Nebraska Football: When Properly Prepared, Huskers a Threat to Win Big Ten

There are currently only two undefeated teams in the Big Ten. One of those teams is Nebraska.

After barely defeating McNeese State 31-24, it was hard to imagine that would be the case for the Huskers. One week later, Nebraska proved, much like it did against Florida Atlantic, that the team has what it takes to win the Big Ten. It's all about proper preparation.

"This week, we didn't prepare with as much enthusiasm as we did the week before," Ameer Abdullah said after the McNeese State game. "That's on me as a captain. I'm going to nip that in the butt starting tomorrow with a fresh slate and with Fresno State, I assure you that won't be the case."

Needless to say, it's clear Abdullah did just that. Although there were a couple mental mistakes (like David Santos punching the football into the end zone for a safety), Nebraska came away with a 55-19 victory over the Bulldogs. The win snapped Fresno State's 13-game win streak at Bulldog Stadium, which also ended the nation’s longest home-winning streak.

It would have been easy to overlook Fresno State, too. The Bulldogs had already lost 52-13 to USC and 59-27 to Utah. With Miami on the horizon, this had every chance to be a trap game for the Huskers. Instead, McNeese State appeared to be the wake-up call Nebraska needed.

"Just like Ameer said today, we aren't good enough yet to take anybody lightly," cornerback Josh Mitchell said after the Huskers defeated the Cowboys. "We're not there, we're not even close. All we can do is bring it at practice and just not talk about it, but be about it."

GARY KAZANJIAN/Associated Press

With the rest of the Big Ten hanging on by a thread, the Huskers now have an opportunity to be a major threat to win the conference championship. Big Ten media members original picked the Huskers to finish third in the West, per the Omaha World-Herald. That could be very different now. It all depends on how the team prepares, though.

As Abdullah made it clear post-McNeese State, the lack of preparation won't happen again. Mitchell agreed, saying it was time to "put up or shut up."

Well, the Huskers put up against Fresno State. As a result, Nebraska is beginning to emerge in the West division of the Big Ten. There's still a lot left to learn about what the Huskers are capable of, but it's clear that when the team puts in the effort in practice, it pays off.

Armstrong completed 12 of 21 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns. Abdullah ran for 110 yards and one touchdown on 19 attempts. Receivers Kenny Bell and Lane Hovey made big plays when needed, while Jordan Westerkamp secured the first touchdown of the game.

Even the tight ends got in on the action against the Bulldogs. Both Sam Cotton and Cethan Carter snagged touchdowns for the Huskers.

As a team, Nebraska walked away from Fresno State with 562 total yards and only one turnover. The defense secured four sacks and 11 tackles for loss. Despite small errors here and there, it was a well-balanced game on both sides of the ball.

When CBS Sports Network asked Armstrong what the Huskers' game plan was after the game, his answer was simple: "just come out here with a statement."

Head coach Bo Pelini understands the challenge his team faces moving forward. "There's a lot out there for this team," Pelini said in the Fresno State postgame press conference. "The key is to do it every day. That's the challenge. That's the challenge for me, for us as football coaches and for our team."

If McNeese State was a wake-up call, the Huskers are ready to move forward from it. It also sounds like the team, including Pelini, plans to be ready for Miami and every team that comes after.

With the Big Ten wide open, the pressure is now on for the Huskers to meet that challenge. With proper preparation, it will be an easier goal to accomplish.

After all, as Abdullah said after the McNeese State game, the Huskers simply need to have "respect of the opponent, respect of our game plan." Following through on both should put Nebraska in a good position to win the Big Ten title.

All quotes were obtained firsthand, unless otherwise noted.