(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Coach Bo Pelini, it’s time to hand out the Blackshirts.

Without your defense, Nebraska would be 3-2 with only the Alamo Bowl to play for.

Instead, the Huskers are 4-1 coming off an impressive 27-12 victory in a monsoon over Missouri to pick up their first victory in Columbia since former Heisman winner Eric Crouch made a run for the ages to make the victory possible in 2001.

After some fourth quarter heroics, Nebraska is now the front-runner in the Big 12 North. The first three quarters were as ugly as the ominous clouds that greeted the Huskers in front of a national television audience. But when you are Nebraska, it doesn’t matter how you get it done. Style points don’t matter.

As predicted, Ndamukong Suh was the major difference. The Blackshirts succeeded by rushing only its four defensive linemen, forcing former Nebraska verbal Blaine Gabbert to look very average. Following a Zac Lee touchdown strike to Niles Paul, Suh's interception set the Huskers up for the go-ahead score.

If Missouri fans want to point to Gabbert’s nagging ankle injury suffered after a clean Suh hit in the first quarter, they should point the finger at Missouri coach Gary Pinkel for keeping his quarterback in the football game.

If Nebraska can play as poorly as it did in the first 45 minutes of a major test and still find a way to get the job done, there is some substance to these Huskers after all. Nebraska is one of the top 10 teams in college football in 2009. Forget the rebuilding effort—Nebraska is good enough to win right now.

Nebraska’s victory was eerily similar to its loss to Colorado nearly two decades ago in Lincoln. Nebraska dominated the first three quarters of play before Colorado made a comeback for the ages to win by the same margin of 27-12 in 1990. It was one of the losses that forced then-coach Tom Osborne to make some serious changes in order to win national championships in 1994, 1995, and 1997.

Realistically, Pelini may not be close to bringing some hardware to Lincoln. Let's not get carried away. After all, it took his boss 21 seasons to bring a national title back to Lincoln. But with this sudden turnaround—just year two into the revitalization project in Big Red Country—who would bet against Pelini?

Pelini is fiery. Pelini sometimes crosses the line, much unlike any of his predecessors at Nebraska other than the coach he took over for. Pelini might be a little too hard on his players. But if the defense didn’t deserve to don the Blackshirts after a 16-15 loss at Virginia Tech—a Hokie team that is in the top 10 at the moment—the defense deserves them now.

Pelini’s defense is fast. Pelini’s defense is very young—which is a scary thought for not only its opponents in the Big 12 North, but a message to Oklahoma and Texas in the South. Nebraska is not far off from being in the same conversation with the Big 12 powerhouses.

Imagine where this program would be had former A.D. Steve Pederson not pushed Pelini aside for a coach that was clearly too cocky for his own good. Pederson made a massive mistake in letting Pelini go in favor for a coach that will remain nameless—almost as if his tenure in Lincoln didn’t count.

It’s old news. Missouri was a program Nebraska used to own. Before 2003, Nebraska turned away the Tigers on 23 straight occasions. Many forget that Osborne struggled with Missouri in his early years in Lincoln, losing four out of six against the Tigers, including two times at home.

Thank goodness Pelini saw the potential in Nebraska’s program so he could return to save the day.

Nebraska is back. Nebraska is for real. There is no reason why the Huskers can’t finish 11-1 this season, which would include a victory at home over Oklahoma in November. This defense can hang with Sam Bradford and Boomer Sooner right now.

After being spoiled under Bob Devaney and Osborne, Pelini has already got the Big Red Express back on track.

If you are Oklahoma and Texas, be afraid. Be very afraid. The Huskers have the ability to win ugly—a scary thought for its foes in the Big 12.

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