The Game of the Century - by Michael Corcoran (Paperback)

About the Book

The acclaimed author of "Duel in the Sun," hailed as "a perfect golf time machine" ("USA Today"), returns with a book that follows college football's ultimate battle--the Nebraska vs. Oklahoma game, November 25, 1971. of photos.

Book Synopsis

On Thanksgiving Day 1971 a record fifty-five million homes tuned in to watch two powerhouse college football teams collide. The defending national champion, the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers, was squaring off against the number one offense in the country and second-ranked team, the Oklahoma Sooners. Combining a meticulously researched history of college football with in-depth interviews, Michael Corcoran reveals the play-by-play strategies and techniques, the personalities of the coaches who conceived the plans and the players who executed them, and the formations and intricate blocking schemes that spelled victory or defeat. Nebraska radio play-by-play man Lyell Bremser echoed the nation when he proclaimed, "I never thought I would live this long to see this kind of football game." From the roots of both football teams, to the players, coaches, reporters, spectators, and fans, The Game of the Century is a story that will resonate with football fans across America. Michael Corcoran has written seven previous books, including Duel in the Sun: Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus in the Battle of Turnberry, also available in a Bison Books edition.

Review Quotes

"In setting the stage for this epic confrontation, Michael Corcoran . . . Details football's growth in popularity in middle America."--New York Times Book Review

"A wonderful, people-driven account of a classic game."--Booklist

"Solid reportage that reanimates memories of one of college football's greatest games."--Publishers Weekly

"The beauty of Corcoran's tale is in the way he approaches his subject like a novelist, sketching in the background of both teams, introducing his cast of characters, placing the event in its social context, and slowly building narrative tension. . . . You don't need to know much about football to appreciate such storytelling. What drives the book is the nature of competition itself, and the various meanings we attribute to it."--Nebraska Life

About the Author

Michael Corcoran has written seven previous books, including Duel in the Sun: Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus in the Battle of Turnberry, also available in a Bison Books edition.