College Football: 25 most underappreciated team rivalries of all time

17. Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Oklahoma Sooners

There’s no question that the Red River Rivalry between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns is the biggest for those hailing from Norman. It has been for some time and the recent success of both programs has raised the stakes there. However, the rivalry between Oklahoma and the Nebraska Cornhuskers is one that holds a special place in college football history in its own right.

In both the Big Eight and Big 12 Conferences throughout the years, Nebraska and Oklahoma were often contending for supremacy in the league. Overall, they met 86 times and the Sooners earned the slight edge over the Huskers. OU has a 45-38-3 advantage over Nebraska in the rivalry, but that tight record does speak to the parity of the rivalry, as both great programs have been at the top of the sport throughout their history.

While there is a great deal of animosity between many college football rivals, that was never really the case between Oklahoma and Nebraska. They certainly don’t care for one another, but they also have palpable respect for the other program as well. There is so much tradition and success tied to both the Sooners and Cornhuskers that this is a nice touch to their clashes.

Having said that, Nebraska joining the Big Ten after 2010 has meant that these two teams haven’t played one another since the Big 12 Championship Game that year. That’s why it’s underappreciated, really — because we haven’t seen it in nearly a decade. Luckily, the rivalry will be renewed with a home-and-home series in 2021 and 2022.