Graphic By Kelli Kellogg August 28, 2003 COWPOKES & QUESTIONS A lot on the line as Nebraska and Oklahoma St. kick off Big 12 season By Jim D. Berryman MissingNebraska.com More questions than answers. At least Alex Trebek of “Jeopardy” is smiling. As the Nebraska Cornhuskers get ready to kick off the 2003 football season against the #24 ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday, the questions just keep coming. Sure, it’s been months since the Huskers limped off the field at the MainStay Independence Bowl in Shreveport last December. Husker faithful have endured a long winter, spring, and most recently scorching summer. Now with temperatures finally beginning to cool off a bit, the Nebraska football program is still in the hot seat. And it will be until the answers become apparent. Will Nebraska be able to rebound from a shocking 7-7 ’02 campaign, its worst season in over 40 years? Will NU quarterback Jammal Lord be able to lead the team to victory, make wise decisions on his feet, pass better, improve on pitching the option, be a better leader, act like a Nebraska quarterback? Will Bo Pelini, the Huskers’ new defensive coordinator, be able to get the NU defense back into working order, so players can be worthy of the storied “blackshirt” title bestowed on team after team over the past few decades? Will Barney Cotton, who takes over offensive play calling from head coach Frank Solich, succeed with a new-look, mix-it-up offense? Will the Cornhusker faithful stay faithful with an early loss or two if they happen? After all, Oklahoma State and Penn State are both rated in the top 25 and Nebraska is not. Both teams had the Huskers’ number last season. Will Husker head coach Frank Solich make it through the season, or will he be washed away in a sea of Big Red criticism? The answer my friends, is blowin’ in the Lincoln wind. Saturday, phase one blows in. Nebraska and Oklahoma State kick off the Big 12 season a bit earlier than usual with a season-opener for both teams in Lincoln on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. central. The game will be televised nationally by ABC. Lincoln and Nebraska are alive with anticipation of the upcoming season. So is the rest of the country. Was the 2002 Husker season a fluke? Or have the Huskers flunked the recruiting test, sentenced to years of mediocrity? Very soon we will find out. Oklahoma State comes into Lincoln riding high from last season. The Cowboys defeated Nebraska in Stillwater and managed to defeat archrival Oklahoma for the second straight year. The water in Stillwater ain’t so still any more. No longer are the Cowboys able to play spoiler. College football fans around the country know Oklahoma State is for real. But are they real enough to cruise into Lincoln and pull off a victory over the Cornhuskers in front of 76,000 screaming, rabid fans in red? I think not. The anticipation building through those long months since Shreveport is about to explode into thunderous noise from east to west, north to south in Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The Cowboys will have a hard time hearing their thoughts. Nebraska’s new athletic director Steve Pederson has whipped the Big Red nation into a frenzy. He’s got a whale of a pre-game party planned on Saturday, and is speaking like Arnold Schwarzenegger at a California political rally, bringing Nebraska football “back to the people.” If the ‘Pokes fall behind early, things could get mighty ugly if you’re cheering for the team in orange. That said, if Nebraska would happen to fall behind early, it will be very interesting to see if Husker fans will hang on to cheer on the team through thick and thin rather than run screaming to the nearest exit. Husker pride is on the line Saturday. QB Jammal Lord is quoted in a New York Times article saying a loss to the Cowboys would be “a waste of the summer”. Those are strong words from a man who didn’t say much at all during the 2002 season. I’m sure Oklahoma State has that quote up on some chalkboard in a locker room somewhere. Even so, it’s nice to see the Husker QB come out of his shell. Let’s hope he can also do just that on the playing field this Saturday and through the 2003 season. As one of the biggest Husker fans anywhere, I’m not one of those fans that will be screaming for the nearest exit if things go wrong early in the season. But after a 7-7 season and more questions than answers, the days of "NU cheerleader journalism" is over for this reporter. I’ll tell it like I see it. And of course welcome your comments throughout the season. So now, from sea to shining sea, I lift my glass and toast the greatest football program to ever take to a football field: The Nebraska Cornhuskers! It’s going to be an interesting season, and MissingNebraska.com will be along for the smooth…or bumpy…ride. We certainly hope it’s smooth as butter on a hot Nebraska day. Feedback NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS vs. OKLAHOMA ST. COWBOYS PREVIEW STORIES & LINKS 08-29-03: Offense Is Explosive OSU coordinator says More from OWH 08-28-03: Home-Run Threat: Bell Anchors OSU Ground Game More from LJS 08-28-03: Davis Named Starter At I-Back More from LJS 08-28-03: NU Stadium Policies Announced More from GII 08-28-03: No. 24 Oklahoma St. vs. Nebraska Preview From ESPN Huskers on ESPN.com Husker Hot Pics Photos from AP Husker Game Watch Locations Nationwide