The Nebraska Cornhuskers host the Colorado Buffaloes this weekend in a rivalry matchup that has the potential to define both teams’ seasons. The teams bring nearly polar opposite styles of play to the table, and the key will be to make the opponent play your brand of football.

The Blackshirts did their job against Colorado last year, dominating the line of scrimmage, getting into the backfield and sacking Shedeur Sanders eight times, a season record.

Despite this, Sanders put together one of his best performances of the year, rushing for 393 yards and two touchdowns while completing 73% of his passes.

This is due to his incredible ability to make off-script plays out of the pocket. Sanders and Colorado’s offense are arguably better when he’s out of system and out of the pocket.

The Blackshirts must ensure they contain the likely first-round pick and prevent his incredible improvisational skills from leading to scoring.

Colorado’s offense is fast.

That’s it. That’s the meaning.

They blow by everyone and just as soon as you think you’re getting momentum on defense, Travis Hunter is dancing in the back of the end zone.

The Big Red can’t let this game become an athletic contest. The longer the drives for both sides, the more Nebraska’s depth advantage will grow. If NU can wear down a thin Colorado defensive line unit, the Huskers can expose favorable matchups as the game progresses. On the other side of the ball, if they can keep the Buffaloes in front and make tackles, they’ll frustrate CU, which will breed impatience and, in turn, mistakes.

The Buffs are going to make a big move at some point in this game. They are too talented and fast not to. But if Nebraska can turn this game into a grind, they will not only win it, they will win it comfortably.

You could argue that this is the most anticipated game for the Cornhuskers in 20 years. Years and years of close losses and frustration have led to this moment where the Big Red, with a polished and proven program builder in head coach Matt Rhule, takes on a bitter rival with a coach whose flash and glamour are the polar opposite of his opponent’s but who produces similar results.

Deion Sanders and Rhule are very different, but their teams are in a very similar situation: The programs have been through a lot of losing lately and are now infused with a huge dose of hope and expectation.

A victory for either program in the spotlight of one of football’s most historic stadiums and on primetime television could not only define the coaches’ season, but their legacy.

All of the above is known to both parties. There are few games with such emotional stakes, which is why it is such an advantage that Nebraska gets to play this game at home.

NOW the masses must embrace.

The Huskers need to match the energy of the Nebraska fans and give them a reason to cheer and stay engaged in the game. They need to channel the crowd’s energy into big plays, big moments and create a lasting memory that their fans have been longing for.

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