I think we can all agree that a true “rivalry” goes beyond mere statistics. With that being said, stats are a huge part of what one looks at when contemplating a rivalry. So what is it exactly that makes a rivalry? Let us ask the questions first, and come to the answers later.
#1. Does the win/loss record have to be relatively even?
#2. Does the record against non-conference teams need to be considered?
#3. Does it matter how many times they have been champions?
#4. What kind of intangibles need to be included? (i.e. non-statistical)
#5. Does a rivalry need to be played every year for it to remain so?
So…
#1. Does the win/loss record have to be relatively even? Yes, to have a true rivalry it has to be a fairly good punch-for-punch kind of fight. If you disregard in-state rivalries (which are only natural) there are only two teams (that can be considered objectively as “powerhouses”) in the Big 12 that can boast of almost as many victories as losses to each other: Nebraska and Oklahoma. (Texas and Oklahoma come next on the list but Texas has beaten Oklahoma more often than Oklahoma has beaten Nebraska)
Facts: Nebraska vs. Oklahoma: 84 games played, 37-44-3 so Nebraska has won 46% vs. 54% for Oklahoma; a difference of 8%. Oklahoma vs. Texas: 103 games played, 40-58-5 so Oklahoma has won 41% vs. 59% for Texas; a difference of 18%. (Nebraska vs. Colorado: 67 games played, 47-18-2 so Nebraska has won 72% vs. 28% for Colorado; a difference of 44%)
#2. Does the record against non-conference teams need to be considered? Yes it should be considered, but it should be considered to a lesser extent than the other statistics mentioned herein. It is important to consider how well the other team does against “other-conference teams” simply to show either their dominance or subservience to other teams at large. Perhaps the easiest and most reflective of these games are the bowl games. Oklahoma has played in a bowl game 42 times with only two of them being against a (current) Big 12 team. Nebraska has played in 45 bowl games with only three of them against a (current) Big 12 team. Oklahoma’s bowl record is 24-17-1 with games against Nebraska (’78) and Texas Tech (’93) both being wins. With these two games discounted, OU’s record is 22-17-1 or 56%. Nebraska’s bowl record is 23-22 with games against Texas (’73) and Texas Tech (’76) being wins and Oklahoma (’78) being a loss. With these games discounted NU’s record is 21-21 or 50%. Again, there is a difference of less than 10% between the two schools.
#3. Does it matter how many times they have been champions? This has to be one of the top considerations (statistically speaking) when deciding rivalries because it is rather impossible to be concerned for something that doesn’t pose an actual threat to one’s dominance of the group to which one belongs. In this specific case of the Big 12 Conference, the top two teams in terms of conference championships are again: Nebraska and Oklahoma. Nebraska has won 46 Conference Championships while Oklahoma has won 42. In addition, Oklahoma has won 7 National Championships while Nebraska has won 5. To the best of my knowledge, these are the highest totals for any team in the conference.
#4. What kind of intangibles need to be included? (i.e. non-statistical) Even though statistics can be an excellent illustration of what a rivalry consists of, the “intangibles” can be just as telling. Some of the intangibles I’ve considered are: Geographical location, Other rivalries, History, and Fans.
- Geographical location: I think it’s fairly necessary for two rival teams to be close enough for the fan base to easily travel. While most of the teams in the Big 12 satisfy this requirement, happily for this argument, Oklahoma is one of them. Unfortunately for us this means driving through Kansas, but sometimes the wonderful must be paid for with the painful.
- Other rivalries: It would be difficult, if not impossible, to engage in a rivalry with a team that already had that claim placed on them from somewhere else. In the Big 12 this can sometimes be difficult since 10 of the 12 teams have at least one other team in the same division that plays in the same state. Nebraska and Missouri are the only Division IA schools in their respective states. Since every school except these two have a kind of “built-in rival”, some could construe that as settling the rivalry debate once and for all. This is not the case however since none of the in-state teams can vie with one another for the Conference Championship, and in some cases, even the (North or South) division championship. So, while these are great games to watch and bragging rights are certainly on the line, the actual import of these games is relatively small. It is true that you want to win the division, but the Conference is twice as important since it is winner vs. winner to see who the Champion is.
- History: The history between two teams can add some important arguments to the rivalry question. Great or important games played against each other would certainly help the cause of rivalry and while I’ll be the first to admit that there have been some great and important games between OU and UT, NU and CU, NU and MU, OU and OSU etc., I will end this particular argument with this; The Game of the Century.
- Fans: Fans must necessarily be the biggest part of this question because it is the fans themselves that make a rivalry. So what do the fans want? True fans want a team to match them passion for passion, skill for skill, and desire for desire. They want a team that they love to Play, not a team that they love to Beat. This fan in particular wants to be able to root for the other team (even or especially after they beat us) in their next game because if we are going to be beat, this fan wants to at least get beat by the best. This is the main (non-statistical) reason that Colorado is not our rival. They don’t match our passion, rarely match our skill, and only match our desire on a superficial level. Those things do not a rivalry make…
#5. Does a rivalry need to be played every year for it to remain so? Here would be the question on the minds and lips of folks all over Nebraska (and Colorado apparently). This is the number one reason why most of the people who no longer see Oklahoma as Nebraska’s rival use in their arguments. There is a valid point there to be made since, generally speaking, rivals play each other every year. But is this vital to a rivalry? I don’t think it is vital but I do think it is important. Some may see this as antithetical to the seeming whole purpose of this work. ‘Tis not so! In this case of Nebraska vs. Oklahoma I think that the change in the conference structure augments rather than detracts from the rivalry. How can this work? Allow me to illustrate…
The beginnings of this rivalry have been generally agreed upon as existing because in the Big 8 Conference, the winner of this game was almost always the winner of the conference as well. So I ask myself; what has changed? And I answer; Nothing. If both Nebraska and Oklahoma played to their perennial abilities, we would still play each other every year; in the Big 12 Championship game. The only thing that the current conference format changes is that it places the responsibility of playing the rivalry game on the rivals themselves instead of on the schedule, which simply means that we both have to work a little harder to ensure that the rivalry is satisfied every year. Intrinsically, that is the very essence of a rivalry! Work as hard as you possibly can and leave nothing left on the field to make sure that you conquer your foe. If you must constantly earn the right to face your rival, rather than simply existing, the game can only gain in importance and emotion.
Now that my thoughts have been laid bare, what say thee Husker Nation?
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I totally agree. NU vs OU is still our true rivalry even if it does have a 2 year break. I would just like to add to your History section that also on 3 occasions, one team was Ranked #1 at the time they lost to the lesser ranked team. In 78 OU was #1 in November and NU won. In 84 NU was #1 and OU won and in 87 NU was #1 and OU was #2 and OU won that one. 3 times the #1 team in the country has come into the November game and lost. The epic battles between these two schools makes for one of the great rivalries in football.
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