Rapid Reaction: Key contributors getting ‘really close’ to returning; Huskers prepping for the heat | Football

Sound check: Oklahoma is widely regarded as a threat to win the national championship. So, Nebraska could be a massive underdog depending, of course, on how well it acquits itself in its first three games. If NU breaks from the gate well and enters the day with a 3-0 record, this game will get some national attention — in part because of NU at one point tried to get out of playing it in hopes of scheduling an extra home game. Yeah, there’s that little storyline to consider.

Volume reading: 9. It’s the 50th anniversary of the 1971 Game of the Century. It’s Nebraska and Oklahoma, friendly rivals from yesteryear. All-time great players from both programs will be on the scene in Norman. It should feel magnificent. NU and OU have played each other 86 times but have not faced each other since Dec. 4, 2010, not long before the Huskers officially joined the Big Ten.

Turn ’em up: Oklahoma has never lost a game in the Lincoln Riley era when it won the turnover battle. If someone is going to upset this Sooner crew, it’ll need takeaways, maybe several of them — like the four Kansas State produced in its 38-35 shocker against OU last season. The Sooners were minus-2 against the Wildcats in 2019 as well, and dropped their only regular-season game.

Turn ’em down: Ultra-talented Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler enters his third year in Riley’s system. That level of QB comfort is scary enough. What’s more, Rattler throws to a receiving corps that’s regarded as one of the best in the nation. Include some talented backs in the mix, and an offense that spreads the ball around should be nearly impossible to completely corral.