The good news for Nebraska is No. 2 Oklahoma is not on this year’s schedule.

The bad news: Texas A&M, No. 7 Texas, No. 20 Kansas State and No. 21 Colorado still are. And if the Cornhuskers don’t come up with an upset between now and the end of November, that’s just when their season will be over.

No 41st straight winning season. No 34th consecutive bowl game. Just a very long winter like Nebraska hasn’t seen for more than 40 years.

“There are some serious problems with the way we’re playing. Halfway through our season we already have three losses,” Nebraska safety Philip Bland said after Saturday’s 24-21 loss at Oklahoma State. “That’s a problem, especially with the kind of team we’ve been in the past.”

The last time Nebraska finished with a losing record was 1961, when the Huskers went 3-6-1. That was the end of Bill Jennings’ coaching stint and the beginning of the Bob Devaney era.

Nebraska (5-3, 1-2 Big 12) has five games left in the season and needs to win two to be bowl eligible. Other than Kansas University (2-6, 0-4) at home on Nov. 9, the Huskers will be underdogs the rest of the way.

Saturday was the latest signal that the Huskers’ time among college football’s elite is up. Combined with losses to Penn State and Iowa State in September, Nebraska is in a bona fide tailspin.

And while nobody in Nebraska is terribly happy about it, the rest of Big 12 country is probably downright giddy these days.

The Huskers, who dominated in the final years of the Big Eight and are the only team to win two Big 12 titles, are suffering what they’ve put so many others through.

“For all those people that played on the past teams that Nebraska beat, this is a good feeling for them also,” said Oklahoma State receiver Rashaun Woods, who had 11 catches for 134 yards and a touchdown.

College football prominence doesn’t last forever, although Nebraska has made quite a run at it.

Coach Frank Solich’s popularity has never been on very solid ground since he took over for Nebraska icon Tom Osborne in 1998. It’s tough to replace a guy who won three national titles in his last four seasons.

Winning the 1999 Big 12 title and being one win away from national championship last year are probably enough to buy Solich another year of patience from Athletic Director Bill Byrne, but maybe not much more.

With an athletic department built on the foundation of Memorial Stadium, football can not be the sport that’s lagging behind.

“We are playing hard. We’re not especially playing well,” Solich said. “I think we had some excellent individual performances, but it’s been a tough go in terms of getting everyone on the same page and playing good football as a unit.”

Solich’s loyalty will certainly be tested this winter. Defensive coordinator Craig Bohl’s “Blackshirts” haven’t made a whole lot of progress in three years. When Nebraska needed stop after getting within 17-14 in the fourth quarter Saturday, the Cowboys marched 80 yards on nine plays for a touchdown.

Chucking it: Texas Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury’s arm has to be getting tired, doesn’t it?

Already the Red Raiders’ career passing leader, Kingsbury is shattering even his own records. He threw for 510 yards and five touchdowns, completing 49-of-70 attempts as Texas Tech beat Missouri 52-38. Kingsbury broke his own records for completions, attempts and yards.

He entered the game needing 182 yards to become the first Red Raiders quarterback with 10,000 yards. He had it in the first quarter.

Reality check: Nobody is disputing Iowa State has rebuilt into a solid contender, but that next step is still a little ways off. Oklahoma smacked the Cyclones with a little reality in a 49-3 drubbing.

Oklahoma outgained Iowa State 225-4 and outscored the Cyclones 35-0 in the first half alone. The Sooners shut down Heisman Trophy hopeful Seneca Wallace, holding him to 4-of-22 for 43 passing yards and three interceptions.

“I don’t give a hoot about the Heisman,” Wallace said. “If it damages it, it damages it. Who cares? Move on to the next game.”

Clutch kick: It was a tale of two kickers when Texas visited Kansas State.

Dusty Magnum made his for the Longhorns, and Jared Brite’s attempt for the Wildcats in the final seconds was blocked in Texas’ 17-14 win.

Magnum came through with 1:32 left in the fourth quarter as the K-State crowd chanted “We hate you!”

He’s back: Colorado running back Chris Brown is up to his old tricks.

One week after rushing for 309 yards against Kansas, Brown ran for 167 in a 34-0 shutout of Baylor on Saturday. Brown left the game in the third quarter with a sprained ankle, but is expected to play this week against Texas Tech.

“When he gets to the hole, he just sort of explodes,” Colorado coach Gary Barnett said. “It’s made him into a really good back right now. There probably aren’t many who are much better.”