By Kevin Horn, KCOW Radio – Alliance

Sound man, please roll the eerie background music.

It was all there for the taking.

November 23, 2001.

Unbeaten (11-0) and No. 1 ranked Nebraska at Colorado (8-2).

Beat the Buffs, as the Big Red was expected to do, and it’s on to the Big 12 Championship game.

However, the black and gold Buffaloes jumped to a 28-3 first quarter lead. Three hours later, it was CU 62, NU 36.

Since I have limited knowledge of the x’s and o’s of football, I can only blame the loss on an enigmatic date:  November 23.

Since World War II, the Huskers have played a college football game on November 23 twelve times – winning only once – a 29-20 victory over Oklahoma in 1963.   One may put an asterisk by that victory, though.  President Kennedy was killed the previous day – and it is still debatable as to whether the game should have even been played.

Fast forward to November 23, 2012.

9-2 Nebraska at 4-7 Iowa.   A Cornhusker victory secures the championship of the Big 10 Legends Division and a trip to the conference championship game in the big oil building at Indy.  A loss to the Hawkeyes combined with a Michigan victory at unbeaten Ohio State (11-0) on Nov. 24, and the Big Red stays home.

No problem.  A certain Ohio State victory.

Wait a minute.   How about Baylor 52, Kansas State 24?

Reason to worry?

On paper, it appears to be a sure Cornhusker victory.

On the calendar, not so much.

Here’s why:

November 23, 1946:  Oklahoma 27, Nebraska 6

November 23, 1957: Oklahoma 32, Nebraska 7

November 23, 1963:  Nebraska 29, Oklahoma 20

November 23, 1967: Oklahoma 21, Nebraska 14

November 23, 1968:  Oklahoma 47, Nebraska 0 (worst loss of the Devaney era)

November 23, 1972: Oklahoma 17, Nebraska 14 ( loss ruined Devaney’s Memorial Stadium finale’)

November 23, 1973: Oklahoma 27, Nebraska 0

November 23, 1974: Oklahoma 28, Nebraska 14 (Huskers played on November 23 for three consecutive years on a Thursday, Friday, and Saturday)

November 23, 1985: Oklahoma 27, Nebraska 7

November 23, 1990:  Oklahoma 45, Nebraska 10

November 23, 2001: Colorado 62, Nebraska 36

November 23, 2007:  Colorado 65, Nebraska 51

Oh, and one more stat:  Since 1968, Nebraska is 0-6 on the road in games played on Nov. 23.

And, yet another stat:   The Huskers last two Nov. 23 losses have been to a team whose primary jersey color was black.

November 23, 2012 – Nebraska AT Iowa, where the Hawkeyes will be decked out in black jerseys.

You have been forewarned.

Not by a guy who understands football x’s and o’s.

But by a Big Red fan with too many memories of the Nov. 23 curse.

Sound man, please fade eerie background music.

Waddaya mean he’s a graduate of the University of Iowa?!?!?!?