If things had worked out differently for Zac Taylor, his closet would be filled with orange Nike gear instead of red Adidas gear.
Taylor, Nebraska's senior quarterback, was committed to Oklahoma State before his junior year of high school.
But the Norman, Okla., native de-committed and eventually found his way to Wake Forest for one year and then Butler County (Kan.) Community College before arriving in Lincoln.
Taylor said he de-committed from the Cowboys because they already appeared to have a solid starting quarterback in then-true freshman Josh Fields, who served as Taylor's host on his recruiting trip to Stillwater.
"When he's your host and you walk around campus and see how people treat him, he was the guy," Taylor said of Fields. "They loved him down there, and that's just tough to compete with."
On Saturday, Taylor will return to Stillwater with the No. 20 Cornhuskers (6-2, 3-1 Big 12 Conference) for a 2:30 p.m. game against the Cowboys (4-3, 1-2 Big 12) at Boone Pickens Stadium.
Taylor said he originally committed to Oklahoma State because it was the only Big 12 School to offer him a scholarship and he would be able to stay close to home.
Once or twice, Taylor said, he has thought about how things would have turned out had he kept his commitment to Oklahoma State.
"It's crossed my mind, but I'm happy with where I'm at," he said. "Things happen for a reason. It's worked out well for them because they've got great young quarterbacks."
Things have also worked out well for the Huskers.
In his second year as Nebraska's starter, Taylor has completed 122 of 192 passes for 1,824 yards and 16 touchdowns with three interceptions. He ranks fourth in the Big 12 in passing yards per game (228) and second in passing efficiency (167.7).
But not everything has gone smoothly for Taylor this season.
He said he wasn't pleased with his last outing against Texas on Saturday.
In the Huskers' 22-20 loss, Taylor completed 15 of 28 passes for 277 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He also struggled with minus-25 yards rushing on seven carries.
In Nebraska's 21-3 win over Kansas State on Oct. 14, Taylor connected on 12 of 21 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown.
"He could have played better the last couple weeks, and he knows that," NU Offensive Coordinator Jay Norvell said. "There's areas where he's got to improve. He's missed a couple receivers, he's missed a couple reads, but he'll continue to learn from that and improve."
Despite Taylor's struggles in the past couple games, NU Coach Bill Callahan said Taylor has been a model of consistency for his teammates and does a great job of being a leader and commanding respect in the huddle.
"It's just a matter of time before he really lights it up," Callahan said. "We ask him to do a lot of things that fans don't even see, and he's managed it really well."
According to Taylor, he is his own toughest critic. He said the efficient running game has taken the pressure off him, but he wants to play better down the stretch.
Taylor's mindset seems to be in the right place.
"I'm as confident as I've ever been," he said. "I feel at ease back there."
Saturday's game will mark the final time Taylor will suit up for a college game in his home state, and he said he is looking forward to seeing friends and family.
He also seems content that he's wearing red instead of orange.
"Here I am, five years later, and I couldn't be happier with how it worked out," he said. "Obviously, God lets things happen for a reason."
is a member of the 
