The Nebraska Cornhuskers host the Colorado Buffaloes this weekend in a rivalry game that has the potential to define both teams’ seasons. The two teams have nearly opposite styles of play and the key will be to get the opponent to 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, which set a season record.

Nevertheless, Sanders delivered one of his best performances of the year, throwing for 393 yards and two touchdowns and having a target accuracy of 73%.

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

The Blackshirts need to make sure they keep the likely first-round pick in check and not allow his incredible improvisational skills to lead to points.

Colorado’s offense is fast.

That’s it. That’s the sentence.

They just pull past everyone, and just when you think they’re gaining momentum on defense, Travis Hunter is dancing in the back of the end zone.

The Big Red cannot allow this game to become a track and field contest. The longer the offenses on both sides, the greater Nebraska’s advantage in depth. If NU can wear down a thin Colorado defense, the Huskers can find favorable opponents as the game progresses. On the other hand, if they can keep the Buffaloes ahead and make tackles, they will frustrate CU, causing impatience and, as a result, mistakes.

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

One could argue that this is the most highly anticipated Cornhuskers game in 20 years. Years of close losses and frustrations have led to this moment, where the Big Red, with a seasoned and experienced program developer in head coach Matt Rhule, face a bitter rival whose coach may be the exact opposite of his opponent but has achieved similar results.

Deion Sanders and Rhule couldn’t be more different, but their teams are in incredibly similar situations: programs whose recent losing history has been fed with a huge dose of hope and expectation.

A victory for either team under the floodlights of one of the most historic stadiums in football and on prime time television could shape not only the coaches’ seasons but also their legacies.

Everything above is familiar to both sides. There are very few games where so much emotion is at stake, so playing this game at home is a huge advantage for Nebraska.

NU must accept the mass.

The Huskers need to match the energy of Nebraska fans and give them a reason to cheer and participate in the game. They need to harness the energy of the crowd and translate it into great plays and moments and create a lasting memory that their fan base craves.

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