The Big 12 chapter of the broken-heart club meets this afternoon at Boone Pickens Stadium, and somebody will go home feeling much better.

Nebraska is on the rebound following a 22-20 loss to Texas in which the Longhorns escaped with a field goal in the final minute. With strong senior leadership — Zac Taylor, Jay Moore and Adam Carriker come to mind — the Huskers figure to come back strong. After all, Nebraska still occupies the driver’s seat in pursuit of its foremost goal — the Big 12 North title.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma State has issues of its own, having lost three of its last four games by a total of 14 points, including last week’s one-point overtime loss to Texas A&M. “I think we’ve been in the (close-game) situation enough now that our players should learn to rally,” OSU coach Mike Gundy said.

Hmmm. May come in handy today.

High-octane offenses

Nebraska and Oklahoma State feature the Big 12’s top two offenses in terms of yards per game. Both teams feature balanced attacks led by standout quarterbacks. Cowboys sophomore Bobby Reid — who directs a no-huddle, spread system — ranks third nationally in passing efficiency. Taylor — who directs a West Coast attack — ranks No. 7 in passing efficiency.

Both offenses feature a physical, playmaking wide receiver (Maurice Purify of Nebraska and Adarius Bowman of OSU), and both teams have a relatively young offensive line.

Nevertheless, both teams feel they can move the chains against anybody.

Despite losing to Texas, Taylor said Nebraska bolstered its confidence offensively, as the Huskers clearly were in attack mode during the fourth quarter. “I think in the second half, we really realized we’re a good team,” he said.

Defense the difference?

Although it hasn’t posted gaudy numbers statistically this season, Nebraska’s defense seems to be gaining confidence weekly since allowing 574 yards to Kansas on Sept. 30.

In three games since that humiliating outing, the Blackshirts have allowed an average of 319 yards per game, including 348 last week against Texas. The Longhorns reached the red zone five times, but came away with only 15 points on those possessions.

Nebraska might need similar red-zone resolve today, as Oklahoma State figures to move the ball between the 20-yard lines. Inside the 20, the ability to run the ball becomes paramount, and the Huskers have allowed only 67.7 rushing yards per game since the Kansas contest.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma State has struggled defensively, ranking no higher than 59th in any of the four major statistical categories.

One eye on Columbia

You have to figure Nebraska players and coaches will be sneaking peeks today at the Oklahoma-Missouri game, considering the Tigers travel to Lincoln next week.

Missouri enters today 3-1 in the Big 12 and tied for first with Nebraska in the North Division. If the Huskers are in fact sizing up Mizzou today, they’ll see a Tiger squad that has struggled to stop the run game (Kansas State, for instance, gashed Missouri for 262 rushing yards!) and is without its best pass rusher, Brian Smith, because of injury. However, Missouri’s spread offense is putting up big numbers.

Will NU be looking ahead? Doubtful.

“We’re hungry,” defensive end Jay Moore said. “We know where we want to be the first week of December. We know we don’t want to be watching the Big 12 championship game at home.”