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Of all the goodbyes during Nebraska's last go-round through the Big 12, this is one of the hardest.
No. 9 Nebraska (8-1, 4-1 Big 12) and Kansas (3-6, 1-4) will be playing Saturday night for the 105th straight year, marking an end to the nation's longest continuous series as the Cornhuskers prepare to head to the Big Ten next year.
Nebraskans and Kansans share a border and a way of life, not to mention a passion for their favorite teams. Cornhuskers fans typically bask in their gridiron victories over Kansas in the fall, only to have the Jayhawks exact revenge on the basketball court each winter.
Generations of Kansas fans have their favorite haunts in Lincoln; same with the Nebraska fans who travel to Lawrence.
''It's like losing a friend,'' said KU radio analyst David Lawrence, a former Jayhawks offensive lineman. ''Granted, when they beat the tar out of us every year, it's hard to call them a friend.''
The Huskers are 90-23-3 in the all-time series that dates to 1892. Nebraska has won three of the last five meetings after beating the Jayhawks every year from 1969-2004. The Huskers have won 20 in a row in Lincoln.
They won't meet again unless it's in a bowl or nonconference game, meaning Minnesota-Wisconsin will become the longest uninterrupted series at 104 straight years.
''The whole conference realignment issue, you've got to deal with rivalry games being interrupted,'' Kansas offensive lineman Brad Thorson said. ''It's something that's going to be faced across the country as you run out of weeks to play games. Schools are moving conferences for monetary reasons.
''Lincoln's a special place to play. They have excellent fans. Even when we were on top and scoring, they stayed. That was a cool experience. Knowing our guys are not going to have that experience, it is disappointing.''
The game also marks the return of former Nebraska star quarterback and assistant coach Turner Gill, who is in his first season as Kansas' head coach.
''It's not about me,'' Gill said. ''It's about our football team, and we're just excited to have another opportunity to play a game and try to improve and get us a win.''
Nebraska, coming off a 31-30 overtime win at Iowa State, can take another step toward locking up the Big 12 North against a Kansas team listed as a five-touchdown underdog. The Huskers have a one-game lead over Missouri with three games to play, and they own the tiebreaker.
The Jayhawks have had an awful year in some respects, but ride momentum into Lincoln after overcoming a 28-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat Colorado 52-45 for the biggest comeback in school history.
Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said early in the week that he expected quarterback Taylor Martinez to be back in the starting lineup. Cody Green started last week in place of Martinez, who sprained his right ankle Oct. 30 against Missouri.
No. 2 quarterback Zac Lee (hand) and cornerback Alfonzo Dennard (concussion) are among other Nebraska players who have been battling injuries.
''Everybody is tired this time of the year. The coaches, players, it's a grind,'' Pelini said. ''When you get to this time of the year, you have to draw upon (the fact) that we have a lot to play for. If we were 1-8 it would be a heck of a lot harder. My message to the football team is we'll take our rest in four weeks. Until then, you have to put the foot on the gas pedal and go.''
A home loss to struggling Texas all but knocked Nebraska out of the national-championship race, but the Huskers want nothing more than to leave the Big 12 with their first conference title since 1999.
''We still have a goal,'' receiver Brandon Kinnie said, ''and it is right out there in front of us to make.''
The Nebraska game marks the start of a difficult final stretch of the season for Kansas. The Jayhawks play Oklahoma State at home next week and take on archrival Missouri in Kansas City on Nov. 27.
Tim Biere, a Kansas tight end from Omaha, said he's sad to see the series with the Huskers end.
''Lincoln's a great place to play,'' he said. ''There's a lot of energy up there. It's sad to see the Big 12 breaking up a little bit. But hopefully we can send them out with a loss. I have a lot of friends there.''
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AP Sports Writer Doug Tucker in Lawrence, Kan., contributed to this report.
