November 11, 2004 SOONERS, OR LATER Huskers must pull major upset vs. Sooners to keep North hopes alive By Jim D. Berryman MissingNebraska.com Oklahoma, it's good to have you back on the schedule. This Big 12 North-South split leaves many Husker fans longing for the good old days of Big 8 football and hearing "Boomer Sooner" season after season. That said, can we put this year's NU-OU game off another year? That's kind of the feeling amongst Husker fans in this "rebuilding" season of transition. Even many Sooner fans would prefer Nebraska to be a better team than they are to make the storied matchup as special as it usually is. What fun is a Nebraska-Oklahoma game when the Huskers are coming into the contest at 5-4? The Sooners are 9-0, ranked 2nd nationally, and are cruising to a Big 12 South championship. It seems Oklahoma is keeping its end of the deal in the NU-OU series. Nebraska has a ways to go to return the game to the luster of the past. That's the situation this Saturday as the Huskers face the Sooners in Norman. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CST. The game will be televised nationally on Fox Sports Net and broadcast live on the radio and on huskers.com. Nebraska is in desperate need of a win in order to guarantee a winning season. Big Red also needs a win to secure a bowl bid. Lose to Oklahoma, and Nebraska has just one game left to try and eek out a bowl bid with a win against Colorado in Lincoln the day after Thanksgiving. Lose both games and Nebraska will have its first losing season in decades, and won't even be welcome in the Tidy Bowl. At the same time, in this insanely bizarre Big 12 North season, the Huskers can still win the Big 12 North. Not that they would really want to, as they would more than likely have to play Oklahoma again at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on December 4. If Nebraska is to represent the Big 12 North in the Big 12 championship they will need to win both remaining games, and have specific things happen to Iowa State and Kansas State. Stranger things have happened. Remember all the things that had to happen in order for Nebraska to get into the national championship game vs. Miami a few years back? Each "has to happen" item happened. Despite a blowout loss to Colorado in the last game of the season, the Huskers played in Pasadena vs. the Hurricanes for all the marbles. We all know what happened after that particular game kicked off, don't we. Even so, we get the feeling the Sooners are not taking the struggling Huskers lightly. It is Nebraska after all. It is Nebraska-Oklahoma after all. At the same time, Husker fans are realistic in knowing that if you can't win in Ames, how in your right mind can you expect to win in Norman? We know the game could get ugly, but unlike years past, Husker fans...dare I say...are used to it. Nebraska and Oklahoma: So many memories, so many great games, so many "Boomer Sooner" playings. I've been to a few Nebraska-Oklahoma games and each has a special place in my Husker heart. Here's to the wonderful tradition of the Nebraska-Oklahoma game. If anything, it will be great just to see the legendary "N" helmets clashing with the legendary "OU" helmets. Let's just hope Nebraska can keep it close, then pull of a miracle win. Feedback NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS vs. OKLAHOMA SOONERS PREVIEW STORIES & LINKS 11-13-04: Oklahoma-Nebraska rivalry still shines More from AP-Yahoo! 11-13-04: Embattled Blackshirts know they need perfection today More from Lincoln Journal-Star 11-13-04: No. 2 Sooners have plenty of motivation More from Grand Island Independent 11-13-04: You'd never know OU is a 29-point favorite More from Lincoln Journal-Star 11-13-04: Coaches recall classic NU-OU clashes More from Grand Island Independent 11-12-04: NU assistant excited about trip to Norman More from Omaha World-Herald 11-12-04: Remember when the 'old' days were really good when NU-OU meant something Tom Shatel column from OWH 11-12-04: Huskers not hiding from underdog role More from Grand Island Independent 11-12-04: OU sensation is a man among boys More from Omaha World-Herald 11-11-04: Elmassian has total respect for OU's White More from Lincoln Journal-Star 11-11-04: Big point spread doesn't faze NU More from Omaha World-Herald 11-11-04: Could Nebraska actually win by losing? More from Grand Island Independent 11-10-04: Pelini quiet in preparation for NU More from Omaha World-Herald 11-10-04: Nebraska - Oklahoma lacks buzz in Norman More from Omaha World-Herald 11-10-04: Bo's gone, but not forgotten More from Omaha World-Herald 11-10-04: G.I. Independent's Louie Longshot makes wild prediction More from Grand Island Independent Nebraska Football '04 Schedule / Results Huskers on ESPN.com Husker Hot Pics Photos from AP Husker Game Watch Locations Nationwide