Game Prediction: No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Oklahoma and Nebraska meet for the first time in over a decade, but the two programs are on totally different wavelengths right now.

Author:
Brendan Gulick
Sep 17, 2021 7:18 PM EDT

An old rivalry renewed. Oklahoma and Nebraska: two programs with incredibly rich tradition ... and heading in totally opposite directions. The Sooners have a legitimate shot to make the College Football Playoff. The Cornhuskers will be lucky to finish the season .500.

When they meet for the first time since playing for the Big 12 championship in 2010, here's what the BuckeyesNow staff expects in a Saturday night affair at Beaver Stadium.

NEBRASKA at OKLAHOMA – Saturday, 12:00 p.m.
Spread: Oklahoma (-22.5)
O/U Total: 62.5

Brendan Gulick: Oklahoma 63, Nebraska 10

This game is going to hit these two fan bases "right in the feels" as it stirs up memories of days gone by ... but the only one that's going to feel any bruising postgame is Nebraska. This is going too be a blood bath. The Sooners had a eyebrow-raising win over Tulane in Week 1 because it was much tighter than expected, but they responded by writing a big check to Western Carolina last week in exchange for a 76-0 annihilation.

Statistically, Nebraska looks like they're improving. But frankly, they looked horrible in Week 1 against Illinois and I'm not going to give them much love for beating up on Fordham or Buffalo.

I hope I'm wrong. I hope this game is fun to watch and is competitive. But I have no reason to think it will be.

Andrew Lind: Oklahoma 56, Nebraska 10

Decades ago, this would have been a must-watch game for any college football fan. Today? I’m more interested in seeing how many points the Sooners can put up against the helpless Cornhuskers defense.

Nebraska might make things interesting into the second half if it can bait Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler into throwing interceptions and gets an all-time great game from its own signal-caller, Adrian Martinez. I don’t see that happening, though, so you’ll be able to turn this game off midway through the second quarter.

Game Preview: Ohio State Needs Statement Win Against Tulsa

Brett Hiltbrand: Oklahoma 56, Nebraska 14

Lincoln Riley and company in cruise control as we finally get these two programs to renew their old school rivalry. I have no real active memory of these two actually playing each other but the old guard seems to think it's cool so that's good enough to me. Nebraska stinks though. So keep that in mind.

Caleb Spinner: Oklahoma 35, Nebraska 14

The Sooners shouldn’t have a problem with the Cornhuskers, but as we’ve seen already with as close the scores have been for on-paper blowouts, anything is possible. I’m a big fan of what head coach Scott Frost has been building in Nebraska, and believe he and his team may have what it takes to shock the Sooners. However, even with my faith in Frost and his crew, I’ve been off on way too many of my previous predictions to go out on a limb this week. I’ll play it safe and say Oklahoma comes out with the win, 35-14.

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