Oklahoma Sooners ranked toughest game on Nebraska’s schedule

The Oklahoma Sooners have a big season ahead of them in 2021. As one of the higher-ranked teams in the country returning much of the team that finished in the top five in 2020, The Spencer Rattler-led Sooners are expected to take another step forward and contend for the national championship.

Before they do that, they must navigate a schedule that has some interesting and difficult matchups. One of the most interesting is the renewal of the Sooners’ rivalry with the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Sep. 18.

On the 50th anniversary of the “Game of the Century,” these two historical rivals will lock up for the first time since 2010. It’s been 11 years since the Sooners beat Nebraska 23-20 in the Big 12 Championship game.

It may not be the toughest game on Oklahoma’s schedule, but it will be a lot of fun to square off on Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff. For Nebraska, however, the Sooners might be the toughest matchup on their schedule. Kevin McGuire of Athlon Sports ranked Nebraska’s 2021 schedule, and Oklahoma came in as the toughest game on the slate.

The Sooners are currently ranked higher than the Ohio State Buckeyes in the USA TODAY AFCA Coaches’ poll and the AP Top 25. By sheer ranking, that would make it tougher, but McGuire makes a good point. Going to Norman to play the return of a rivalry that includes 86 previous matchups will make for a difficult road trip.

The fans at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium will be hyped for this matchup, and it would make for a raucous environment for the Cornhuskers. That would make for a tough place to reignite a 100-year-old rivalry even if the Oklahoma Sooners weren’t one of the best teams in college football in 2021.