By John Shinn
LINCOLN, Neb. -- National championships and conference championships have been won and lost on the outcome of Oklahoma-Nebraska games.
Tonight's meeting between the Big Reds at Nebraska's Memorial Stadium doesn't have those implications. The 20th-ranked Sooners (5-3, 3-1 Big 12) are out of the national championship picture and hopes of representing the Big 12 South in the conference title game are minute. Nebraska (5-3, 2-2) might win the North, but share the Sooners' lack of position in the national title race.
And still there will be a very interesting battle tonight.
OU defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh are widely considered the two best defensive linemen in college football. They're neck-and-neck for just about every national award a defensive linemen can get. They're also thought to be two players who will be very high picks in the 2010 NFL draft.
If there were two Heisman Trophy-contending quarterbacks, it would be a can't-miss contest. Instead, it's two fantastic defensive linemen.
"Their guy is a great player, and everyone knows how we feel about Gerald," OU defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. "They're both tremendous players. Two of the best defensive tackles that have come through this conference in a long time."
They're so dominant that statistics can't fully measure the impact they have on games. Suh has five sacks, McCoy has 31?2. McCoy holds the edge in tackles for loss with 12 to Suh's 11.
But what numbers they put up are only accumulated after fighting through double teams every snap. The attention they get opens opportunities around the defensive lines they play on.
Great support
OU defensive end Jeremy Beal is as good a defensive end as the Sooners have produced. He has 81?2 sacks and 131?2 tackles for loss in just eight games. But don't think for a second some of that credit doesn't belong to McCoy, who typically lines up inside of Beal, demanding attention the defensive end therefore doesn't face.
The same can be said about Nebraska defensive tackle Jared Crick, who has 81?2 sacks. There's no doubt he's gotten to fight some one-on-one battles because of the attention Suh receives.
OU coach Bob Stoops said its the play of both defensive lines that should get the attention.
"I look at their defensive front. It's not just their tackles, their defensive ends are really playing well," he said. "Of course, we have been very excited about how ours are playing. The defensive fronts are very solid, very good. There are good strong players up there that are talented and play physical games. It will be exciting to watch."
Headliners
But McCoy and Suh deservedly get most of the attention.
McCoy shied away from any comparisons this week. It's not like either is going to be on the field at the same time.
But when asked about an OU-Nebraska game that's traditionally carried national ramifications, but instead, this season, marks a battle of two great defensive lines led by two great defensive tackles, a big smile came over his face.
"Well true, but it's about time we get some credit," he said. "We work hard enough, but we don't want credit. We just want to do what we can up front to help our defense (and) our team."
Most games that work goes unnoticed beyond coaches, teammates and NFL scouts. This time, however, it's might be the best thing to watch.
John Shinn 366-3536 jshinn@normantranscript.com
