Exactly two years ago, the Missouri football program had its coming-out party.

Fans and players remember the date -- Oct. 6, 2007 -- because that's when Gary Pinkel's team took a major step forward to legitimizing itself as a national contender. That Saturday night, in front of an overflow crowd of 70,049 rabid fans, Missouri methodically took apart Nebraska, winning 41-6. Entering the game, questions circled the team like vultures:

Are the Tigers for real?

Can the defense stop anyone?

Will the offense perform well against a solid defense?

All those questions were answered with a resounding "yes," and Missouri took a major step to its first Big 12 North title in its surreal 12-2 season.

Now, Missouri enters Thursday's prime-time match-up against the Cornhuskers in much the same fashion

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