Schwab is 23 having arrived at Nebraska in 1995 when the Huskers were still in the Big Eight. The Big 12 started play the next year. Schwab's career is in its sixth year and he has seen one Big Eight title, two Big 12 titles and two national championships.

Nebraska tackle Jason Schwab has seen plenty of big games with the 'Huskers in six years.(Provided to SportsLine)

It's fitting that the 6-foot-1, 300-pound piece of history will play in what is arguably the Big 12's biggest game to date when No. 1 Nebraska travels to No. 3 Oklahoma on Saturday.

"That whole defense I played against in practice the first year (1995) is in the pros now," Schwab said. "There were four first-round picks. ... I walked into that practice field the first day. We're doing one-on-one protection drill. Coach (Milt) Tenopir throws me in against Christian Peter. The kid is 23 years old. I just turned 18. I'm just getting done with puberty and this guy is already going bald. I'm just thinking to myself, 'Holy Lord what did I get myself into.'"

It got Schwab into the time of his life.

Three devastating knee injuries allowed the native of Eagan, Minn., to take a winding road to Saturday's showdown.

• The first knee injury after the second game of his senior year in high school caused most major programs to stop recruiting him.
• In 1996, a knee sprain and ankle injury kept him out at Nebraska.
• After playing two seasons, Schwab tore up his left knee in 1999 fall camp and missed the season.

Schwab found out three days after January's Fiesta Bowl that the NCAA had granted him a rare sixth year of eligibility. The favorable ruling could allow him to be part of a third national championship in his six years.

"One thing about this game is it goes quick," Schwab said. "I'm taking in everything I can. I put my pads on slower than ever. I don't have school on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I'm here two hours before practice starts organizing my locker about 10 times. ... There's nothing like being a Husker. It's the pinnacle of college football."

To put Schwab's career in perspective -- if that's possible -- consider this: He arrived at Nebraska when Tommie Frazier was still the Huskers' quarterback. On Saturday, Frazier was on the opposite sideline coaching Baylor's running backs in a 59-0 loss.

The coach who recruited him, Tom Osborne, has retired and is now running for Congress.

"Coach Osborne and I had a unique relationship," Schwab said. "It's hard to explain. We had an unspoken respect. I remember I got in a fight in spring ball with one of the linebackers. Coach makes me run the stadium stairs. I could barely make it to the damn stairs. I get to the top and I'm just puking. The video guys are watching me puke.

"He circles everybody up at the end of practice and he makes an example of me. He says, 'If you can't make it up the stairs once, you better not be fighting. Schwab, you made a vacation out of that.'"

Schwab smiles about it now because of his affection for Osborne. When the legendary coach retired, Schwab wrote him a private message: "That's for making me run those stairs."

He is not the best Nebraska offensive lineman, just the longest lasting. Former roommate, center Dominic Raiola is the school's No. 1 Outland Trophy candidate. Sophomore guard Toniu Fonoti is the future.

Schwab is a talented grunt who is being rewarded for sticking through the hard times. In 1996, Schwab thanks his lucky stars for not getting in a game as a redshirt freshman.

"I remember being so down about it," Schwab said. "It turned out to be the best thing that could ever happen to me."

Had he stepped on the field for even one play, Schwab probably would have burned a year of eligibility and wouldn't be in his current situation.

By sticking around he became tangible evidence of Nebraska's unique recruiting approach. The Huskers seldom show up at the top national recruiting lists. Instead, they concentrate on filling needs much like an NFL team does in the draft.

Nebraska also takes a lot of chances on guys like Schwab, a walk-on coming off a high school knee injury who had potential. After his high school injury, Schwab dropped off recruiting radar at places like Missouri, Iowa, Iowa State, Penn State and Wisconsin.

Nebraska, though, stayed in contact even though Schwab's best offer was from I-AA Montana State.

"I was thinking, 'I'm going to get major playing as a true freshman? It can't be the best situation for me to be in,'" Schwab said of Montana State. "My dad picked me up from the airport. He knew right after I got off the airplane. I had the scholarship papers, saying here's a full ride. It's a good university, a good school but ... not to knock the program but they don't attract the best athletes in the world."

Schwab earned his Nebraska scholarship after that 1996 season when he didn't play a down. Through five seasons he had played only two. In his final season, the end isn't near. This might be the beginning of a third national championship. Even if it isn't, Schwab already has won.

Sitting in that lockerroom hours before practice the emotions wash over him every day.

"I love this place," he said. "I got here and I couldn't stand it for a while. Now I don't want to leave."

Tragedy at San Jose State

Gary Nord thought the opposing player had suffered a neck injury when the Texas-El Paso coach stepped out on the field Oct. 14 to check him out.

Then Nord looked down at San Jose State safety Neil Parry lying on the ground in extreme pain.

"I said a prayer for him immediately when I saw him," Nord said.

Nord was shocked to see "a very unusual injury." Parry had not only broken his right leg but suffered nerve and circulation damage in the process. The injury suffered during a kickoff return was so severe it produced an open wound. One school official later described it as a "Joe Theismann-type injury."

Anyone who saw the former Redskins quarterback have his leg almost snapped in two doesn't need to be reminded of the grotesque nature of Parry's injury.

Parry is resting comfortably this week after having his right foot and part of his leg amputated Monday morning. Doctors could not stop a rampant infection that had set in and was rapidly moving up Parry's leg.

"It really started to eat away at the tissue," San Jose State coach Dave Baldwin. "Last week was very difficult. I kind of kept it into myself. The team really knew that there were problems. They didn't know the infection was eating away at the leg."

What makes the story more heart-rending is that Parry's brother Josh is a defensive captain and the Spartans' leading tackler. Josh did not travel with the team to Nevada on Friday but took a Saturday flight. He hopped off the plane and made 17 tackles in a victory over the Wolf Pack.

Vick sticks

Michael Vick sent out minor shock waves last week when the Virginia Tech quarterback announced -- on talk show of all things -- that he would return to school in 2001.

His coach Frank Beamer, though, said he knew Vick was returning all along.

"The thing we need to do is stop talking about it," Beamer said. "It gets old. Everybody wants to talk that way. I'm tired of talking about it."

Sorry Frank, Vick's future is what everyone wants to know. Media coverage is a reason your guy is a Heisman Trophy candidate. Media coverage is a reason all those recruits flocked to your program. Interest in the program comes with the territory. Vick is arguably the best player in the country who could be a No. 1 draft pick if he came out after this season.

Don't forget Frank, Vick always reserves the right to change his mind.

Quick hits

• Osborne, who is running for Congress, is going to be in Norman Saturday for a fundraiser with fellow Republican J.C. Watts, a Congressman and former Sooners quarterback from Eufala, Okla. There is talk that Osborne and former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer might be on the field for the coin toss.
• The most disturbing part of Arizona State's team plane being struck twice by lightning Saturday night is the reaction from an America West spokesman: "Lightning strikes are not unusual. Aircraft are made to withstand that." We'll take your word for it.
• It's hard to believe the legacy of the Wyoming-BYU still exists this week. The Wyoming president took steps last year to curb the more-than-bitter rivalry with BYU. The teams play Thursday at BYU with bad feelings still lingering from 1969 when 14 black Wyoming players wanted to wear black arm bands to protest what they said were "racist and inhuman practices" by Mormons toward blacks. Then Cowboys coach Lloyd Eaton suspended the 14 players for the season rather than let them protest. Eaton was fired a year later after a 1-9 season and struggling to recruit black players. Wyoming president Philip Dubois, in a letter published in local newspapers last season, said any bigoted behavior would not be tolerated in the game at Laramie. "When fans approached ticket windows or will-call while wearing T-shirts or other garb with offensive slogans directed at BYU," Dubois' letter stated. "... We refused to release those tickets until the shirt was removed or reversed."
• Even after having 220 rushing yards hung on it by LSU, Mississippi State's defense still leads the country allowing 57.7 yards per game. The Bulldogs came into the game allowing 24.4 yards per game.
• The top three passers in the country are from Florida schools according to the latest NCAA pass efficiency numbers: Florida's Rex Grossman, Florida State's Chris Weinke and Central Florida's Ryan Schneider.