Schedule, Loathing and History Make CU a Rival
The notion of Colorado as a legit rival to Nebraska is a very intriguing subject. Some Husker fans flat out refuse to acknowledge it. Others think it is pretty obvious. At BRN, we are more in the camp that CU is a rival to NU. The reasons for this range from those dictated to us by the schedule maker, to the obvious animosity between the two schools and fan bases, and finally those born from more poignant and personal moments as a Husker fan.
The Big 12 Swapped Sooners for Buffs
On some level, NU fans really didn't get a choice that CU will be our designated rivals. When the Big 12 was formed ten years ago, we were forced to give up the Husker-Sooner November brouhahas we had grown to dread or love. Instead, we get Buffalo with our turkey. Now, when the Worldwide Leader in Sports starts touting "rivalry week", you hear NU versus CU thrown in there. It makes sense in the "win the division" line of thinking, and the muckty mucks at the Big 12 didn't need NU vs. OU because they could pit OU against Oklahoma State in the Bedlam game. They wanted a clean break from the Big 8, and that is a shame.
So, 10 more years from now, you'll have an entire generation of little Huskers that were weaned on the notion that CU is our big, huge end-of-November rival. And, the legendary tale of NU vs. OU will be the ramblings of old or middle aged folks. But, there is some hope. Maybe if the Huskers and Sooners can find a way to continually win their respective divisions, we could have a consistent clash of titans, just like the good 'ol days. But, if the last 10 years are any indicator, I wouldn't count on that being the case.
They Started It
This off season, Steve and I were randomly making lists of teams we hated most. Okay, maybe hate is too strong a word. Just the teams we had the strongest animosity toward, or who we would most like to see fail. Call it loathing. The lists had all the usual suspects, most notably Florida State and Miami. So, this has been an especially sweet year. Our lists differed in one way - the place of CU. I had them on the list but not the top. But, CU topped Steve's "loathe" list...they were #1 by a large margin in his mind. I asked him why, and he said bluntly - "Because they hated us first." I was stunned by the simple accuracy of that thought.
It's true. Think about all of that Red Letter crap with McCartney, the horrendous behavior of CU fans that so many Husker loyalists have had to endure in Boulder, the idiot Neuheisel saying on the film for the dedication of Tom Osborne field that he "looked forward to winning a lot of games on that field", and on and on. They are like the anti-Nebraska in that regard. I suppose if you were at recess and some kid was trying every thing they could to bully, slander or degrade you, you would do something about it. (Most everything in my head in some way leads back to 6th-8th grade, but that is for me and my analyst to discuss). So, on some level, CU hated us first. From there, it was only a matter of time until we were drawn in to this fight. Hey, that's how several wars have started. Why not football rivalries?
Major Games Equal Major Rivals
I think the most compelling reason for the legitimacy of an NU-CU rivalry is the presence of very significant games in the series history. Huskers versus Buffs has defined conference and national title races. So, it's legit. More personally, games against CU have had a formative effect on me as a fan. Here are the games that matted, in order of their importance.
1990 - November 3rd, my 15th birthday. Senior day in Memorial Stadium and I got to go to the game for my birthday. It was a very big deal. The pre-game introductions included the silent applause for Kenny Walker (so much more poignant now in retrospect, as a member of our family is hearing impaired). The Huskers had a 12-point lead until the Bienemy-led Buffs ruined it with 4 straight scores in the fourth quarter. That week, I got sick from sitting in the freezing rain. And, my naive "Huskers don't lose" optimism was replaced by the blatant sarcasm of adolescence.
1994 - My freshman year of college, CU brought their supposed team of destiny to Lincoln, only to get flattened by a Husker team led by a backup quarterback named Brook, a stout defense, and a game plan involving the tight ends. I didn't go to the game, but I was around the stadium selling t-shirts that my brother and his friend had come up with (always the entrepreneurs). It was just an electric day at the Stadium that day. You could literally feel it in the air. And, that win was the first indicator that NU truly had something special cooking in '94.
2001 - CU decimated Nebraska, 62-36. This game would cost NU a division and possible conference title, but not a national title shot. And while Crouch did go on to win the Heisman, this game stands out as the dagger blow that made Husker Nation suffer mightily, and began the downward slide of the early part of that century. ABC showed a kid crying on national TV, and CU put the final score on the conference title rings. It was a horrible moment for all Huskers.
2005 - Last year's 30-3 Husker win meant a LOT, even though we don't quite appreciate it enough now. Most Husker fans sat down to watch that game still very skeptical of the Callahan era. They had very good reason for that. We had a losing season the previous year and had just lost to KU and barely beaten a not very good KSU team at home. This win shut some people up. We started to get a sense of what the offense could be capable of. And, really NU's fans and program publicly acknowledged the significance of beating CU, as the "Restore the Order" mentality was unveiled in the form of a t-shirt. No doubt, it wasn't the best CU team we had ever faced. But, the win helped the program turn the proverbial corner.
During the 2005 game, security cleared the Colorado student section because they were throwing objects onto the field.
So there you have my administrative, emotional, and personal reasons why CU is truly a rival to NU. Certainly, there are many other reasons or opposing points of view. I welcome your opinions on the subject in the comments. Either way, I hope you enjoy your turkey with a side of Buffalo.
11/22/2006
And you can’t forget the game where Colorado got 5 downs inside the 5 I think.. and than they scored their “amazing” half a yard short Touchdown. Thank the Lord we have instant replay now.
11/22/2006
Darren,
As always, you present a strong case. In many ways, I agree - the scheduling, and the loathing. But, in other ways, I disagree.
Personally, I view CU as that annoying little cousin that just keeps egging you on. McCartney declared the Huskers a rival in the late 80’s. Strangely enough, the Huskers didn’t “agree” to this rivalry. The Huskers have dominated the series (45-17-2).
In one of your archive articles you made refernce to the annoying little cousin that wins a few contests here and there and keeps taunting you; that’s how I view CU. Actually, I hate K-State worse than I do CU, and I think many Husker fans share my sentiment.
Think of it this way; imagine Gibbon, NE one day declaring Hastings Adams Central as their rival. Wouldn’t the student-atheletes at Adams Central laugh? And, laugh rightfully so for a athletic contenst history that has been so lopsided with Adams Central dominating merely every contest.
Just food for thought….
Josh
11/22/2006
From past experience, I would have to say that CU is right up there on my list too. It never used to be that way until I had the pleasure (or should I say displeasure) of watching a couple of Husker games at Folsom Field. I’ve had things thrown at me, I’ve had profanities thrown at me, a CU “fan” taunting me two inches from my face. I’m sure he wasn’t drunk or high or anything, because those things just don’t happen in Boulder (chuckle, chuckle). And then I’ve had other CU fans apologize to me for the above mentioned “fans”.
I won’t go as far to say that they are the worst fans in the country since I haven’t been to every college football venue in the country, but I’m willing to bet they are in the top three.
I have even heard CU fans say they would be OK with a 1-10 record as long as that win was against NU. That’s the spirit. Those are true fans. Or not. All I know is that it makes me appreciate being a Husker fan after seeing how a good portion of their fans act. I’m not saying NU fans are perfect, I know we have our share of bad apples as most schools do, but you would be hard pressed to find too many here at Memorial Stadium.
On a side note, do you think CU should have made some t-shirts that said “Restore the Order” after Barnett left?
11/22/2006
Josh,
I respectfully disagree. Whether earned or not, the Buffs have won a national championship and finished in the top 5. KSU hasn’t done that and things are awfully lopsided in that series too (if not moreso).
I can only speak through the lens of my own experience, but after all of the agonizing losses to OU under Switzer 1989 was supposed to be the beginning of great times in the Big 8, but CU put that on hold for about three years. The 1989 loss was frustrating (I was hung up on a bad interference call), the 1990 loss gut wrenching, the 1991 game numbing, the 2001 game shocking, the 2002 game disappointing, and the 2004 game painful. There’s plenty there to stir up the emotions.
1992 and 1994 were total euphoria for us in the stands. Then there were edge of the seat nailbiters in 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000. Put it all together with last year’s feel good game and you have a pretty outstanding series for most of the last 20 years.
With KSU, you had a scare in 1991, a hyped up snoozer in 1994, and then nothing interesting until 1998. 2000 was hard to stomach and last year’s win cathartic but nothing else in this series has been a close game. I just don’t see how it compares to the NU-CU series (no matter how obnoxious KSU fans are).
11/22/2006
Steve,
You made me realize I forgot one small thing…..the games themselves. There have been some good ones here as of late. Some good, some not so good for the Huskers.
Go Huskers!!
11/22/2006
Colorado is more of a rival, but I HATE K-state much more.
Colorado’s fans are obnoxious, yes, but I don’t care about them because their program is the armpit of college football and everyone knows it. Everyone, even Colorado people outside of Boulder, looks down on the Buffs. Even the fans in Boulder don’t care about them unless they are playing us. The Buffs sole reason for existence is to play us, cuss at our fans, throw snowballs at us, get thrown out of games, and make asses of themselves on television. Outside of seeking new lows each year in late November, their entire program is meaningless.
Colorado has a crappy reputation, but I think K-state is going on them fast. At Boulder it’s the students; at KSU, it’s everyone. Their fans, even older fans who aren’t students, are arrogant and despicable. And why? What have they ever done? So they beat Frank Solich a few times, does that make them our equals? All they do is talk trash, but in the end, their program’s highest aspiration is to get an upset without going anywhere afterwards. I try to respect KSU, but as long as their fans are intent on being vile I can’t.
11/23/2006
Having lived in Aurora, Colorado much of my up-bringing ( 20 years ago), and now living in Chadron, Ne. this annual CU-NU game has been as big of a “rivalry” as any other. When the Big 8, which I truly loved, sucked in the Texas schools it killed all the rivalry that existed between NU-OU (That was a good part of football HISTORY). The only remnant of the great BIG 8 is CU-NU. I know that NU has a greater winning history against CU, but in the last 20 years it has been a toss up, except for a few. You can thank Colorado kickers for the 6 or 7 years that NU won in the late 90’s and early 00’s. There is no denying that this is a great rivaly. 2-9 Buffs….This is their bowl game. Go BUFFS, BEAT Huskers!!!!Shoulder to Shoulder!!!