Josh Heupel.
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