Forget about that playfully heated series where the smack used to ricochet off one Memorial Stadium directly to the other, where last year a Ruf-Nek was wishing he’d never met Darren DeLone and Bill Callahan was feeling the same about those hillbillies to whom he muttered his “Hee-Haw” salute.

Right now, Nebraska and Oklahoma have no time for a lively war of words, court or apologies.

Unfortunately for us entertainment-seeking types, the 5-2 Huskers and 4-3 Sooners have their hands full trying to figure out whether they’ll progress or stumble into the 2006 season.

Perhaps today’s game will provide both with a make-up-your-mind moment, but be careful about taking any bets on that happening.

Last summer, Nebraska fans would have chalked this meeting on the loss side of the column.

Before last week, they’d have switched it to the other side.

Now, it’s just total guesswork.

The Huskers — who should have beaten Texas Tech long before Texas stuck its finger down the barrel of the Red Raiders’ guns-up attack — owned the nation’s stiffest run defense before getting carved up by Missouri’s Brad Smith last week.

Meanwhile, the Sooners — beaten by TCU, UCLA and Longhorn teams that are a combined 21-1 — appeared to have applied some steam to a wrinkled-up offense and rolled up nearly 300 yards in the first half of their home game against Baylor. Then they become so lackadaisical that they had to feel fortunate to escape with a double-overtime triumph against a club that’s won one league road game in the Big 12 Conference’s 10-year history.

Meanwhile, Nebraska went from a 21-3 deficit to a halftime tie to being one play from taking the lead to getting just one first down after Terrence Nunn lost a fumble at the Missouri 3-yard line on the Huskers’ third possession of the second half.

Oklahoma, which in Big 12 games is yielding a league-low average of 270 yards, went from keeping Baylor to 95 yards in the first half to allowing 65- and 82-yard TD drives. The Sooners’ offense, which scored on four straight second-quarter drives, also staggered after the break, losing a pair of fumbles and being forced to punt four times.

If you’re thinking these squads have the attention span of a fourth-grader, there’s a viable reason.

Oklahoma has four freshmen or sophomores starting on both offense and defense.

Nebraska has four sophomore starters on defense and two on offense.

No wonder both teams are still trying to put together their first complete-game efforts — particularly on offense.

Lately, redshirt freshman quarterback Rhett Bomar has shown with more regularity why the Sooners believe he’s their future. Over the last two games, he’s completed 40 of 73 passes for 475 yards and two touchdowns. He’s also been picked off four times. Throw in the fact that running back Adrian Peterson, the 2004 Heisman Trophy runner-up, has essentially been out of the mix for the last four games with a bum ankle, and you can see (sort of) why the Sooners rank 97th nationally in total offense.

The Huskers also have improved offensively under first-year quarterback Zac Taylor, who’s thrown two TDs in four straight games. But there was that pair of interceptions in the losses to Tech and Mizzou, and as was painfully evident last week, Nebraska lacks the precision in its West Coast offense to be any better than ranked 91st nationally.

And did anyone mention that in Big 12 games, NU’s vaunted defense has allowed nearly 400 yards an outing to rank ninth in the league?

Given Oklahoma’s obvious strength, it’ll be up to the Blackshirts to carry the load today.

Unless Peterson shows his freshman form, the Sooners don’t have the firepower to give the Huskers the runaway-train treatment they experienced at Missouri. But Bob Stoops still has enough horses — colts, if you will —  to win a 12th straight regular-season game against a Big 12 North Division opponent.

The last time Oklahoma left one of those on the losing end came here in a 2001 battle of unbeatens.

Since then, the programs have journeyed much different paths, only to wind up four years later seeking the higher road. The difference is Oklahoma has been there under Stoops, and so you figure as long as he’s with the Sooners, they’re not liable to be detoured for long.

That’s why for Nebraska and Callahan, today represents more than just the opportunity to become bowl-eligible. It’s the chance to convince us they’re not as lost as you might think.

“This is huge for us,” Callahan said. “They’re a loaded team. You don’t stack national recruiting classes together and not have talent. This’ll be a real barometer for all of us.”

Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.