Bo Pelini needed a signature win-- for that matter -- so did the Husker faithful.
The Husker football team got it last week, beating Missouri 27-12 in Columbia, the first win over the Tigers in their den since 2001. It was also the first win over a rated opponent since beating Texas A&M in November of 2006.
The win has moved the Huskers into the AP Top 15, but the question is whether or not this win was a catapult back to the top of the nation's elite in college football?
Granted, the Huskers aren't in the same company as the nation's best teams, including Texas, Florida and Alabama. But this year's team has shown it can play with the big boys on the road. They came from behind to beat Missouri on a rain-drenched night on national television, and was one play away from a road upset over a Virginia Tech team that is currently ranked in the top five.
And, truthfully, the program, and the Husker fans, needed a win such as this. This program has come a long way from the dark days of the previoius regime, but it needed a big win over a high-profile team to make a statement that they are on the way back.
This is a team led by a passionate coach who demands the best of everybody involved. This program still has a lot of room for improvement, but continued success is going to bring the Husker program back to where it stood 15 years ago as the crown jewel of college football.
The Huskers' next test comes this Saturday, as they host Texas Tech in a 2:30 p.m. matchup at Memorial Stadium. Get your tickets to see the Huskers and Red Raiders in action now at Ticket Express -- where no Husker football game is ever sold out.
