Bill This is for Jack Mildren. Jack had you ever had a passing day like in the Game of the Century? What made the OU offense so unstoppable that year? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Mildren I think I have had better passing days. But obviously not in a game of that proportion to where everything was on the line. So that was a special part of it, especially since the WR we had was a guy I had played with since high school. Briefly, speed made us so unstoppable. We had much more speed generally at all positions. Crosswhite was quick and could run. Our theory was to try and get outside and pitch the ball whereas the most renowned like Texas had wonderful backs and they tried to run inside more. That gave us an edge over other programs. In '71, we had a huge amount of confidence. And that has an ability to work wonders for ya. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nick Rose How was Nebraskas pass rush effecting your passing? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Mildren Beause we were so predominantly a run team, Nebraska like other teams played the run first and man to man in secondary. Billy Kosch was an all-league player and Jon Harrison turned him around a bunch. Their pass rush was really ineffective cause they were playing the run so hard first. I say that a little tongue and cheek cause at the end when Neb. goes ahead, their pass rush gets to us one time. I don't think it was a huge factor all and all. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- chris in MO. the pleasure is mine Jack,although i'm an nu fan. i just wanted to ask you what it means to see this rivalry back and in the first year to have so much at stake? it's nice to see ou-with all the great tradition back "on top" ( one thing both schools can agree on now is that they hate the non-tradition kstate program ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Mildren Of course it means a lot. Like college football is the way it's supposed to be. If anyone in Oklahoma predicted Bob Stoops and his staff would turn this around so fast, I think their nose would grow. Nebraska is a team we respected thru the years. Clearly, you want to win but you have a healthy respect for who u are playing. And I would second his Kansas comment. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rex Jack,

What was it like working with Coach Switzer? Wasn't he your offensive coordinator? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Mildren Yes he was. He was and still is energetic. I thought he was a workaholic. Barry had recruited me, so I always have liked him and am a big fan of his. It was fun, exciting. He keeps you loose and Barry can be awfully direct. I happen to like that style so I can't say enough good things about him. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- chad lee Hello. This one is for Jack Mildren. My name is Chad Lee and I am from Oklahoma City. You probably dont remember me but I met you at Lauren Prices going away party at Mark prices house. Please tell me, who is going to win. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Mildren Well, for me, there is no decision. It's a question of how much. I have such enormous respect from Nebraska that I think it's less that 10. I think OU wins something like, 30-24. To me, a big key will be how well each team does what it normally doesn't do, how well does OU run and how well does Nebraska throw it. Because each team will need everything going. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elliot Do you like the BCS standings or would you rather have it the old way? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Mildren I am a playoff guy. I am really for playoffs. I'd like to see it done on the field. The BCS is a modified situation. I don't mind it. Times change and we need to somehow evolve into a true national championship. That's decided on the field. No disrespect, I enjoyed playing in bowls. And the BCS idea is good. The tough part is there is only two. If I'm third, I am going to be angry. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HuskerLifer Jack,

I read somewhere that you and Jerry Tagge have a bet that whichever of your teams lose, OU for you and NU for him, the losing party has to put the others picture up. How did this bet come to be and how do you feel about your chances of taking down his picture this year? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Mildren Yes, we did for a while. Jerry and I have become friends primarily thru doing interviews, etc. We've done a number jointly. It happens annually. We have families and kids and have become friends. We did make a bet before OU went south for a while. I had to hang his ugly mug at an appropriate place. His mug still is ugly but he won. It got to be a laugher after that when things got tough for OU. I think OU's chances are great. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Husker Fan In Tennessee How has the game of college foorball changed since you were playing? Is it now more of a money game for programs or is it still about line up knocking the crap out of the other team -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Mildren Financially speaking, I don't know if I am the right person to talk about money and how it's changed. Money is a necessary evil unfortunately. It enters into decisions. Maybe that's too bad. For some people, the game has changed. OU will throw more in the first two series than we did in games. Change in offensive philosophy is significant. For Nebraska, it's the same offense. And you have to respect that with the success they've had. No question college football is throwing more. And the wishbone has sort of disappeared which is kind of sad but that's the way things have gone. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Precious - OKC Jack - Your son is playing well at Centre College as quarterback. Does he feel he is competing against your legacy as one of the best quarterbacks ever? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Mildren I hope not. As far as Drew is concerned, I'm his dad. He's not my son as far as football. He is carving his own legacy and doing a great job of that. I am the father of Drew Mildren now, and I think Drew has enjoyed learning about what happened 30 years ago. I think it's been pleasurable for him to learn about when we were playing. He's a better athlete than I was; he's certainly stronger, taller and faster. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sooner Larry Jack,

What are you doing now and do you keep in touch with any of your '71 teammates? You and Jon Harrison are both from Abilene, Texas, right? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Mildren Right, we are. Yes. Jon is a coach at our old high school and married his high school sweetheart, Debbie. I'm in the oil and gas business. As far as keeping in contact with '71 teammates, of course we do. Some live in the area and I see them more frequently. We have an annual get together, sponsored by the university. I see the Pruitt's and people like that on a basis that I'm aware of how and what they are doing. Almost to a man, they've become good citizens. I think that's something to be proud of. They are good dads and turned into the kind of people student athletes should be. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IM4OU Hey Jack- From the sidelines, were you able to see the NU clip during Rodgers' punt return? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Mildren I've seen it too many times since too. Not from the sidelines but in the replays, that's when you arch your eyebrows. Somehow, somebody's flag stayed in his pocket. It was a hell of a run though. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Texas Sooner Jack,

Would you have liked to play in Bob Stoops high-octane offense or do you think you're talents were best for the wishbone? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Mildren Wow. I think any quarterback would like to play in the current offense because QB's like to throw the ball. I would have liked the opportunity. I think it's a quarterback offense, the one they are using now. That would be a lot of fun to do. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Larry Rice Besides playing at home, where was the best place to play football in you career? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Mildren The Cotton Bowl. No question about it. That put Texas and Oklahoma, the excitement, emotions, fear, 75,000 people there split, the eyes of Texas, all the pageantry. That was a great place to play. Not the best field but a great place to play. As ex-players, We often talk about the walk down the ramp. People are hanging over. Who knows what people throw and they say almost anything. The Cotton Bowl would be my second pick as favorite places to play, at least during the Texas-OU game. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jason Stewart First of all I'm a '99 OU grad'. GO OU! Anyway, my question is for Jon Harrison. Jon, Having played WR for the legendary running Oklahoma offense and now seeing the success of Oklahoma's new passing offense which Oklahoma team would you pick to play for if given the opportunity? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- George Jack, do you think since OU has such a good offense it takes away from the strength of their defense? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Mildren No. I think they are in some ways mutually exclusive. On the playing field, you can be great in all areas. That's what you like to be. People write about offenses for the most part unless a defense is so strong. It's too bad lineman don't get a lot of notoriety. In terms of publicity, I think his question is right. But on the field, you can have a great offense, defense, kicking game, special teams. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- George Jack, i was wondering if OU was your first choice when you decided to go to OU? thanx -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Mildren I was like most 18 year old HS seniors. I was undecided. For Jack Mildren, OU was the best place. I've never regretted that decision. Arkansas was probably my second pick. SMU was up there. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- George jack, what is your thought on OU being back in the spotlight? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Mildren It's the way college football should be. A program with great heritage is back in the top echelon. They've done it with class, good people, student athletes, and Stoops is a classy guy. I am very proud of them and also know that no matter what happens on Saturday, this program will get better. Given more time, we will recruit bigger, faster and stronger players. And I think that's undeniable. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Tagge First of all, I am glad the Oklahoma program has turned around and now it's one of dominance and power. I feel the Nebraska-Oklahoma game should be played every year and be the last game of the year. It's great to see it back to the level it should be. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TFrazier10_21_2000 You had Coach Osborne as an assistant coach and Coach Devaney as your head coach, can u compare the two men's coaching styles? Go Big RED!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Tagge They aer totally opposite. Bob Devaney was a delegator, not a hands on type of coach. The assistants did a lot of the coaching. He usually only had to get involved in the fourth quarter vs. OU. Tom Osborne is very hands on, very detailed. He called every single play. They are both great coaches. Devaney was more of a defensive coach. Osborne was more offensive minded. Devaney loved the notoriety; Osborne didn't. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Duane Jerry, when you guys were behind at half time of the Oklahoma game "71" What did coach Devaney say at the half? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Tagge I remember the atmosphere was one of bewilderment because it was the first time we were behind all year. It was very business like. Not a whole lot needed to be said. We needed to come out and focus. From a physical standpoint, we were starting to gain control so we knew in the second half, things would be different. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- jrunyon Jerry, The '71 game lives on as one of the most vivid memories of my youth and I wonder how much of an impact it has made on you and your after college football live? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Tagge Ever since that game, every single year not a month goes by where someone doesn't comment about that game to me. It amazes me it withstood the test of time. I'm fortunate to play in one of the greatest games of all time. It's had a big impact on my life. I've just turned 50 and you guys are asking me about something that has happened 30 years ago. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greg, Husker in Dallas Jerry, do you think that formation of the Big 12 has cost the Huskers two National Championships ('96 and '99)? Do you feel that it could happen this year to either OU or the Huskers? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Tagge It could. I don't like the Big 12 playoff game, north against the south. It has cost Nebraska national championship opportunities. Nebraska has a tough schedule. If they beat OU and run the table, they might have to face them again in the Big 12 Championship. It's very difficult for Nebraska to win the National Championship this year. It makes a big difference playing on the road. We'll see how good Nebraska is this weekend. I think they are pretty good. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Tagge The bigger concern is keeping Eric Crouch healthy. If he makes it through the entire season, he is one tough kid. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bob Jerry, who recruited you out of high school? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Tagge From team standpoint, Wisconsin, Mich. State, Notre Dame and Nebraska were main schools I was looking at. I chose Nebraska because I wanted to go to a Bowl Game. At the time, the winner of the Big 10 went to the Rose Bowl. The other nine stayed home. In the Big 8, everybody was eligible for a Bowl Game. Plus, Nebraska played the style of offense I had in high school. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TFrazier10_21_2000 Mr. Tagge- How would you rate Eric Crouch in the long line of great Husker QB's? What are his heisman chances? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Tagge His Heisman chances are very good if they win the rest of their games. If they don't win the National Championship and lose a game or two, he probably doesn't have a shot. As far an athlete, he's got great speed, instinct, he's a halfback playing quarterback and also throws pretty well. The big question is can he make it through an entire season. He was pretty banged up last year. This year, he's been banged up quite a bit and it's only half over. Nebraska's national championship hopes rely on Eric Crouch. There is a lot riding on his shoulders. We had a lot more balance when I played. Nebraska puts a lot of pressure on their QB the way they run their offense. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BigThaneD To Jerry Tagge: What did your 1971 team have that made it so special, and do you think that the 2000 team has what it takes to go down as one of the great Nebraska teams? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Tagge In our '71 team, obviously Johnny Rodgers was the best athlete in the country. He caught most of my passes and was my best friend. We started off with a tremendous defense, anchored by Rich Glover, our nose tackle. Big Larry Jacobson and Willy Harper, linebacker, we had tremendous speed in our secondary. They were very good. Defensively, they were good at stopping the run. We had great field position all year long. We had a great running back in Jeff Kenney. Nebraska pioneered the weight room. We were the first team that used Boyd Epply's strength development. After one year, Devaney tour down half the stadium and turned it into a weight room. He quickly saw the changes that it made. Our offensive line was very strong. We owned people by the fourth quarter. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Neal Conatser What is the significance of having two teams with such drastically different offensive philosophies both being as successful as OU and NU are? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Tagge It used to be reversed. They ran the wishbone and we were the passing team when I played. Tom Osborne, as offensive coordinator, he instituted a spread formation. So we threw the ball 50 percent of the time. All the pro scouts came and studied it. Osborne was the passing genious. OU ran the wishbone and tried to put a lot of pressure on the perimeter. OU always seemed to have a better athlete at quarterback and that player would beat us in the fourth quarter. Tom decided to change the offense cause it wasn't working. He ran the option. There's a lot of similarities to the option Nebraska runs as the wishbone OU had. Things go in cycles. And today you have your passing attack because the rules have changed. You can't touch receivers as they run down field. You could bump a guy and push him and shove him back then. Today, you can't touch them. So it's geared towards the passing game. They can run free. That's why the passing game is what it is today. Plus, the blocking techniques are geared to the offense, more than the defense. Lineman had to have a fist, not an open hand, when I played. Off. lineman were quick when I played because they couldn't use their hands. Now it's reversed. Def. guys that rush the passer are slender and quick and great athletes. The game has changed to score more points and pass the ball. Back 15 years ago, not one of those Rams receivers of today would have made it through the season. They would have been in the hospital. They invented motion to get away from the bump and run. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Tagge There are a lot of ways to win a national championship. You can do it on the ground or in the air. We'll see that this weekend. Nebraska is an efficient passing team and puts a lot of pressure on defenses. The running game makes the safeties come in and Crouch throws it over their heads. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Geoff Folsom Jerry, would you like to see OU and Nebraska go back to playing every year. How do you think they could do it? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Tagge Yes, I would like to see that. They would have to have one less non-conference game every other year. OU-Nebraska is like folklore at Nebraska. People plan their vacations around that, their family gatherings. It's probably the most important day out of the year. The Sooners and Huskers puts those two states on the map. Nebraskans take football very seriously. They were successful even before Devaney and Osborne. They beat the four horsemen. OU has always been a big part of it. It's a big game and means something, often the conference championship. I don't like this Big 12 Championship game. Big bucks are running the conference. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HuskersBy14 Jerry, Was the '71 team better than the '95 Huskers? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Tagge Absoloutely. Of course. We did it first. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Coop How hard is it for a team to beat another team twice in one year? Can either NU or OU do it? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Tagge That's the most difficult thing there is to do. We are going to find out this year I think. That's tough. That's why I don't like this Championship game. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Husker Fan In Tennessee This totally off the subject but with you being a qb Michael Vick said he is coming back next year for his senior season. Chris Weinke did it as well but may have seen his stock drop in the draft. Is this a mistake? Should players take the money an go pro or do you feel they owe something to the University that recruited them? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Tagge I think with the amount of money they are being paid to get, it depends on the maturity of the athlete and physical ability. It's too hard to pass up that money. The amount that Michael Vick can make, you start dangling that in front of him, it's tough not to take. As far as what you owe the athletic department, I don't think that should come into the equation. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ryan whats up what is your prediction of ou's o line against nu d-line ? any thoghts on that? thanks -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Tagge That's the key to the game. If Nebraska can't put pressure on Heipel, OU probably wins the game. If they put pressure on him and take him out of his rhythm, OU will have a tough time being Nebraska. If both play tough, error free game, it will probably come down to late drive or field goal. I am excited. I say Nebraska by a field goal. It will come down to one of those guys who doesn't break a sweat and has a clean uniform. They kick a 20-yard field goal and are the heros. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sooner OKC Jerry - Do you have a current picture of Jack Mildren to hang up after Saturday's game? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Tagge There is no need to have a pictuer to hang up because it's a non-issue. I tell you, Jack was a star of that game. They were beating us with a pass. Jack hit receivers in stride. He played the game of his life. That made it interesting through the air. Nobody really lost that game. Both programs won on that day. College football was a winner. That's why college football is what it is. Young kids giving every ounce of effort they have. It's exciting. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Tagge Two years back to back they blew OU out of the water and that's not how it's supposed to be. I didn't like to see the Oklahoma program where it was. I am pleased they are back and Stoops has them on the right track. Even if OU beats Nebraska, this is where it's supposed to be. I am glad we are all talking about this game again because it's exciting. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison I think it's amazing the game, as big as it was in 1971, for it to last as long as it has, that everyone starts reminiscing about the good old days, especially when they show those old tapes. I played for a great team and feel fortunate for having played in some big games. I played with some great players and against some great ones. I think NU's defense stopped us a bit and forced us to throw a little. They did a good job stopping the wishbone. And they were a power offense and had good ball control back then. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Myles Miyamasu At one time, the option offense seemed to be the offense to win national championships. We've seen the progression of passing offenses to the point where very few schools run an option attack. What defenses of today would have a hard time stopping either Nebraska's or Oklahoma's 1071 offenses? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison I think athletically teams are getting better. Offenses and defenses go in cycles. Today's packages, I am a high school coach, we have so much on offense and defense, there are like 20 or 30 different adjustments today. In college, they have more personnel. We had some great athletes. I would like to bring that team back today and play some people. The game has increased and gotten so much faster than it was. I think both of us were ahead of the time. Offense does something, the defense catches up and the offense has to do something else. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Hey Jon: Talk about that '71 game. Was that the most memorable game of your career? Do you agree when Jerry Tagge says there were no losers in that game because it did wonders for each program and the college football game? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison Ya I do agree. I think OU got over having Steve Owens getting the Heisman. They didn't go to a Bowl game, though. I think kids like to play an open offense, it's fun to play. It gave OU a chance to recruit those types of kids. The press made a big deal of it. Most of our kids were from Oklahoma and Texas and it allowed us to recruit nationally. It probably was the most memorable game of my career. My senior year against USC, i got the game ball for blocking in that. I was proud of that. We probably only threw one pass that game. I felt I contributed more in the NU game, though. To get a win it would have tasted better. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Duane Was that a clip on the 71 punt return? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison I don't really think it was. I wish I had another step. I think I was going to catch him. At the time, it was hard for me to say they were better than us. Looking at it now, they were probably a better team than us. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hail Mary What did u learn from Coach Switzer? What made him such an excellent coach? Is there anything of his you use now at the HS level? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison He was a great motivator and I think he really loved kids. He gave them more than one chance. He was great for college football. He's a great competitor and I think all coaches are that way. You hope you can impact your players like that to where they will be successful in football and in life. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison I was very fortunate. I had great coaches all the way through. I had Merrill Green in high school, who played at OU, and was very successful in Texas. My junior college coach was Chuck Bowman, who also played at OU, and was the head of the FCA in Oklahoma for 10 or 15 years. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison Almost all the coaches at OU went on to become head coaches elsewhere. Jimmy Johnson was on that staff as well. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- collin who do you like the the big game this saturday?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison I think both of them is playing awfully well. I am going to give Oklahoma the favor because of home field advantage. I am glad OU has come back. I think it will be a high scoring game. I think both will score in the 20s at least. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brian Can OU beat Vick, and Tech... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison I think so. You have to stop him. He's the big thing. Any time a team has just one main threat, you can sometimes stop that one threat. He's a great athlete. I love to watch Vick play. But he's probably 80 percent of their offense. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elliot Who do u think will be in the national championship this year? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison It's really sad because I don't watch many college games. I can see OU or Nebraska, whoever wins. Maybe one of the Florida schools. A couple of them are always real, real good. I haven't kept up with the Bowl scene yet. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Johnson Jon,

How would you like to be a receiver in Stoops offense instead of the wishbone? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison I'd love it. That's the kind of offense we run at our high school. I coach receivers. It's an exciting offense for us. It's fun to get isolated one-on-one. It gives you a great chance to be successful. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bobo Who hit you the hardest? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison There was a guy from Colorado and he came back from Vietnam. It was his reputation. He wanted to be the hardest hitting. I went across to block him once and he leveled me. I probably got hit harder trying to block some bigger guys than when catching a pass. Most of them were like 20 pounds heavier than I was. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eddie Jon: In your mind, how has the game of football changed since u were playing? And how much different is it for u on the sideline as a coach as opposed to being out on the field? Has it been a smooth adjustment? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison It's still real exciting. It's more open. Our offense, we give our quarterback an option of four or five plays. We go a lot of no huddle. It's a faster game. The technology of everyone has changed. We probably have 50 different formations we can get in. I think when I was in HS we had like two or three formations. Our playbook is like 10 times bigger. It's fun to go out on Friday night to see kids compete as hard as they can. Sometimes it isn't enough. That's a good lesson in life. Sometimes you work your hardest and it's not enough. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison We probably let more kids check defenses on the field. Now, kids are smart enough and skillful enough and you give them some options but let them call it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Myles Miyamasu With today's BCS system, it looks as if the non-conference schedule can make all the difference inbeing considered for a BCS bowl. Are the current scheduling techniques by NU and OU that much different than the much maligned KSU technique? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison Ya. You have to play tough teams or it's a penalty to you. If you lose game, it will effect your season. I don't know if more teams in conference are tougher or outside. I'd hate to have that pressure to have to win them all to get to a Bowl or national championship. The Big 12 is especially tough. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- shawn how close were you to playing profeesional football? and how come you're not watching the soph. game at lee complex right now? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison I got to tryout for three teams. I was with Denver that first year for six weeks. Then went to Baltimore. Then I went to New England the next year for about a month, got cut, and went back to finish school. I came in about six weeks late and Johnny Unitas stayed and threw me some routes. It was just him and I out there. It was neat. I only weighed 160-165 pounds. I don't know if I was big enough. I'll go to the Complex when you go, Shawn. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison It's an honor to be part of this tradition with OU and Nebraska, and it was nice to prove I could play. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Phil Did you expect Johnny Rodgers to have a bigger impact in the pros? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison He was such a versatile type of guy. He had a lot of talent to catch the ball real well. You could play him so many spots. I think he could have done real good in the NFL too. I know he did well in Canada. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mark Is the Cotton Bowl as great a place to play as people say it is? What were some of your favorite places to play? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison It is because it's half divided, half red and half orange. It's neat at the Cotton Bowl. That makes it a bigger game because everyone is yelling. I think Colorado is great to play in. We played them up year our senior year. It was a great atmosphere. We won. Missouri is a tough place to play as well. But now, all the stadiums are full. Kansas and Kansas State for example. I think all the schools are doing well now. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deano Jon,

Having played so well in the biggest game, but ultimately not winning, is there anything that you took from that to help you in coaching? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison You just don't get the opportunity to play for the national championship. That was the hardest thing. To get so close and not make it. It's like life. Sometimes you play better than you should; other times you don't. You can compare hardships of football, kids getting hurt, to life. It's tough to see the injuries some kids go through. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Do you think a athlete in high school should specialize in a sport or play whatever he enjoys? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison Well, you have to play what you enjoy because there is so much pressure. All kids think they are going to get a scholarship but very few get the chance. I think they should play what they enjoy, be involved with your friends, have fun while you can and be a student. In bigger schools, you almost have to specialize because there are so many other kids that play also. In Texas today, the big schools, it's rare to find athletes that play more than two sports. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- George Huffman does college football seem to have changed in aspects of the nfl over education? thanx -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison It does some since some kids come out early. I think that is sad. I really do think they should stay. It's hard because the money and opportunity is there. I don't think they let you come out of high school in the older days. It's great for kids to experience the college life before going to the pros. To go to high school and get an education, if I didn't have a scholarship, I probably would have had to work and the cost of school is so much more today than 30 years ago. It would have been tough on my parents. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mike Hi Jon: Did u feel u had an advantage at OU considering the quarterback u had played with in high school was attending the same institution? Did it prove to make a big difference in your collegiate career and especially against NU? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison Ya. We started throwing together when we were sophomores. I could look at the angle of the ball and run to it. We threw together for 6-7 years. It made a difference knowing each other. Our offense wasn't much of a passing game, not real finesse. I think it does help though. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ryan hello sir, what is the biggest element of surprise in a college football game? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison I don't know. Changes in offenses and defenses, it's hard to change week to week. Having the nerve to do an onsides kick or fake punt maybe. Maybe you can have some trick plays. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jim Cook Do you think the significance of the game has changed since you played? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison Winning is a big part of life. The money is there for college games, winning big. In high school, you teach them to compete and be winners. I think society puts a lot of pressure on athletics but don't know that the significance has changed much. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lifetime Sooner Fan People Are saying that ball control will be the difference in this game. Do you think that OU's defence can keep Nebraska off the field long enough for OU to do some damage? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison Ya I erally do. I think they are a quick strike offense. Penalties and field position will make a difference. It's like the old wishbone. If OU can get a couple quick touchdowns, I think Nebraska will have a hard time staying with them. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Scott how about the size difference on the offensive line? the huskers have the biggest line in college football.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison That does make a big difference. If it's a close game in the fourth quarter, the poundage OU's defense may take could be a difference. If Nebraska can stay with them, that may be a difference in the end of the game. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jon Harrison I'm glad ESPN let me be a part of this. College football is a great exciting game, and I am glad I could participate in it when I was young. I hope both teams have good luck. Go Sooners!