Huskers and Sooners have family ties

This Saturday when Oklahoma and Nebraska meet in Lincoln, Tyrone Lynn Sr. will know what it's like to be Archie Manning at a football game involving his sons Peyton and Eli.

Lynn's oldest son Phillip Dillard is a starting linebacker at Nebraska, while his younger son Gabe Lynn is a freshman cornerback at Oklahoma.

To add more intrigue to the storyline, Lynn Sr. is also the legal guardian of 2010 OU commit Jarrett Lake. Gabe Lynn is currently redshirting the 2009 season at Oklahoma, so both he and Lake will join Lynn Sr. in the stands on Saturday at Memorial Stadium to show their support for their older brother.

"I definitely have mixed emotions," Lynn Sr. said. "This is Phil's last year and I want to see him do well and see the team go as far as they can, but at the same time I also want OU to do well and Gabe to experience as much as he can in terms of a bowl game and those types of opportunities."

Lynn Sr. said he actually won't be able to make it to Lincoln though for Saturday's game until about 30 minutes before kickoff.

Before departing to Lincoln, Lynn said he will coach his 12 year old son Tyrone Lynn Jr. in a youth football playoff game that kicks off at 10 a.m. in Tulsa.

"My wife will get up early Saturday morning to go pick up Gabe in Norman and hopefully the game will be over by about 11:30 and we'll be on our way," Lynn said.

Over Dillard's five year career at Nebraska, this will be the fourth time he's played against Oklahoma, but really the only game he's contributed in was during his true freshmen season in 2005 when the Huskers lost to the Sooners 31-24.

Dillard missed both the 2006 Big 12 Championship game and last year's game in Norman against the Sooners with injuries.

"It will be fun since I didn't get to play against them last year because of my ankle," Dillard said. "(Gabe and I) talk back and forth and we talk smack to each other. It will be fun. He'll be able to watch his older brother hit somebody on his team."

Lynn Sr. said it will be hard for him to cheer for one team over the other on Saturday since he has stakes on both sides. The thing that will make it easier though is the fact Gabe Lynn is redshirting this season.

However, he did say it will be pretty awkward for both Gabe Lynn and Lake to sit in the Nebraska section at Memorial Stadium with everyone around them cheering against OU.

"It's really kind of hard to cheer for one school over the other," Lynn Sr. said. "It's easier for me to obviously cheer for Nebraska when the defense is out there, but at the same time I want OU to do the very best they can. It's a tough deal. If I had to lean one way though, I guess it would be with Nebraska."

Lynn Sr. senior joked that whoever wins this game between Oklahoma and Nebraska will give either Phil or Gabe lifetime bragging rights over one another.

"If OU beats Nebraska, then you can best believe that Gabe is going to give Phil the business," Lynn joked. "If Nebraska beats OU, Phil will get after Gabe until he dies."