Something else I like to think on is where both programs were last year psychologically when they played.
Colorado had its chest thrust out with arrogance after it beat TCU. It was a program that felt like it had arrived. They had confidence. After the TCU game, it was somewhat warranted. That win got everyone’s attention and the spotlight was on them, just as they wanted it to be. They had the beginnings of proof that their approach worked.
Nebraska meanwhile was still healing from being snakebit all through the Frost and some of the Riley era and had come into that game with a loss that felt like much of the same as before. Sims also showed signs that the red flags that came with his transfer were valid. And boy did he really prove that then against Colorado. But Nebraska had nothing to show for itself, at least publicly, when it stepped foot onto Folsom. Colorado meanwhile was well on its way (at least it seemed like it at the time).
Rhule hadn’t had his post-Michigan Sunday practice with the team yet where they started to play with more resilience. Sims hadn’t yet been injured/benched. It wasn’t until later Rhule got a feel for what sort of team he truly had on hand and could begin making adjustments.
When they meet this time, Nebraska will almost certainly have a win the week before instead of a loss that lingers with them. The team has had an entire off season to be internally evaluated and adjusted with hirings like Glenn Thomas and revamping the QB room. The stories have all been about improvement.
Colorado meanwhile has been fending off negative stories all summer. They’ve lost half their assistant coaches, including both coordinators, and for the most part replaced them with guys with more question marks than their predecessors. The quiet scrutiny about their methods last year are not so quiet anymore. And if they win the game before us, it’s NDSU, not a team that played for the National Title the year before. If the Bison play the Buffalos close, then Colorado will have even more questions being asked.
Both teams will come into the game with different mentalities than last year. Just on that alone, it should be a situation that benefits Nebraska.
Colorado will surely start the game playing angry. But that’s not the same as the earned confidence they had when they played us last year. Nebraska should hopefully be playing like the sky is their limit still with no losses already weighing us down or making us hesitate with our approach. But if we stay with them, or hopefully pull ahead, they won’t have much else to motivate them once their anger extinguishes.
